GMCA are pleased to announce that Workers’ Educational Association (WEA) have been appointed as the Managing Agent for the GMCA Community Grants Programme.
The new £5m GMCA Community Grants Programme will enable local VCSE organisations and Housing Associations to bid for funding up to£100k to carry out projects in localities, with the purpose of mobilising disadvantaged or excluded unemployed and inactive people to enable their progress towards further education.
The Programme will also offer various Capacity Building support to our smaller VCSE organisations wishing to bid for funding, so that this programme is as accessible as possible.
There are 2x main strands of activity to support residents, with a wide range of progression opportunities available:
Strand1 – Essential Life Skills (funded via GM Multiply & GM devolved Adult Education Budget).
This strand is around increasing participation in Adult Skills. Currently in Greater Manchester, just 8.7% of working age adults with a prior attainment of Level 1or below are accessing skills via the Adult Education Budget. So we are looking for new and innovative ways of engaging with our residents, and supporting them into further skills provision – and this could be any Skills provision that suits our resident’s needs.
Strand2 – Progression towards Inclusive Employment (funded via UKSPF)
This is very much linked to wider UKSPF People & Skills activity, as well as wider work & skills activity e.g. Working Well and is about re-engagement and engagement activity for residents who would benefit from these programmes but can’t access them at the moment – this could be linked to a range of barriers our residents are facing.
GMCA will work with WEA & key stakeholders throughout the duration of this programme, on where projects should be targeted on an ongoing basis. This is to ensure the support gets to those who really need it and where they need it, as well as responding to emerging needs. We also want to ensure all boroughs get an equitable share for their residents.