- Area:
- North West England
- Programme:
- Awards for All England
- Release date:
- 27 3 2012
Three organisations in Manchester are receiving grants from the Big Lottery Fund (BIG) today to help young people gain skills to improve their prospects of employment.
The groups are among 60 projects in the North West sharing grants totalling £531,200 from BIG’s small grants Awards for All programme.
Vision 2020 Leadership Initiative has received £9,974 to help young and disadvantaged people improve skills like CV writing, interviewing and managing money. In addition, evening sessions including sport and mentoring activities will be provided to steer young people away from antisocial behaviour.
Chairperson Ayodeji Olofintila said: “It is extremely important for small groups like ours to receive funding in order to help young people in this current climate. Being a small group, we are very close to the community we work with, we know how young people feel and are aware of their needs. We noticed that many young people lacked self-confidence and esteem. We hope to engage with 160 young people a year, build their confidence so they can believe in themselves and maximise their potential to the fullest.”
Gaydio Community Interest Company received £10,000 to offer young people new business-related skills such as finance, marketing, public relations and work in the community. Director Ian Wallace said there has been a noticeable increase in the number of people that has been contacting us for work placement opportunities.
He said: “We’re really excited to receive the funding from the Big Lottery Fund. While everyone knows us as a radio station, what many people won’t know is that behind the scenes we deliver a huge range of projects to support people in need within our community. This programme will focus on employability skills – giving people the opportunity to work with the station, gaining experience and contributing to our output. Last year we worked with over 200 people in different ways, which helped produce exciting content for the 68,000 people that listen to us every week”
Also in Manchester, the Hanifah Community Initiative received £10,000 to provide employability skills to young people not in education, employment or training.
Meanwhile in Bolton, voluntary organisation B-Muzik will sue £5,754 to deliver workshops in music technology, film making, photography and dance for disadvantaged young people to improve self-confidence and gain skills.
Young people will also be the focus of a project in Liverpool which will confront schoolchildren with the consequences bullying. Copperwood Media CIC received £9,750 to show a film about suicide alongside a theatrical performance of the aftermath and hold debates.
Children with autism will be supported thanks to a £10,000 grant to the Autumn Support Group in Manchester. The group will provide workshops for parents and carers including managing challenging behaviour, counselling and relaxation sessions. The project will also separate social events and activities for parents and children to reduce the social isolation experienced by parents and develop a support network.
Helen Bullough, Big Lottery Fund Head of Region for the North West, said: “Youth unemployment is a serious issue at the moment and we are pleased to help projects that will enable young people gain skills and confidence a better chance to enter today’s tough job market. Our Awards For All small grants will make a big difference to people’s lives across the region. Awards for All funding can be used for a wide variety of activities all aiming to improve communities and the lives of people within them.”
BIG’s Awards for All programme offers grants of between £300 and £10,000 to social and environmental projects that will benefit local communities and make a difference to the lives of those most in need. Voluntary and community groups, schools, health organisations and parish and town councils can all apply.
See a full list of awards announced in the North West today
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