Building Better Opportunities

Building Better Opportunities

The European Social Fund and the Big Lottery Fund are funding four projects in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, as part of the Building Better Opportunities programme.

You can find out more about the programme here.

The four projects will work together to support people who are socially isolated, financially excluded or who have complex and multiple barriers to preparing for, finding and sustaining work. Each project is being delivered by local partnerships, working together to make sure participants are supported as effectively as possible by the right project at the right time. The funding is available for March 2016 to December 2019.

Here, we provide a little information on each of the four local projects.

If you want to refer a customer but are not sure which project would be best, please just get in touch with one of them as they will help work it out with you.

Community Connections North

Community Connections is a partnership of 15 specialist organisations working together to help those not in employment break down the barriers that are preventing them from achieving their goals, getting closer to securing a job and improving their life chances.

Partners in the project offer their specialist support to help those who are not able to access the labour market because of for example a learning difficulty or disability, caring responsibilities, homelessness, transport barrier. Support will be tailored to the individual to enable them to overcome issues they are facing, partners will use their respective specialist support to do this and work together to combine their offer to meet individual needs.

There is no defined length to an individual programme, the aim is to support individuals to get a step closer to work and be able to better access more formal services in the future to help them realise their goals.

Eligibility: Aged 15 years and over, unemployed or economically inactive, at a distance from the labour market – disadvantaged socially or economically.

Where? Northern part of the Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough Enterprise Partnership area,  especially  Peterborough, Fenland including Wisbech, March, Chatteris and Kings Lynn.

Who is involved?

Contact details: CC@tchc.net or for participant referrals please call 01923 698456

Community Connections South

 

Community Connections South brings together experienced partners, with a focus on changing lives. How? By delivering a step by step, steady journey that will help to move individuals, who are the hardest to help, closer towards their aspirations.

The three year project aims to deliver a reputable, unrivalled service, primarily in Huntingdonshire and Cambridgeshire, where individuals are seen for what they can do. There is no defined length to the support we will offer on the project, but we are looking to engage with diverse participants through every walk of life and ultimately offering choice through learning and employment support.

The aim of all this is to support individuals to overcome barriers, move closer to work and to be able to better access more formal services in the future to help them realise their goals.

Who is involved?

Eligibility: Community Connections South will work with people who are unemployed or economically inactive, who have the right to work in the UK.

Where? South of the Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough Enterprise Partnership area covering the districts of Huntingdonshire, South Cambridgeshire, East Cambridgeshire, Cambridge City; West Suffolk including Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk.

Contact details: jason.gosling@papworthtrust.org.uk, call 0300 456 2425

eMploY-ABILITY

‘eMploY-ABILITY’ is a brand new programme designed to support those furthest from the labour market back into work. The person-centered programme is designed to offer a unique  approach, investing the time to recognise the specific needs of individuals – to offer innovative, relevant, personalised support with a tailored package of barrier busting interventions, designed and commissioned with participants.

Participants will work on a 1 to 1 basis with skilled, committed organisations at a pace that enables them to build confidence and develop to reduce both social and economic exclusion. Through a network of over forty Peterborough Plus members, community organisations and businesses, eMploY-ABILITY aims to create a positive experience and progression for participants – building community and business links, leaving a legacy of opportunity, understanding and commitment to continue the good work.

You can find more detail at http://www.peterboroughplus.co.uk/building-better-opportunities/

Eligibility: eMploY-ABILITY will work with people who are furthest away from the labour market, unemployed or economically inactive, who have the right to work in the UK.

Where? The project will work across the Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough Enterprise Partnership area – specifically in Peterborough, Kings Lynn, West Norfolk and Fenland.

Who is involved?

Contact details: employability@peterboroughplus.co.uk or call 01733 342683

New Horizons

Delivered through eight partner organisations, New Horizons will help people make sense of their money, get on-line and find routes into employment. Our coaches are based with organisations who have strong histories of working with people to help them make real change in their lives.

Each participant will receive on average 20 hours of one to one support from their coach to help them to set realistic goals and take the necessary steps to meet them. We will be able to lend people internet devices with time-bound internet access to help them get on-line.

Our website will be a resource for front line staff and project participants and will include easy to understand information on money matters, work and getting on-line as well as a navigable map showing other local support services.

Eligibility: We will target our services on people who are furthest from the labour market and are at most risk of social exclusion and who: are struggling to make ends meet; have accessed crisis support e.g. foodbanks; have significant priority debt; live in households in which no-one works; will be affected by benefits changes and/or are likely to struggle when Universal Credit is introduced locally.

Where? Our core hubs are in Kings Lynn, Wisbech, Cambridge and Peterborough with mobile outreach for disadvantaged groups outside those areas, including into rural areas.

Who is involved?

Contact details: newhorizons@chsgroup.org.uk