Making long-term, quality partnerships is a priority for Soft Touch. We successfully work with organisations to develop ideas into projects and make them happen.
We are experienced at managing and evaluating both small and large scale projects which deliver outcomes for our partners.
By working in partnership with Soft Touch organisations and services will:
- Find new ways to engage with and motivate users and participants
- Involve users and participants in putting information and messages across in creative ways
- Enable meaningful consultation with ‘hard to reach’ and diverse communities
- Achieve Every Child Matters, Local Area Agreement and other strategic priorities
Youth Offending Service
Soft Touch has a long term relationship with Leicester Youth Offending Service. Our arts projects and regular weekly arts and music sessions help the Service to keep young people engaged, foster confidence and achievement, and encourage them away from involvement in crime.
"Soft Touch are our most valued partners when working with young offenders. They have provided a positive, creative and structured project for our young people to participate in. Many of our group have developed new skills and in turn this has promoted greater confidence and self belief. Offending rates have noticeably declined with the group who access Soft Touch". Louise Cassie, Leicester Youth Offending Service
Braid women’s project
Soft Touch has a long term partnership with Assist, an NHS service for refugees and asylum seekers. The aim is to engage women who are not accessing ante-natal care through a weekly arts and crafts session. The sessions provide the women with enjoyable activities which give them a sense of wellbeing and achievement as well as opportunities to socialise with other women in similar situations to themselves. A crèche and refreshments are provided. Assist refers women to the project and most weeks a midwife visits to provide information and support. Now the project has been expanded to provide access to a wider range of support for the women, through funding from the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Community Foundation.
The former Assist co-ordinator commended the project for getting women "much more prepared and organised for labour and motherhood, knowing what to expect and where to go if they needed help".
This is confirmed by the women themselves: "I am pregnant so it has been useful to come here and speak to the midwife. She explained to me about exercise, healthy eating and about the baby’s development".
The project was begun through a grant from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, continued with funding from the ESF small grant programme and is now suppported by LLRCF.
