New Anglia LEP Commits £500,000 to Voluntary and Community Sector to 2017

Competition opens for best projects to get people back into work

Charities and social enterprises, whose mission is to help the most disadvantaged people into work, will be able to compete in further rounds of the Community Challenge Fund after the LEP committed £500,000 to the sector until 2017.

The new investment comes after the success of the first Community Challenge Fund which awarded £20,000 each to eight projects across Norfolk and Suffolk with the goal of helping 75 people into work and 250 more people work ready.

All the current projects offered exciting and innovative ways to help the hardest to reach people back to work or closer to the jobs market. From bicycle maintenance workshops in Norwich and theatre production in Harleston to sports camps in Lowestoft and gardening and agriculture skills in Ipswich and Stowmarket – job seekers have learnt a range of skills from how to prepare a CV and interview techniques to team working and advice on starting their own business.

First launched in December 2014, the Community Challenge projects are on course to beat the original targets, helping over 100 people into work and preparing over 300 for employment.

The £500,000 funding will be split equally over the next two years* and each year will offer up to nine charities and social enterprises £20,000 to those who can show fresh ideas and projects to assist the long-term unemployed and those that are often overlooked. Further funding will be available for projects with the best performance. The competition for 2015/16 opens today (13th August 2015). Charities and social enterprises can find out more by visiting:

Norfolk Community FoundationandSuffolk Community Foundation

Davina Tanner, board member of New Anglia LEP and founder of social enterprise, Britannia Enterprises in Norwich said: “Charities and volunteers are supporting thousands of people across Norfolk and Suffolk every year, they are a vital lifeline to those who need help with a whole range of issues from homelessness to mental health problems and disabilities. The Community Challenge Fund aims to support those enterprises and in turn the people who need it most, giving them a helping hand to get back into work and growing our economy.”

It comes as findings from a report commissioned by the LEP shows the voluntary and community sector in Norfolk and Suffolk is an important part of the region’s economy with 32,000 volunteers and 11,000 employees. Over 6,000 charities and nearly 3,000 social enterprises are making a big difference by improving peoples skills and education as well as the environment and conservation.

The Norfolk and Suffolk Community Foundations are the LEP’s partners in the Community Challenge Fund and will manage the application process.

Graham Tuttle, chief executive of Norfolk Community Foundation said: “The Community Challenge Fund has proved hugely successful – giving hundreds of people the skills and confidence they need to get back into work. This investment means we can help even more people who don’t often get these opportunities and we are very excited to see the next round of creative projects.”

Stephen Singleton, chief executive of Suffolk Community Foundation said: “We are absolutely delighted to be involved with this exciting project again. The success of last year’s campaign has clearly demonstrated that the voluntary and charitable sector is perfectly placed to help people who face difficult challenges back into the workplace, it is literally a life changer for those it has helped.”

Panayoitis Dornan, Access Community Trust, Lowestoft Access Community Trust are one of the eight projects that received funding from the Community Challenge Fund in 2015. They are based at The Crossing LEAP Centre in Lowestoft and offer a mentoring service for people who have been out of work for a long time or suffering from drug and alcohol problems and homelessness. Personal mentoring sessions, practise interviews, as well as forest school lessons, have helped 65 people to get work ready and 18 people into employment so far. That includes Panayoitis Dornan, 53, from Lowestoft.

Panayoitis was out of work for three years after losing his job as a manager of a local pub. He signed up to the Access Community Trust project to learn new skills and qualifications including IT and First Aid courses as well as interview training. In June he applied for a job to become a security guard, after a successful interview he took part in a week-long training course in London and now works as a security guard at Tesco in Lowestoft.

Panayoitis said: “The team at Access were tremendously supportive, their guidance and advice when I was applying for my new job was really valuable and I now have a recognised qualification in security. The community spirit is great, we all help one another by pointing out new jobs and sharing tips on writing applications and interviews techniques and I still go back now to see the group to see if I can help them.”

Terry Davies, Museum of East Anglian Life, Stowmarket Museum of East Anglian Life are one of the eight projects that received funding from the Community Challenge Fund in 2015. Based on the grounds of the unique heritage site in Stowmarket, Work to Achieve sees disadvantaged job seekers learning new skills in Abbot’s Hall and its grounds, including conservation, estate management, gardening and horticulture, visitor services and marketing. So far they have helped nine people into employment with another eight volunteering as well as 12 more who are now work ready. That includes Terry Davies, 59, from Stowmarket who has just started full time work.

Terry was out of work for two years before joining the Work to Achieve project in May. He had a wide range of skills, but long term sickness meant he lacked the confidence to successfully apply for work.

During his three months at the museum, Terry had the chance to develop his horticultural skills by helping to prepare the historic walled garden for an open day as well as painting and decorating the museum’s training room. He learned hurdle making and traditional wattle and daub building skills by helping to make a traditional building to house the museum’s model dairy cow as well as volunteering for the launch of a temporary photographic exhibition at the museum.

He also gained a City and Guilds qualification, ‘Succeeding at Work’ and passed his Functional Skills exam during his three months at the Museum.

Terry said: “I’ve just started full time work at a local warehouse and I want to continue as a volunteer at the museum in my spare time. My experience at the museum has helped me return to a future and I enjoyed every day.”

*The LEP has committed £500,000 for the Community Challenge Fund over the next two years and the money will be split equally between 2015/16 and 2016/17 with up to nine charities or social enterprises receiving £20,000 each. The second year’s funding is dependent on the output targets being reached.

To find out more about the Community Challenge Fund clickhere.