(Shaunnine Jones receiving a ELMC plaque from the Eastern Area Charity Steward)
In 2025, Mahdlo Youth Zone received a grant from the ELMC Grant making committee, for the sum of £3,307.57 to help with creating and furnishing of an Intervention room and calming / sensory room, and to enable more neuro-diverse young people and those with additional needs to participate in positive activities.
Mahdlo Youth Zone is the largest youth organisation in Oldham delivering exceptional youth work in their purpose-built facility in the centre of Oldham. Mahdlo are open 7 days a week, 52 weeks of the year, and offer an exciting range of activities and opportunities that all young people from across Oldham can access.
Mahdlo is vital lifeline for young people providing the young people of the area somewhere to go, something to do and it also gives them someone to talk too. They help around 3,000 young people per year and their mission is to help and provide opportunities to raise aspirations and support young people to reach their full potential.
On the 14th of January. The Eastern Area Charity steward along with the Deputy Area Chairman Dave Jones, and the Area Communications officer Lee Reilly, was invited to Mahdlo to look at new Intervention room and calming / sensory room.
On arrival we were met by Shaunnine Jones who is the Youth work Manager, after a coffee. Shaunnine explained how the centre works, and benefits all those that attend. We were then given a tour of the facilities were we got to look at all the different areas from the arts and crafts, gaming room, Sports hall and gym and even the Kitchen area were they people who attend can learn important life skills, we also was shown the music room (Deputy Area Chairman Dave Jones was desperate to play a tune).
Shaunnine explained how the grant from the ELMC, as made a difference to the young people aged between 8 to 25, who use the intervention room when they are feeling overwhelmed by the noise and large groups in the reception area, this helps them to relax.
The calming / sensory room which she explained is used for a wide range of activities, is furnished in bright paint work, soft lighting and fidget toys and weighted blankets and a table and chairs were they can just sit and relax, and feel comfortable and also encourages them to participate with their peers, and basically giving support to young people who need time out or our suffering episodes linked to anxiety, stimming or other behaviours associated with neuro diverse conditions.
Shaunnine thanked all the members of the ELMC and the Eastern Area Freemasons that have made this grant happen on behalf of all at Mahdlo, and the ELMC are also now on the friends of Mahdlo wall in the Reception of the youth zone.