- Area:
- West Midlands
- Programme:
- Reaching Communities
- Release date:
- 31 1 2012
Unemployed young people in Stoke are among those to benefit from the BIG Lottery Fund’s good cause roll out across the West Midlands.
Today, five projects in the region are receiving grants totalling nearly £1.3m from the Fund’s Reaching Communities programme, which aims to help people most in need and build stronger communities.
Base 87 Community Interest Company receives £373,799 to improve the self-confidence, self-esteem and employability skills of young people in the Stoke on Trent area by providing purposeful, accredited learning and engagement activities and by supporting them to access further training, volunteering and employment opportunities.
Liz Hunt and Tony Stephenson, Directors of Base 87, said: “This is a particularly critical time given the increasing marginalisation and disempowerment of young people due to rising unemployment and the lack of inclusion and opportunities.
“The project is based within one of the most disadvantaged areas of Stoke. We will be able to make a real and lasting difference to the lives of young people from throughout the area. We are extremely grateful to have been given the opportunity to make a real impact on the lives of young people and we relish the challenges to come over the next five years, with BIG’s ongoing support.”
The project will offer support carefully tailored to each individual based on their existing skills and interests and learning needs. Base 87 will provide regular workshop sessions to help improve the confidence and self esteem of young people. Activities designed to improve their time management, reliability and understanding the 'work ethic' will then take place. Help with job searching, creating CVs, telephone and interview technique and using computers will follow. Young people themselves will be encouraged to act as peer mentors and ambassadors for the service.
The Stoke on Trent and District Gingerbread Centre Limited receives £304,215 to continue its work to empower lone parents to take control of their lives and get actively involved in their community. This will enable people to deal with issues that affect their lives and improve their employability to help create a more stable life for their family. Parents themselves will be recruited as volunteers to help others gain skills and increase their confidence. Healthy lifestyle workshops will be provided, with keep fit sessions, smoking cessation and healthy eating promotion.
Barbara Fox, Chief Executive of the Gingerbread Centre, said: “This project will make a difference to the lives of the families we support by giving them a voice to shape and inform the services they use. It will empower the service users towards more active participation in their community. We are committed to see beneficiaries reach their full potential by focussing on their aspirations and achievements and instilling in them an expectation of success and self belief.”
The Gingerbread project for lone parents will run activities that will help ensure they are not socially excluded plus also offer advice on healthy lifestyles, independence and the skills needed to become involved in the wider community. Participants will be invited to decide what activities are available including how to chair joint meetings, basic IT and website design, food hygiene training and work experience in a community cafe. The project will also promote opportunities which lead to further education, training or employment.
A grant of £192,698 goes to St Paul's Hostel (Worcester) to continue its programme of support for homeless people. Access to education, training and employment opportunities will be provided alongside numeracy and literacy, creative writing, drama workshops and sports. There are opportunities to learn skills such as bricklaying, carpentry, husbandry and horticulture, while within the hostel's kitchen there is the chance of learning to prepare, plan and purchase food.
Home-Start Walsall receives £299,090 to provide practical support and friendship to families experiencing difficulties with issues including isolation, mental health, family relationships, children's behaviour and low self-esteem. Through weekly home visits, trained volunteers who have parenting experience offer support including accompanying parents to medical appointments, being a role model by playing, reading and singing with children, and encouraging healthy eating and family exercise.
And Fircroft College Trust is awarded £120,000 to reduce reoffending rates and enable a successful transition from life in prison to society. Basic courses in different life skills including literacy and numeracy, alongside areas of personal development such as coping with stress and managing anger will all be given.
John Taylor, Big Lottery Fund Head of Region for the West Midlands, said: “I am delighted to see such important West Midlands projects get funding today. From helping people of all ages develop the skills they need to secure employment, to supporting parents who are struggling with a variety of issues, today’s projects are sure to have a big impact on making a difference to people’s lives.”
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
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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