A plan aiming to change lives in a part of Merseyside with huge social challenges was given a big boost.
Cradle to Career, a project which strives to transform children’s life chances in North Birkenhead, Wirral, has launched a new £110,000 fund to support young people’s education, health, hobbies, job-hunting and more. The area ranks in the bottom 10% of the country for health, education, income, and in some areas, crime.
Speaking about the new scheme, Justine Molyneux, chair of Cradle to Career, said: “We want to fund creative pilot projects that bring local community organisations and services together to ensure more children and their families access the support they need. Partner organisations can apply for a joint grant of between £10,000 and £25,000 to work with the community to deliver a pilot project that will address local needs.
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“We want to fund projects that address service gaps that our partners and local residents have identified as priorities. These include barriers to school attendance and mental health support.
“We believe the most effective and sustainable ‘levelling-up’ happens when people come together at a grassroots level, rather than a ‘top-down’ approach. Funding will be for a one-year pilot period, during which we will support organisations to monitor and demonstrate the impact of their work. If your organisation has an idea you wish to explore, please get in touch with the team to see what support we can offer.”
Cradle to Career is managed by the national charity Right to Succeed, and has been supported by donations of almost £3m over a three-year period by philanthropist and Redrow founder Steve Morgan, the Steve Morgan Foundation and education charity SHINE.
Mr Morgan said: "The idea for Cradle to Career in North Birkenhead came from a collective desire to give every child a chance. There's a lot of talk nationally at the moment about levelling up but that's as much about people as it is places.
"To drive positive results and lasting change we have to create an even playing field for all. The new North Birkenhead Collaboration Fund is one of the important initiatives designed to increase opportunities for children, young people and residents of the area."
Elizabeth Hartley, from Wirral Council’s children’s services team, said: “The better our childhood experiences, the greater our chances as adults to have healthy relationships, form strong networks, be resilient, and have the time and confidence to fulfil our potential. Many of the things we take for granted don’t happen automatically for every child.
“We have great universal services in Wirral - schools, GPs, early years settings, youth activities - but some children need extra help to be able to access them. Collaboration is so valuable because none of us, as workers or organisations, have all the answers, tools or skills, but when we come together we can get pretty close to it. Families in North Birkenhead deserve the best opportunities we can jointly give them.”
Applicants are asked to apply collaboratively with another organisation and together must demonstrate how their projects will support children, young people and families in North Birkenhead. The deadline for applications to the Community Collaboration Fund is Monday, April 4.
Decisions will be made during April and successful projects can start from June 1. You can apply for funding here.
