ESF Community Learning Grants in the North West Ian Standish Regional Education Manager, WEA (Grant Coordinating Body) November 2011

What is WEA?  WORKERS’ EDUCATIONAL ASSOCIATION  A large voluntary adult educational provider and national charity with committee democratically elected by members- established in  In 2009/10, we ran over 10,000 courses with over 100,000 enrolments.  We deliver all our courses through community partnerships.  Our NW region – Cumbria, Lancashire, Cheshire, Merseyside and Greater Manchester with offices in Manchester, Liverpool & Workington.

Role of WEA as Grant Coordinating Body  Develop & manage a Community Grants Programme on behalf of the Skills Funding Agency (SFA)  In partnership with Locality & Community Matters  Develop & publicise application process  Selection process – community panels  Provide support to grant recipients  Monitor & evaluate outcomes  Engage key stakeholders in delivery – through partnerships and community panels  Ensure the programme supports and reaches the communities and individuals who most need it

ESF Community Learning Grants  These are grants of between £1,000 - £12,000 available to support some of the hardest to reach communities and individuals, to help people access further learning or training that could lead to employment.  Available from January 2012 until December 2013, with 5 or 6 funding rounds  Merseyside - £301,890  Rest of North West - £1,567,409

Who benefits?  Unemployed individuals – access to learning and support that improves employability (progression towards the labour market)  Organisations who apply – ESF Community Learning Grants can be a route to developing your ability to deliver employment and skills activities

Who can apply for funding?  Aimed at small constituted community and voluntary groups, registered charities & and charitable Companies Limited by Guarantee.  Preference given to organisations with an income of no more than £300,000 per year in each of the last 2 years.  Social enterprises such as Community Interest Companies (CIC) can apply so long as surpluses used for community benefit.  New groups? Need for evidence!

What activities can the grants pay for?  Help with basic skills  Taster work experience, including voluntary work  Training, advice and guidance  Job search assistance  Confidence building  Personal development  Support to overcome barriers to training, employment and enterprise  + Other creative solutions!

Some examples of previous projects  Media project with teenage single mums  IT skills project for people with visual impairments  Café project for people with mental health issues  Intergenerational skills project  Sewing project with Asian women

ESF Target Group & Priority Groups  The ESF Target Group – unemployed or economically inactive people 18 years & over who are from hardest to reach communities.  Not limited to particular geographical areas - pockets of need throughout the region  Within the target group, 5 particular priority groups identified

ESF Priority Groups  Women  People with disabilities or health conditions (including learning difficulties, mental health, drug & alcohol dependency)  People aged 50 & over and seeking employment  Lone parents  Black & Minority Ethnic communities However, applications need not be limited to those groups - up to you to make a case

Application process Eligibility Gateway – checking for incomplete or ineligible application forms Supporting Evidence Required Constitution Previous 2 years’ audited accounts Annual Report Health & Safety Policy Equality & Diversity Policy Scoring Process – Independent Panel

Common application mistakes Not fully completing the forms Not meeting the set eligibility criteria Not enough evidence of demand for proposed activity Budget not clearly defined No clear identification of the learning activity to be delivered Applications not detailing progression for individual learners clearly enough

If you are not successful We will offer:  Feedback on why not  Support to apply again in later round

If you are successful  Visit to your Learning Venue  Mandatory Guidance Workshop  Handover of Offer Letter / Contract  Capacity Building Support  Learner records  Financial records  Evaluation & Case Studies

Capacity Building  Additional support on offer to funded groups  Training for organisations rather than individual beneficiaries  Wide in scope, but could include e.g.:  Advice on routes into employment and training  Developing quality of teaching and learning  Development of accreditation for your courses  Safeguarding vulnerable adults, sustainability  Gearing up to bid for contracts

Finding out more  Application form, common questions (FAQ), examples of previous projects and guidance on how to apply all available from NW WEA online  Local support, workshops & events to advertise the funding & help potential applicants  Help from WEA, Community Matters & Locality

 North West WEA Region, 4 th floor, Crawford House, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9GH  Website:   Tel: / 5408 Contact Details: