WIREDGOV

27 projects across England that aim to boost skills and support people into employment and training have been awarded close to £62 million by the Big Lottery Fund and the European Social Fund. See the full list of awards

Voluntary Action LeicesterShire has been awarded £1.94 million for their Youth Employability Support (YES) project. The project aims to transform the futures of 400 young people between the ages of 15 and 24 who are currently facing barriers to work and employment. It will focus on participants with issues such as mental or physical health difficulties, homelessness, disabilities and young carers.

Activate Learning Oxford has received £1 million to support a minimum of 350 people over the duration of the project, with a particular focus on those living in deprived areas and rural communities in Oxford city and Banbury. Participants are expected to progress into training, education or employment. Beneficiaries will receive one to one support and a bespoke package that could include job search and interview skills, access to volunteering, training, childcare and developing language skills.

Lyn Cole, England grant making director at the Big Lottery Fund said: “The Building Better Opportunities programme will have a lasting impact for the participants, boosting their employment prospects and self-confidence. The person centred approach will look at the root cause of unemployment. Each project is specifically designed to match local need meaning we will be supporting local people in the way they need it the most.”

Sally Dicketts, group chief executive of Activate Learning, said: “This funding will help to deliver a host of measures to tackle the root causes of long-term unemployment. These can be complex and ingrained, including physical and mental health issues, homelessness and addiction. Through this project and funding we want to make a positive impact on the lives of these individuals while supporting the county’s continuing economic development by helping to meet recruitment needs.”

These awards have been made under the Building Better Opportunities programme, which sees the Big Lottery Fund matching funds from the European Social Fund to invest in local projects tackling the root causes of poverty.

Further Building Better Opportunities awards will be made throughout the year. The funding will be delivered in 38 Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) areas and projects have been designed to respond to local need. See more about the Building Better Opportunities programme

Notes to Editors

• The Big Lottery Fund supports the aspirations of people who want to make life better for their communities across the UK. We are responsible for giving out 40% of the money raised by the National Lottery and invest over £650 million a year in projects big and small in health, education, environment and charitable purposes.
• Since June 2004 we have awarded over £9 billion to projects that change the lives of millions of people. Every year we fund 13,000 small local projects tackling big social problems like poor mental health and homelessness.
• Since the National Lottery began in 1994, £34 billion has been raised and more than 450,000 grants awarded.
• Building Better Opportunities is jointly funded with the European Social Fund as part of the 2014-2020 European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme in England. The Department for Work and Pensions is the Managing Authority for the England European Social Fund programme. Established by the European Union, European Social Fund funds help local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support innovation, businesses, skills development, job creation, social inclusion and local community regenerations. For more information visit https://www.gov.uk/european-growth-funding
• Activate Learning brings together secondary, further and higher education, workforce training, management consultancy, commercial businesses and social enterprise. Together our mission is to transform lives through learning, and to empower people to go further http://www.activatelearning.ac.uk/
• Voluntary Action LeicesterShire (VAL) is a local charity which empowers people and communities to change their lives for the better. You can find out more about VAL by visiting www.valonline.org.uk and read the charity's full YES Project announcement by visiting www.valonline.org.uk/project-change-lives-young-people