CHARITY
LEAPing for joy !
Jackpot – Charity partners are celebrating after landing £ 1.3m in Lottery funding to help them continue their vital work .
Organisations net lottery funding to help more people to take their next big step
Thanks to National Lottery players , a long-established employability partnership has received a substantial cash injection from the National Lottery Community Fund , North- East and Cumbria region .
Led by the national charity Humankind , the partnership comprises 11 voluntary , community and social enterprise ( VCSE ) organisations operating across the Tees Valley .
Between them , the organisations have been credited with adding more than £ 84m of social value and supporting 1,300 Tees Valley people into work .
The funding will deliver a new project called LEAP and covers three awards totalling £ 1.3m , provided to Citizens Advice Darlington , Redcar and Cleveland , Humankind and Tandem .
LEAP aims to provide people over the age of 18 with motivation and raise aspirations to overcome barriers , empowering them to make sustainable progress towards employment , economic engagement and achievement .
The same VCSE partnership is also part of the Move Forward Tees Valley programme , a new initiative with a focus on work and skills , delivered on behalf of the Tees Valley Mayor and Combined Authority , and funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund .
The service primarily aims to support people who are not working , not actively seeking employment , are carers , retired or have been out of work for less than 12 months .
Vikkie Wilkinson , assistant director of work and skills for Humankind , said : “ This funding is fantastic news for our partnership ’ s ability to positively transform hundreds of lives in the Tees Valley community . Everyone deserves the chance to have stable employment that is meaningful to them .”
Both projects will contribute to a bespoke new service working with people to maximise their strengths and aspirations through relevant and sustainable employment .
People will access wraparound services supporting them to improve their health and wellbeing , become active in their communities , improve their financial situation and , where necessary , increase their readiness to look for a job .
The service acknowledges that people should be afforded space to move into work that suits and benefits them , the employer and the broader economy .
Creating strong partnerships between services across the Tees Valley ensures people can access the right support at the right time to suit their needs .
By supporting people to improve their health , wellbeing and resilience , they can be enabled to build their personal and social assets .
Delivery will benefit from the partnership ’ s diverse expertise , longstanding local presence and community reach .
The partnership comprises the following organisations : > Humankind , an independent , crosssector charity that provides support
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