Lottery sets wheels in motion for Wiltshire young

Area:

South West England

Programme:

Reaching Communities

Release date:

30 1 2007

The two year award to Devizes based, Community First, will help lease mopeds to young people aged 16-26 in rural areas of Wiltshire and Swindon so they can access employment and training opportunities. Without the Wiltshire Wheels to Work scheme many young people living in isolated areas would have to pass on job offers and training because of a lack of private and public transport.

As well as leasing mopeds, the project also offers young people savings and budget advice to help them purchase their own bike. All beneficiaries will receive moped training, CBT testing and full moped safety equipment, in return for a small user contribution for wear and tear. The scheme is managed and operated by Community First and supported by Connexions and Job Centre Plus.

Wiltshire Wheels to Work Co-ordinator, Helen Lines, said: “Wiltshire Wheels to Work aims to provide supported transport access to employment and training through a leased moped scheme for people living in rural areas of Wiltshire.

“The scheme currently operates 20 mopeds that can be leased under contract for a six month period by people who have been offered employment but are unable to take up the opportunity because of a lack of available and viable transport options. The project began in July 2006 and by December 2006 had helped 23 people gain access to employment.

“We now plan to try and expand our pool of mopeds to enable more users to access the scheme. We are exploring local commercial sponsorship opportunities and hope to be able to increase our moped pool to 30 over the coming year – thus enabling us to help up to 60 people a year to gain supported access to employment.”

Big Lottery Fund Head of Region for the South West, Mark Cotton, said: “This innovative project is providing a vital service, giving young people in rural areas a much better chance of finding employment. Wiltshire Wheels to Work is just one example of the many South West projects we are supporting through our Reaching Communities programme, that sets out to improve local communities and the lives of people most in need.”

Another South West group, the SCHIP Home Improvement Agency in West Somerset, is also celebrating after being awarded £98,205 to fund the SCHIP Fix-it Team. The three-year grant will help elderly and disabled people by providing a handyman to carry out basic repair and maintenance work around their homes.

The handyman will be employed to carryout small jobs around homes enabling elderly and disabled people to remain in their own homes for longer and increase independent living. Jobs may include changing light bulbs, fitting garb rails, and moving furniture.

SCHIP Agency Manager, Mary Ewing, said: “SCHIP is delighted with the news about the Big Lottery Fund funding.  The Handyperson scheme will be of enormous benefit to vulnerable clients helping for example with emergency repairs and hospital discharge.  The scheme will also provide opportunities for volunteers and for additional joint working with SCHIP's many partners. Thank you very much for your help."

Further information

Big Lottery Fund Press Office: 020 7211 1888
Out of hours contact: 07867 500 572
Public Enquiries Line: 08454 102030
Textphone: 845 6021 659
Full details of the Big Lottery Fund programmes and grant awards are available on the website: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk

Notes to Editors

• The Big Lottery Fund rolls out close to £2 million in Lottery good cause money every 24 hours, which together with other Lottery distributors means that across the UK most people are within a few miles of a Lottery-funded project.
• The Big Lottery Fund, the largest of the National Lottery good cause distributors, has been rolling out grants to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK since its inception in June 2004.
• On 1 December 2006 the Big Lottery Fund was officially established by Parliament and at the same time assumed the residual responsibilities of the dissolved National Lottery Charities Board (Community Fund) the New Opportunities Fund, and the Millennium Commission. The Fund is building on the experience and best practice of the merged bodies to simplify funding in those areas where they overlap and to ensure Lottery funding provides the best possible value for money.
• Reaching Communities is part of the Big Lottery Fund’s portfolio of new programmes. Following an intense and comprehensive process of consultation with stakeholders and the general public over the last year, the Fund has undertaken to distribute 60-70% of its funding to the third sector.  At least one-third of BIG funding will be demand-led and lightly prescribed.  In England, this will amount to at least £600 million over the period 2005-2009. This commitment will be met from a variety of funding streams, including, Reaching Communities, Awards for All, part of the Young People’s Fund, Community Buildings, Advice Services and the People’s Millions.
• UK-wide, the Big Lottery Fund will distribute through its new programmes and allocations funding worth over £2.6bn between now and April 2009. Regularly updated information on the Big Lottery Fund’s new programmes is available at www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/publications.htm

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