Case Studies & Testimonials
We have amassed a wealth of experience and received incredible feedback over the years, this can be viewed here. One of the key aspects people are often taken aback by, is our open and honest approach and the ability of our incredible trainers to quickly develop rapport with even the most hard to reach individuals and groups. Please view our testimonials below to see some of the amazing projects we have had the privilege to be a part of.
Engagement Case Study 1:
Rochdale AFC Community Trust - Community Cohesion project funded by the English Football League (2021)
Project Brief:
A 10 week social integration programme to promote shared values among people from different backgrounds and faith communities with 3 elements,
- Element 1 combining fun, social activities and local heritage discovery tasks to promote social contact, breakdown initial barriers and develop a sense of belonging to the local area
- Element 2 delivering interactive experiences to develop understanding around faiths and cultures, including challenging stereotypes
- Element 3 encouraging cohesiveness through a shared goal of selecting and working on a social action project.
This also aims to build participants’ confidence in acting for the local community and having a voice in service delivery. This was an exciting and challenging project of engagement as we were still in the pandemic and under lock down rules. The project was planned and delivered by the Me and You Education team and a post-project film was produced summarising the entire project.
The Community Director, Ryan Bradley stated,
“This was one of the first projects that I oversaw as I was appointed in March 2021 just as the project was coming to an end. I was very impressed in the way the team was led and the vibrant, bold and challenging content of their presentations. Me and You Education managed to engage with 10 different families of 6 different cultural backgrounds and the barriers that were broken as a result of the project is a lasting testimony to their efforts.”
Ryan Bradley Community
Director Rochdale AFC
Community Trust
Engagement Case Study 2:
Dad Matters UK (2022)
Dad Matters is a NHS funded project part of the national Home Start charity. The charity supports families across the region but there were tangible gaps of engagement with the BAME community, especially in particular with the Asian Muslim community. Me & You Education delivered a 3 month project for Dad Matters, providing fathers from the Asian community in Oldham and Bolton with mental health and signposting support. Addressing the topic of how to be a better father and providing training on engaging with those culturally different to themselves.
Here’s what the founder and national coordinator for Dad Matters had to say about us:
“After some difficulties recruiting a Cultural Liaison Coordinator to the Dad Matters team, we had the opportunity to work with Imam Irfan Chishti from Me and You Education. The learning experience for us as a service and for our staff team has been nothing short of inspiring. Reports from staff and dads who have felt his presence in outreach, team meetings and delivering training have all positively impacted their knowledge and confidence in working with dads from other cultures, and in particular south Asian dads. This piece of work has lead to us successfully presenting to local mosques, recruiting numerous volunteers from the south Asian community, and learning about the workings of communities and how we can engage them more successfully”
Kieran Anders - Dad Matters UK
Engagement Case Study 3:
Faith Network 4 Manchester (2023)
Increasing Mental Health awareness is a national goal. The Faith Network 4 Manchester was granted funding for a project to engage with three faith communities in the Greater Manchester area - namely Christians, Jews and Muslims. The Network initially tried to recruit 4 staff members to deliver a project promoting two NHS approved courses (Living Life to the Full and Connect 5). They would need to ensure that a minimum of 180 individuals (60 per faith community) undertook the courses. After the unsuccessful recruitment of officers for this challenging role, one of the Trustees contacted Me and You Education and we were appointed as coordinators to deliver the entire project.
Here is what one of the Trustees of FN4M has to say:
“Faith Network 4 Manchester were delighted to be introduced to Me and You Education for the delivery of our Faith and Mental Wellbeing Project. We advertised for various officer posts but were unsuccessful. Me and You Education have come on board and have brought a fresh vigour to the team and we are now very hopeful that we will collectively fulfil all our targets as a project and gain access to various “hard to reach” communities across Greater Manchester.” The Reverend Canon Jean Hurston Trustee Faith Network 4 Manchester
Education Case Study 1:
Chorlton High School South, Manchester
Me and You Education was commissioned to work specifically with a group of Muslim boys who were not engaging in their education and lacking motivation. The engagement started with this specific cohort but the skills and experience that our Intervention provider brought to the school quickly meant that he was engaging with students of all backgrounds and creating positive conversations that left the students confident and motivated to do well for themselves.
Assistant Headteacher Sue Burke stated:
“Irfan has very quickly become a valued member of our school family. He provides small group and one to one mentoring for some of our young men. We quickly saw an impact of his considered, calm approach on the attitudes towards school from some of our young people and their families. Irfan can spend really valued time listening carefully, challenging and raising the self-esteem of students and his cultural and religious knowledge references can speak to the young people in a way that someone that doesn’t have that shared faith or knowledge would find difficult. We are a diverse and inclusive school so it has been brilliant to tell our families and the young people that we have a mentor held in such high regard for their child to access for support.”
Education Case Study 2:
Falinge Park High School, Rochdale
Me and You Education was commissioned in 2022 post covid to work with vulnerable and challenging students initially on a fortnightly then weekly basis. Working closely with the Senior Management of the school, students were identified from across the year groups and both 1-1 and small group sessions were delivered to various students.
We worked on challenging misogyny, homophobia, Islamophobia, the Palestine situation and much much more. Student and staff well-being was supported throughout and the regular weekly reports meant that staff could also track impact once the sessions were completed.
Education Case Study 3:
Abraham Community School, Manchester
I worked at Abraham Moss Community School as Director of Personal Development. As part of the package of support that Manchester City Council was offering around the Prevent agenda, we invited “Me and You Education” into school. Mr Irfan Chishti and Ivan Humble worked with 3 different groups of students throughout the day. We had selected these students because they had expressed opinions of concern or had positive leadership qualities.
I was immediately impressed with the approach that Irfan and Ivan took and the openness and quality of discussion that was facilitated by them. Students clearly felt that his was a safe space to explore issues of identity and belonging.
One of the groups was being managed by the head of year 10. I was called back to the lesson as Irfan had stopped the session having uncovered some anti-Semitic views which he wanted to explore. The views expressed were around negative stereotypes, assumptions and blame. I was impressed with Irfan’s approach. He skilfully probed the notions that had emerged without making the children feel that they were being shut down or vilified. He talked them through what they had said so that they understood why it was anti-Sematic and wrong. He explored the damage that the views expressed have and where these ideas may have come from. This session was key to us as a school in supporting our ability to open up further dialogue; uncovering and then tackling such issues.
Mrs L Tasker, Assistant Head Teacher
