Local charity, the Community Foundation for Merseyside, has now distributed close to £1 million pounds into Merseyside’s communities in a bid to target worklessness and progress individuals towards employment via its Employable Communities Fund (ECF).

The ECF programme, which is supported by the European Social Fund (ESF), is being administered by the Community Foundation in partnership with Merseyside Expanding Horizons and Merseyside Disability Federation.

Grants of up to £12,000 per year have been made available to Merseyside’s community, voluntary and faith sector in a bid to tackle worklessness within local communities and assist in getting individuals back into work. The grants have funded groups to fund activities such as; initial help with basic skills, training, advice, counselling as well as job search assistance to help secure employment.

Groups to have benefitted from the ECF Fund include Knowsley based group Centre 63. Centre 63 secured funding in which to engage with young people in Knowsley who are currently not in education, employment or training. The project specifically works to engage and encourage those who have failed to access an educational pathway to take their first steps into learning. Sefton based group Arty Pants also secured funding in which to recruit six part-time members of staff to run workshops that teach people skills relevant to the area of employment they wish to progress into.

Nicky Steele, Grants Manager at the Community Foundation said; “The ECF Grants which are available up until December 2010 are playing a pivotal role in providing training and advice to those who need it within Merseyside. Grants are being made available across Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St. Helens and Wirral and are already making a huge impact.”

Grants will continue to be awarded up until next year, meaning groups still have the opportunity to benefit from funding which is available.

For more information about the Community Foundation for Merseyside or the Employable Communities Fund please visit www.cfmerseyside.org.uk and view the available grants section or email grants@cfmerseyside.org.uk.