BBO Steps to Work are the lead organisation on two Building Better Opportunities (BBO) Projects which aim to help people overcome their barriers and reach their individual goals with expert help and guidance. If you would like to speak to us about either of these projects, you can call us on 01922 627555 or view our list of partner organisations here to find out who you can speak to about accessing the project. The BRIDGES Project Steps to Work are the lead organisation on the BRIDGES project, which covers the Black Country area offering support for people to overcome their barriers no matter and move closer to the job market. Steps to Work has received over £10.5 million from the Big Lottery Fund and the European Social Fund to run the project for three years, alongside 29 partner organisations across the Black Country. EVOLVE Steps to Work are the lead organisation on the Evolve project, which offers the same support to participants in East Staffordshire. It covers Cannock, East Staffordshire, Lichfield and Tamworth. The project has received over £3 million from the Big Lottery Fund and the European Social Fund to run the project for three years alongside 18 partner organisations across East Staffordshire. Home BRIDGES Evolve Blog Case Studies Our Funders Sign Up Our Delivery Partners BBO Rebuilding self confidence with REPC “Being out of work for so long has really knocked my confidence and self-esteem. Getting this work placement with REPC has been brilliant! I’ve learned some very useful new skills and mixing with the REPC staff has really improved my social skills" Matthew Lester joined the BRIDGES project in August 2017.Matthew had been in skilled jobs and had run his own business in the past, but a very long period of unemployment had left him suffering from very low self-esteem, anxiety and diminished social skills. Matthew was very keen to get back into some form of routine to help himself re-build his self-confidence.Matthew already had a big interest in IT. REPC Limited is an IT recycling, refurbishing and re-use social enterprise organisation and Matthew was offered a 10-day work placement at the company as an IT technician, providing him with the ideal opportunity to re-build his self-confidence and learn some new technical skills.Matthew began attending REPC one day per week and over the course of the 10-week programme, with good mentoring and support from the BRIDGES staff, he has been able to re-build his self-confidence whilst developing a range of new IT skills, including computer recycling and refurbishing. His performance has been such that he was offered an extension to the original placement. Matthew is now really looking forward to the future and is keen to take the next steps towards finding paid employment.