BW3
Business Working with Wythenshawe (BW3) was formed in 2002 following a Seeing is Believing Visit, led by the Airport. BW3 is an alliance of companies who are based in Wythenshawe or who have special affinity to the area. Today there are 16 member companies. BW3 also draw on expertise and resources from other non member companies to deliver specific programmes.
BW3 aims to support the social and economic regeneration of Wythenshawe through community involvement activities. BW3 has an agreed charter and works with a number of strategic and local agencies to address improvement in the following areas;
- Employment
- Education
- Health
- Crime
- Capacity building for local community organisations
Our Membership
Manchester Airport
Armstrong Craven
Goodman International
Shell Microsoft
Wythenshawe Hospital
Manchester City Council
Manchester City Football Club
Willow Park Housing Trust
Parkway Green Housing Trust
The Village Hotel Wythenshawe
Forum Trust
Holiday Crowne Plaza
Lloyds Banking Group
Wythenshawe FM
The Manchester College
UMBRO
How do we agree what we will do?
Based on the feedback we receive from the Airport’s bi-annual community consultation and an internal review of our achievements, BW3 produces an action plan to meet the community needs.
The calendar of activities acts as a framework and is often supplemented throughout the year as new project needs arise:-
| April - June |
High Flyer Community Enterprise Project – High SchoolNumbers at Work - Primary SchoolJob Search Skills - High School Greater Manchester Police MEA Visits NEET Prevention Support – High School. |
| July - September |
Greater Manchester Police MEA Visits Numbers at Work - Primary School Job Search Skills - High SchooL. |
| October - December |
Lone Parents Job Support Project Greater Manchester Police MEA Visits Numbers at Work - Primary School Job Search Skills - High School. |
| January - March |
Greater Manchester Police MEA Visits Numbers at Work - Primary School Job Search Skills - High SchoolCelebration/Promotion event. |
Examples of some of the programmes are
Job Search Skills
Delivered once a term to secondary schools, offering a morning of guidance in CV preparation, researching for a job, interview techniques, how to present yourself for interview, role plays to observe and a chance to take part in a mock interview. Aimed at Year 10 students.
| Comments from teachers | Employer benefits |
| · “What a great day it was, pupils and staff found it a very rewarding experience. They have talked about it afterwards and other pupils have asked if they could be involved next time.” WA Daron Headteacher St.Pauls High. | Employers will benefit from young people who are better equipped to understand business needs, and who consider this when making key training and learning choices. |
| · “Every single pupil came away a more confident and successful young person and will remember this day for a very long time. For many of our kids just to talk to adults they have never met before is an achievement.” Tony Hampson, Y10 Coordinator Parklands High School | Employers will benefit from young people being better practised in speaking to unfamiliar adults. |
| · All pupils have advised they are more aware of what they need to do to be successful in applying for a job | Employers will receive a higher quality applicant who is more aware of what they are looking for in their future work force. |
Numbers at Work
Delivered once a term to primary schools (Year 5), offering a morning of job related number solving problems, highlighting the important of numbers at work. The Airport host a ‘lets cargo session’ and Microsoft introduce ‘spreadsheets’ in a juicy data session to make the session work related.
| Numbers at Work teachers comments | Employer comments |
| “Thanks for a fantastic morning. The children thoroughly enjoyed it and were disappointed that it ended at lunch time! | Numbers are a part of business life. We need people who are skilled with numbers in varying business environments |
| A really positive event which allowed the qualities of many children to shine through.” Cathy Sweeney St.John Fisher Catholic Primary School | Activities like this allow all children the chance to excel – building confidence in themselves and their relationships with adults. |
| All 135 children advised they are more aware of why they learn maths and its importance to people in work | Understanding what work is about encourages young people to want to engage in the world of work rather than to follow the family role models which are often 3rd and 4th generation unemployed. |
High Flyers
Every year we offer one of the four high schools in Wythenshawe the opportunity to work with our members on a special two-week long High Flyer project. Over the last three years we have produced a brochure with Parklands High School and healthy eating advice with St Paul’s and Brookway High Schools. Our most recent project tackles Waste and Recycling with the help of students at Newall Green. We have also run courses for lone parents teaching job seeking skills and offering work experience. This valuable support has also been extended to women serving sentences at Styal Women’s Prison.
To become a business member of BW3, please contact
Wendy Sinfield at Manchester Airport:
Email: wendy.sinfield@manairport.co.uk
Tel: 08000 967 967.
