EU and Big Lottery Fund join forces to address poverty and improve job opportunities across Yorkshire and the Humber
Area:Yorkshire and the Humber
Programme:Building Better Opportunities
Release date: 5 6 2015
Communities across Yorkshire and the Humber are set to benefit from more than £6.5 million supporting people most in need to develop the skills and tools to overcome barriers to work, education and training.
The Big Lottery Fund is for the first time matching funds from the European Social Fund (ESF) 2014-2020 to provide joint investment in three local projects tackling the root causes of poverty, promoting social inclusion and driving local jobs and growth.
Projects will provide opportunities for people to improve numeracy, literacy and digital skills, build confidence and self-esteem, and better understand and manage their finances. Extra support will be given to hard to reach and socially-excluded groups, including people with disabilities, mental health or addiction issues, those who are homeless, ex-offenders and people living in isolated rural areas.
The Big Lottery Fund is working with Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) across England who have identified projects that best meet local need and priorities. From today organisations can apply for funding to deliver these projects.
Dawn Austwick, Chief Executive of the Big Lottery Fund said: “We are delighted to be working with Local Enterprise Partnerships across Yorkshire and the Humber to bring new funds into communities to develop employment opportunities and pathways to the job market for those most in need. These projects focus on solutions developed at a local level, from customised programmes for carers seeking flexible work to support for people to create new local social enterprises.”
Across England 71 projects have been announced today with a total of £174,521,600 available. This represents the first round of this funding and involves 25 LEP areas. Further investment is expected to be delivered over the next few years, taking the total number of LEP areas with projects to 37. Each LEP has identified the issues challenging their communities and the opportunity that funding can bring to address them. The funding will be managed by the Big Lottery Fund, giving voluntary, community and social enterprise groups greater access to this wider ESF money than in previous years.
Projects open for applications today include:
A project in the Sheffield LEP area to support people furthest from the labour market in areas of deprivation to help these people move closer towards and into employment and also improve their ability to become self-employed. This will look for businesses opportunities in the provision of community services. The city has less self-employed people than the national average (7.3 per cent compared to 9.5 per cent), in particular women and people with disabilities. The project aims to support Sheffield’s ambition to create jobs and grow new businesses through social enterprise.
A project in the Humber LEP area to provide engaging activities for unemployed and inactive people to help them develop their own skills, boost their chances of getting a job and build community resilience. Hull has the highest proportion of children living in poverty in the Yorkshire and Humber area at 30 per cent, compared to the national average of 20 per cent, with unemployment across the region also above average, particularly for young people.
The first competitive application stage is now open. Grant competitions are fair, open and competitive and any organisation is eligible to apply, however most of the projects will be better suited to partnership working. Full details of all the project outlines in this round are available at www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/esf.
In order to support potential applicants and to help grant holders to understand, plan for and deliver the additional requirements that come with managing European funding, Big Lottery Fund has also awarded £950,000 to Baker Tilly, in partnership with Ecorys UK.
For further information about this support visit www.bboesfsupport.comGoes to different website.
Further funding opportunities will be available in autumn 2015. To be kept informed on the latest Building Better Opportunities news register your interest on our website at www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/esf.
Website: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk
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For funding and general enquiries call:
BIG Advice Line: 0345 4 10 20 30