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Newsletter No. June 2009
Welcome to the fourth newsletter from the West Midlands Coalfields Regeneration
Trust team.
We would like to thank all of you who helped us to achieve our spend in the first
year of this three-year programme.
In this newsletter we will report on some policy changes to our funding
programmes, what grant funding has been awarded and some of the projects that
have benefited and also introduce the new Family Employment Initiative team
which has set up in Newcastle-under-Lyme.
The Coalfields Regeneration Trust
The Coalfields Regeneration Trust is an independent grant-making body. We are a
registered charity and limited by guarantee, governed by a board of trustees.
Our mission is:
“Working closely with partners, the Trust is a key agency promoting and achieving
social and economic regeneration in the coalfields of England, Scotland and
Wales”
We run two grant programmes:
Bridging the Gap
Main Grants
These funding programmes both run for three years from April 2008 to March
2011.
We also run two strategic programmes in the West Midlands called Sports Legacy,
Debt Response and Family Employment.
Policy Change
At a recent meeting of the CRT Trust’s Board a number of policy changes were
made to our Main Grants and Bridging the Gap Programmes.
For the Main Grants Programme the following policy change was made:
A tapered cap on all applications has been introduced limiting the maximum
award of grants that could be awarded throughout the lifetime of the grants
programme. This is detailed below:
Applications made in year 1 (2008/2009) - £300,000 cap.
Applications made in year 2 (2009/2010) - £200,000 cap.
Applications made in year 3 (2010/2011) - £100,000 cap.
For the Bridging the Gap Programme the following policy changes were made:
The maximum grant award has been reduced from £10,000 to £5,000.
Projects must clearly show they benefit coalfield communities within the
most deprived 50% (area of benefit) in the country (based on the
Government’s Indices of Deprivation 2007).
Trustees try to avoid a change of policy that can impact on applicants but excess
demand for limited resources has required some very difficult decisions to be
made.
Funding will be prioritised to projects that will directly contribute to our outstanding
and overall strategic objectives.
This means that priority will be given to projects that either deliver one of the
following outputs:
•Adults gaining NVQ2 or above.
•Assist people into work.
•Transport/access scheme.
Or,
•Deliver in an identified CRT cold spot (contact the regional office for list of cold
spot wards).
Please note, it does not make a project ineligible if it does not deliver one of these
outputs or deliver in a cold spot area but it will help its chances of success in a
very competitive environment.
These new policies were adopted on the 13th May 2009 and will be applied to all
projects from that date. On this basis applicants are being contacted to determine
the impact on their project.
Bridging the Gap
The Bridging the Gap programme has a revised application and information
booklet. Please contact the regional office if you would like one sent.
Sports Legacy Initiative
Sports Legacy is a programme run by the Trust which was inspired by the 2012
Games to give boys and girls aged 8-14 the opportunity to take part in local fun &
fitness athletic activities.
It will:
Support Volunteers and Coaches through a Coach Education programme.
Provide Volunteers and Coaches with an extensive Mentoring programme.
Encourage support and guide Volunteers and Coaches into employment .
Funding for 2009-2010 is very limited. Partnership working will be encouraged.
Sports Legacy – National Community Fun Festival
Are you looking for some fun this summer?
Do you live in the West Midlands?
If yes read on……………
We are looking for teams to take part in a National Community Fun Day.
An afternoon of fun through sporting activities based on ‘Fun in
athletics’.
Consisting of a circuit of 20 activities, such as: Hot
stepping, hurdles, space hopper, obstacle relay, skipping relay,
javelin, target throw and many more.
When: Sunday 9th August
@ Mount St Mary’s College
Chesterfield, Derbyshire
Time:
12 noon – 4 pm
Who:
Open to all abilities, from Coalfield Wards – please contact the regional
office for a list of eligible wards.
Age:
5 years – 7 years
8 years – 11 years
12 years – 14 years
Two volunteers per team must attend and will be required to complete a CRB
check.
Deadline for applications: Wednesday 24th June 2009.
If you would like any more information and would like to enter a team please
contact:
Andrea Gumbs
North West & West Midlands
Sports Legacy Co-ordinator
[email protected]
07929834355
What:
The Family Employment Initiative – Newcastle-underLyme
The Family Employment Initiative (FEI), managed by the Coalfields Regeneration
Trust (CRT) is a new initiative within Newcastle-under-Lyme aimed at supporting
unemployed residents into training and employment.
CRT already has a successful track record of supporting unemployed residents
into work, with the East Midlands’ FEI already assisting more than 500 people
back into work since it began in 2006.
The FEI Team consists of four full-time members of staff: Co-ordinator – Karen
Bates, two Community Employment Advisors – Nikki Cooke & Lou Smith, and a
Programme Support Officer – Sam Shaw.
The team is supported by Meg Hankinson, Employment and Skills Development,
tel: 07967 328038.
The FEI programme is targeted at those wards within Newcastle-under-Lyme with
the highest levels of deprivation / highest number of benefit claimants. The wards
are as follows:
Chesterton, Cross Heath, Holditch, Knutton & Silverdale, and Silverdale &
Parksite.
The team are based at 23 High Street, Knutton, although advisors work at various
outreach locations to ensure access is not a barrier to participation. Outreach
venues include: The Salvation Army Community Centre in Chesterton, Ramsey
Road Community Centre in Cross Heath and Parksite Action Centre in Parksite.
Community Employment Advisors work with clients on a 1-to-1 basis to identify
barriers to accessing employment. The advisor and client then produce a
detailed action plan to help the client move into employment. Support may be
given around accessing training, volunteering, work experience, producing a CV,
completing an application form, interviews and more. Clients will also be
signposted to specialist support services in order to access other support such as
debt advice. The advisor remains with the client throughout the whole journey
and even offers in work support / mentoring.
Although the initiative is still in its early stages the team are already working with
over 30 clients and have already assisted 2 clients into work.
For further information please call the FEI Team on 01782 618906.
Debt Management and Income Maximisation
The Coalfields Regeneration Trust and the Department for Communities and Local
Government have jointly committed funding to help organisations in the West Midlands
extend their debt advice and money management services to help deal with the effects
of the recession in areas that need support the most.
A partnership led by Stoke-on-Trent CAB have developed a programme to enhance
debt advice and money management services. They are currently recruiting and the
extended services will be delivered over the next 12 months.
Grant Awarded
The grant programmes between them have awarded over £179 million to projects
across England, Scotland and Wales since the Coalfields Regeneration Trust was set
up in 1999. Of this £14.3 million has been awarded to the West Midlands in support
of over 385 projects.
Over the last financial year, 2008/09, £4.1 million has been awarded to projects in the
West Midlands supporting over 90 projects. A range of projects have been supported
from a range of voluntary and community, statutory organisations.
Types of projects we have funded so far:
• Community worker to support young people who are in danger of falling out of their
education.
• Training and support for homeless families.
• Refurbishment of building to create training facility for NEETs.
• Community training programme offering training opportunities to help local people
access the job market.
• Provision of opportunities for young people to help overcome barriers to personal
development and getting into jobs and training.
• Support to help people with learning difficulties progress to employment.
• Minibus to transport people to learning and skills development venues.
• Minibus for an after school club .
• Outreach job club.
• Extension of a community centre.
• Creation of an IT training room.
• Purchase of premises for a social enterprise.
• Small loans scheme for start-up businesses.
• Support services for voluntary and community sector groups and social enterprises.
• Creation of units for the creative industries sector
• Refurbishment of The Dudson Centre, a base for community and voluntary sector
organisations
• Development of girls’ rugby.
Feasibility Studies / Preliminary Works
The CRT will no longer fund feasibility studies / preliminary works.
The Regional Office Team
Programme Manager – Suzanne Clarke
Support Worker – Noelle Hillman
To contact us:
Tel: 01782 563112
Mobile: 07977512985
Fax: 01782 296541
E-mail: [email protected]
E-mail: [email protected]
Address:
Lymedale Business Centre
Lymedale Business Park
Hooters Hall Road
Newcastle-under-Lyme
Staffordshire
ST5 9QF