Architect George Clarke embarks on a secret mission testing an inspired idea that tackles both unemployment and empty homes, and that gives out-of-work young people the opportunity to receive training from retired builders while renovating a derelict house.
Jimmy Doherty helps test a radical new way of helping young disabled people and their families. The idea of the project is to use a stay on a farm, to not only give them a break but also tackle issues in the family. Jimmy's own farm is open to the public, and he's seen first-hand the powerful effect it can have on people. Together with the Papworth Trust, a charity that helps support disabled people and their families, he plans to use Jimmy's Farm to test a new way of giving families with disabled children a break.
With nearly a million people under 25 not in work, job centres are failing to engage young people with the idea of finding a job. But what if the job centre was reinvented by young people, for young people? Straight-talking self-made millionaire Dave Fishwick is one of the biggest suppliers of minibuses in Britain. In 2011, he took on the banking industry and successfully fought to open his own bank. The Secret Millions follows him and the Foyer Federation as they start a 'Pop-up Talent Shop', going into the heart of deprived communities. The Foyer Federation have devised a project where, instead of the unemployed going to job centres, employers go to them in pop-up talent shops run by young people. The job shop could pop up anywhere, from shopping centres to community centres or even on the streets. Designed to encourage young people into the workplace, and often away from crime, the shop introduces local employers to people they would never normally consider hiring.
Katie Piper has been asked to work with Acumen Trust, a charity helping to rehabilitate prisoners. Ninety percent of prisoners serving a short sentence are repeat offenders. After being released from prison, having a job is one of the most significant factors in preventing re-offending. But a criminal record makes finding work extremely difficult for many. Acumen run a carpentry workshop in Durham prison but have the novel idea of expanding the project and setting it up for ex-offenders as they're released; manufacturing and marketing high-end furniture and ultimately stopping them re-offending.
Gok Wan teams up with Kids Company, who offer young people from disadvantaged backgrounds emotional, educational and practical support. Kids Company works with 36,000 children and young people, 84% of whom have experienced homelessness. Gok is shocked to see the reality of daily life for some Kids Company students, from living in squalid conditions, to parents being murdered, and finding themselves homeless at a young age. Getting work for young people is extremely tough in the current climate but Kids Company believe they have a solution that combines training with their own brand of unique support: a pioneering course aimed at getting some of the most challenging young people into work. The charity's founder Camila Batmanghelidjh tasks him with teaching a crash course in fashion to inspire the young people, while Kids Company deal with the students' major behavioral issues. Alongside Kids Company key workers, Gok has a week to teach the trainees self-discipline and skills for the workplace while creating a range of T-shirts as a pilot social enterprise.