Provincial Visit to Local Charity

Catch 22 is an innovative organisation which aims to help and guide young people who have, for one reason or another, found the more usual routes to qualifications and employment to be challenging. Their North Kent Vocational Skills Centre is based in Gravesend and offers young people, aged 16 to 19 years of age, opportunities to engage in a Foundation Learning Programme. In the two and a half years since starting up, Catch 22 has helped 70 young people each year to improve their skills in numeracy and literacy in addition to coaching them in confidence building techniques and how to create an effective CV.

At the Kent Show, in July 2011, £35,000 was presented, on behalf of the Freemasons’ Grand Charity, to Catch 22 towards the funding a fully operational garage, Auto 22, next door to the Centre. This is where he young people involved in the scheme are able to train for an apprenticeship or gain experience and study Motor Engineering to Diploma level. All profits from the garage are ploughed back into the charity.

In September, as an expression of appreciation, Catch 22 invited representatives of the Provincial Grand Lodge (including Roger Odd, Deputy Provincial Grand Master in Charge) and members of those Gravesend lodges who had helped with fund raising to tour the facility and meet the students.

During the visit, Roger Odd was given a lesson in how to ‘tinker’ with an engine by two of the young people who are benefiting from the charity. Subsequently he was privileged and delighted to present Sean Graham and George Burman with their NVQ 1 certificates. This came as a complete surprise to them as they were not previously aware of their success.

Further information about Catch 22 can be found at www.catch-22.org.uk.

Roger Odd presenting George Burman with NVQ Certificate Roger Odd presenting Sean Graham with NVQ Certificate

19 October 2011

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