- Area:
- West Midlands
- Programme:
- Reaching Communities
- Release date:
- 17 7 2012
More than £1.7million from the Big Lottery Fund is being ploughed into community projects in Birmingham, Stoke on Trent, Coventry and the Black Country to help people gain training, skills and confidence to find work.
The funding comes from BIG’s flagship Reaching Communities programme which aims to help those most in need and build stronger communities. In total almost £2million is being shared among seven projects in the region today, with five of these having a focus on employment and training.
One new project is being launched by YMCA North Staffordshire which receives £267,320. The group will be working with around 450 long-term unemployed parents at children’s centres in Stoke-on-Trent. They will be assigned a coach who will give advice on and access to a number of training courses to improve literacy, numeracy, language skills and help to improve their self-esteem. They will also receive support with job searches, preparing CVs and take part in mock interviews.
David Williams, Director of Business Development, said: “A lot of the parents we have worked with left school with no qualifications and often haven’t worked or done training since. Becoming a parent is a huge motivating factor for them – they want what’s best for the kids and to help them with homework. Many of them have said that they hadn’t tried to get training before because they lack confidence, so we offer to help them with that and support them with childcare and transport. We understand that in Stoke that there are around 70 people applying for each job and we are very positive about being able to help our new clients compete in this job market.”
Funding has also been provided for a new project in Birmingham to increase training and volunteering opportunities for unemployed people who find it the most difficult to get work. Gateway Family Services CIC, which receives £245,369, will achieve this through qualifications and work experience along with a volunteer network and a wellbeing support service to socially isolated individuals and families, particularly in the Bartley Green and Weoley areas. Referrals will come from Remploy, Birmingham Settlement, Women’s Aid and St Basil’s Homeless Charity.
People in Birmingham will also benefit from a grant of £462,150 to redesign, extend and refurbish a training centre. The Kingsbury Training Centre, a grade II listed facility, will improve opportunities for disadvantaged people, young and old, in the city. Two extensions will be constructed at either side of the building, to create rooms for counselling, training, ICT suites and a cafe. Activities will be offered including crafts, woodwork, knitting, sewing, cookery and art.
Meanwhile, Abacus Counselling Services Ltd in Coventry is receiving £301,856 to support disadvantaged members of the local community. It will focus on helping unemployed people, ex-offenders reintegrate back into society, pupils who are disruptive or frequently absent and have problems at home, and homeless people. The project will benefit 300 children, 360 unemployed and 280 homeless people.
An award of £470,000 has been made to Bilston Resource Centre to support 2,500 people in Wolverhampton, Walsall and Dudley to increase their skill levels and employability. The scheme will provide career guidance, accredited training and access to an IT suite with support from tutors to build confidence, aspirations and skills. Mentors will update CVs, prepare job applications, and offer career guidance.
People in Dudley are also benefitting from a £174,470 grant for a project by the Workers’ Educational Association. The project will improve the health and wellbeing of disadvantaged adults in deprived communities through educational and physical activity.
Health and wellbeing is also the focus of a project in Sandwell, West Bromwich, which receives £67,689. The project will deliver sporting activities during the school and also as part of afterschool clubs. Activities will include football, rounders, athletics, dance and parachute games. Two qualified sports coaches will deliver the activities and a sports tournament will be held. Families will also get involved with cooking sessions and walks.
John Taylor, Big Lottery Fund Head of Region for the West Midlands, said: “Many people are finding it extremely difficult to find work in the current climate so the Big Lottery Fund is very pleased to be funding vital projects across the West Midlands that will provide the training, skills and confidence to help hundreds of people to enter the job market.”
Further 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
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Notes to Editors
- The Big Lottery Fund (BIG), the largest distributor of National Lottery good cause funding, is responsible for giving out 40% 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 £28 billion has now been raised and more than 383,000 grants awarded across arts, sport, heritage, charities, health, education and the environment.
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