Apertures, City Maps & Budgeting- Up for Yorkshire on Jon’s Multiply Journey

Up for Yorkshire are one of our fantastic partners on the Multiply programme, and have been running a range of sessions across year 2 of provision to inspire numbers confidence and encourage participants to utilise their maths skills on the daily. From bushcraft to budgeting, to cooking, sewing, and photography geared sessions, the team are great at finding those numeracy nuances in everyday life. Who said maths had to be boring?

For RISE and Multiply participant Jon, he’s got stuck into a range of these classes, finding his feet with photography apertures, shutter speeds, and focal lengths, whilst also dipping his toes into their budgeting courses.

Aside from developing his numeracy expertise and generally feeling ‘less vulnerable with money’, refreshing his own maths skills has also inspired Jon in his volunteering role with Visit York, where he’s putting these skills into practice- helping tourists with navigating bus timetables, numbers, and city maps.

More confident in his own money management, Jon now feels more able to promote Visit York’s tourism pass as part of his role too, which allows tourists to visit hotspots around the city for a lower price. Following his own numeracy journey, he’s keen to support others where he can (& ultimately drive tourism as a result!)

Here’s what Lindsay Brown, Project Worker @ Up for Yorkshire had to say about Jon’s journey:

 

Jon is a RISE client and when he heard about the Multiply offer, he was really keen to get involved.  He took part in a short course with Nick [Up for Yorkshire’s Multiply Officer] involving photography and maths skills. Nick says that he was keen to photograph things in the local environment around them and took on board things that Nick was saying about measurements and distances. Jon really responded well to instructions and both he and Nick enjoyed their time together.  

Jon also took part in a 2-day course about budgeting and navigating relationships with money. He took a very active part, sharing experiences and getting involved in working out the answers to some questions involving money, percentages, fractions as well as addition and subtraction in everyday life. We talked a lot about money saving ideas when it comes to bills, food shopping and looking out for a bargain. Jon was great to have as part of the group as he always had things to share and comment on. He was keen to have a go at working out maths problems and wasn’t afraid to ask for help when he needed it. 

Jon has had to overcome many barriers to his learning in the past and has gained in terms of his confidence and willingness to take part. As a youngster, he found moving home and relocating from an all-boys school to a mixed school with different standards very difficult as he felt like he really didn’t fit in. Where he’d previously been nurtured and cared for, he suddenly felt friendless and alienated at school. Jon didn’t get the help and support that he needed to succeed in his education and with a late diagnosis (Autism & ADHD) in adulthood, he’s often found things hard.

Now however, Jon feels part of a group, he has found people that he can get along with and he feels listened to and valued. He says that the sessions helped him to remember the maths he had done with his maths teacher in the all-boys school and helped him practice those skills again. He feels like he can be himself with us and this hasn’t always been the case where people have not seen his potential, and his strengths- attention to detail, grammar and creativity.

It’s not been easy for Jon and he can struggle with his confidence, but he was a total star in our Multiply events and we loved having him taking such an enthusiastic part in the sessions. Hopefully, with this new found enthusiasm and confidence for learning, he will be able to take part in other courses in the future.

Jon has so much to offer in terms of his enthusiasm, knowledge, and willingness to share and to get involved. As a team, we are all so proud of what you have achieved.

From all of us at Up For Yorkshire, well done Jon!’’  

Contact Christine Brass, cbrass@betterconnect.org.uk for more information on the Multiply programme, or visit the Multiply North Yorkshire website, here, for a broader look at the scheme. 

One of our partners wanting to share one of your participant stories? Get in touch with Laura from our impact team at lsandiford@betterconnect.org.uk.