Directors Kate Beale and Chris Campbell have been presented with an award from Dudley CVS for achieving the local Building Blocks kite mark.

Just Straight Talk is a Community Interest Company that helps unemployed 16 to 25 year olds into work, education or training. Based in Coseley, Just Straight Talk has gone from an embryonic idea to a fully-fledged reputable company, delivering a much needed service for young people in just under two years. Since the spring of 2012, Just Straight Talk has:

• Registered as a Community Interest Company,

• Secured start-up grants from UnLtd, DWP, ASDA, West Midlands Police and Supporting People administered by Directorate of Adults, Communities and Housing Services,

• Supported just over 100 people. Helped 23 of these people into employment, 11 onto work placements/voluntary placements, 6 people into apprenticeships, 23 into training and 11 into further education,

• Supported 4 people into becoming social entrepreneurs who have successfully secured funding for their own social venture, and

• Recently become an UnLtd Star Partner which will enable them to find and support other entrepreneurs to improve the communities they live in. 

Building Blocks is a programme of support available to voluntary and community organisations (including social enterprises) in Dudley borough. The programme helps organisations to ensure that they are well run, that they have the correct paperwork in place and are planning for their future financial sustainability. Organisations that successfully complete the kite mark are awarded with a Building Blocks certificate. Building Blocks is run by Dudley CVS and funded by the Big Lottery Fund.

“We are delighted to receive the Building Blocks award from Dudley CVS. We have put in a lot of hard work and time to ensure that the foundations of our organisation are solid and this is a fantastic bench-mark which puts Just Straight Talk in a good place for our future developments. Kate Green has been pivotal in ensuring we were successful with Building Blocks and we really appreciated her guidance and wealth of knowledge.” (Kate Beale, Director, Just Straight Talk)

“I have really enjoyed working with both Kate and Chris on the Building Blocks programme. They are both so committed to helping young people and they have achieved so much in under two years. It is fantastic to see an organisation go from strength to strength. Just Straight Talk is a wonderful project doing amazing things for young people in Dudley borough”. (Kate Green, Dudley CVS Senior Development Officer)