Lancashire Sport Partnership are delighted to announce that they have successfully led a partnership bid to the Social Inclusion theme of Lancashire’s European Social Funding and are now underway preparing for delivery.
More Positive Together (MPT) has received just over £4m as part of the 2014-2020 European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme in England to deliver the project which is designed to address the needs’ of Lancashire residents who are furthest from the labour market and to help them to improve their employment prospects. The Project will build on a successful project – ‘Positive Together’ and will work with 16 Partners to engage a minimum of 2250 people aged 15+ between now and December 2019.
The new project brings together Social Housing Organisations from across Lancashire with a combined portfolio of over 61,220 properties located in the 20% most deprived Lower Super Output Areas (LSOAs) in Lancashire. We will manage the project overall and will act as the Accountable Body.
Many of these residents have multiple and complex barriers to their progression – these include substance misuse, mental and physical health problems, ex-offenders, caring responsibilities, poverty and debt. The programme will aim to reach out to those furthest from the labour market, initially providing intense 1 to 1 support, then progressing to a wider engagement offer of sports, environmental and arts activities. The partnerships will deliver a programme of opportunities to get involved in work experience, volunteering and training which will help them be more prepared for employment.
Working with a range of partners Lancashire Sports Partnership will be able to offer participants in MPT a much wider offer than in our pilot project and we will link them to a huge range of opportunities to develop individually and within their community.