£15,000 commission to Aspire to (From Bridport and Lyme Regis News)
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£15,000 commission to Aspire to
3:30pm Wednesday 31st October 2012 in News By James Tourgout
CASH INJECTION: Andy Cosma, YOU trust area manager, Katherine Wilson, Paul Holmes, YOU Trust deputy manager, Natasha Butcher and Charlotte Storey aspire co-ordinator
A NEW voluntary community company is celebrating after winning a commission from Dorset County Council of almost £15,000.
Bridport Enterprise Supporting Training Ltd is receiving the money for the well-established Aspire project to help young people into work, training and education.
Aspire has been operating for more than three years and has been previously funded by such organisations as Comic Relief, BBC Radio Solent, West Dorset District Council and the Youth Opportunity Fund.
Last year the project won its first commission from Dorset County Council, which has now been extended.
BEST co-director Arthur Woodgate said: “We were funded by Adult Learning as part of their Neighbourhood Learning in Deprived Communities (NLDC) scheme.
“We committed to working with 50 young people in the year, and ended up working with 70, 57 of whom progressed on into training, education and employment.
“Thanks to the drive and expertise of Charlotte Storey, our co-ordinator, the results were so successful that our new commission has been extended to work with a further eighty.
“That’s the good news. The bad news, of course, is that there are so many young people who, through no fault of their own, are facing an uncertain future. They need the right support at the right time, and we’re glad to say that we’ve had some considerable success in providing this.”
A new development for Aspire is the strengthening of the existing partnership with the YOU Trust, with learning programmes taking place at the West Rivers House IT Suite.
The programmes will provide unemployed and homeless young people with an opportunity to prepare for work, training and interviews, and to receive tailored advice.
Andy Cosma, regional manager for the YOU Trust, said: “It’s very exciting times, both for us and for our clients.
“We are seeing a positive change in our outcomes and clients’ life chances through partnering with ASPIRE.”
Aspire was previously under the remit of the Bridport Local Area Skills Training. It has now passed to BEST along with the Matrix Composite Engineering Workshop and IT centre operated by Yeovil College.
The Aspire project was recently nominated for an award from the Centre for Social Justice by West Dorset MP Oliver Letwin.
Anyone not in education, employment or training and wanting help with finding work can contact Mr Woodgate on 01308 423767 or a.c.woodgate@btinternet.com
