- Area:
- South West England
- Programme:
- Awards for All England
- Release date:
- 20 2 2012
Vulnerable people across the South West are set to face a more
positive future with a little help from some National Lottery good cause funding.
More
than 70 projects across the region are sharing just over £552,000 from the Big Lottery Fund’s Awards
for All programme, with several of the groups using their awards to work with vulnerable people to teach
them new skills and help them grow in confidence.
STEMworks
Ltd in Brockworth, Gloucestershire has been awarded nearly £8,000
to run practical workshops on robotics and renewable energy for disadvantaged young
people. It is hoped the workshops will enable participants to improve their employment opportunities
and understand how gaining skills in science and technology can make them more attractive to potential
employers.
Ed White, Director
of STEMworks said: “We aim to get students excited about science, technology, engineering
and maths (STEM). There is an increasing need for young people with these skills to provide the future
workforce for local businesses.
“This funding
will enable us to purchase equipment and develop exciting, practical workshops. Representatives from
local businesses will support the workshops and help students understand the opportunities available.
There is always a real thrill when we see students succeed at something challenging as it increases
their self-confidence, raises their aspirations and improves their future employability.”
Also
receiving funding this month is Reach Inclusive Arts in Swindon, which
has been awarded £6,437 to run drama sessions for people with learning difficulties,
hearing impairments and physical disabilities. The sessions will help participants to increase their
skills and confidence and improve their chances of finding employment.
£10,000
also goes to the South Devon College Charitable Trust in Paignton,
to run life skills workshops for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. The workshops will help
the young people to build their confidence, learn communication and social skills and improve their
education and employment chances.
Meanwhile
in Poole, Young Dorset has been awarded £9,390 to run
leadership, team building, communication and healthy eating workshops for vulnerable young people. These
sessions will give participants the self-confidence, motivation and job skills they need to face a far
brighter future.
Mark Cotton,
Big Lottery Fund’s Head of South West region, said: “These innovative projects will
go a long way towards helping vulnerable people increase their skills and confidence, and consequently
their employment prospects. It just goes to show the big difference relatively small grants can make.”
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. Visit www.awardsforall.org.uk or phone
0845 410 20 30 for more information.
See a full list of
all 
grants awarded in the South West Automatically imported picture.
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Furtther information
Big Lottery Fund Press Office: 020 7211 1888
Out of hours media contact: 07867 500 572
Full details of the Big Lottery Fund programmes and grant awards are available on
the website: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk
Ask BIG a question here: https://ask.biglotteryfund.org.uk
Follow BIG on Twitter: www.twitter.com/BigLotteryFund
#BIGlf
Find BIG on facebook: www.facebook.com/BigLotteryFund
Notes to Editors
- The Big Lottery Fund (BIG), the largest distributor
of National Lottery good cause funding, is responsible for giving out 46% of the money raised for good
causes by the National Lottery.
- BIG is committed to bringing real improvements to communities and the lives of people
most in need and has been rolling out grants to health, education, environment and charitable causes
across the UK. Since June 2004 BIG has awarded over £4.4bn.
- The Fund was formally established by Parliament on 1 December 2006.
- Since the National Lottery began in 1994, 28p from every pound spent by the public has
gone to good causes. As a result, over £27 billion has now been raised and more than 330,000 grants
awarded across arts, sport, heritage, charities, health, education and the environment.
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