Tim Buckley and Michael Ivins
Ministry of Life Education
Tim Buckley and Michael Ivins have created Ministry of Life Education to create opportunities for young people to find their passions and nurture their potential.
With their team they now deliver full time courses for 16–25-year-olds and a pre-16 programme for young people who have either been removed from education or have struggled to fit in.
Tim says,
Teaching is in our blood. We care about every student that we work with and try our best to go the extra mile. We work with young people who have attended pupil referral units or have experienced complete exclusion from schools. All are facing barriers to formal education and are suffering social issues. Somehow, they seem to be drawn to us and we offer an alternative approach when they most need it.”
Tim and Michael started as youth workers and quickly developed from having a youth club to running short courses for young people. They now have team of five people to deliver learning and mentoring.
Michael says, “If we’re honest it’s about being part social workers and part teachers. You have to tackle the whole set of issues that each young person is experiencing if they are going to achieve and go further.
As part of their approach, they concentrate on providing a safe, alternative environment within the community that the young people live.
They say, “Our doors are always open, and we have a wider community focus to solve problems – whether it’s donating equipment, purchasing food, clothes, helping with housing and drug and alcohol misuse issues. Our young people always inspire us, seeing them respond, transform, and find a way forward, motivates us to continue to be there for them.”
