Voluntary and community groups dominated the inaugural South West European Social Fund Awards for excellence in providing employment, skills and training services to socially excluded people.
At the Exeter ceremony last month, two thirds of the awards were picked up by nominees from across the third sector – highlighting the importance of the sector’s work in this area.
Shaz French (pictured, left) won the Convergence Personal Contribution Award for her work with South West Forum member Cornwall Neighbourhoods for Change (CN4C). Shaz overcame many personal challenges – as a lone parent with a lack of qualifications and a victim of domestic violence – when she started out on a CN4C ‘Working With People’ course, a course which helps people build skills to get into work. After the course she was encouraged to apply for a Trainee Advisor role with the organisation and now, following two promotions, she is a full-time Lead Adviser.
- Shaz French (left) receives her award
Chief Executive of CN4C, Tarn Lamb, said
“Shaz has got a great approach to her work. She’s always cheerful and bubbly and understands the needs of the people she’s working with. Her levels of empathy are really high and she has a great pragmatic approach to encouraging people to get on, using her own background as an example.”
Tarn explained that Shaz is an example of the way CN4C employs people from different backgrounds, recognising the value of such backgrounds to the job. She added: “Other organisations could do this if they thought slightly differently about their strategies, allowing people to show experience for posts rather than just qualifications. Shaz has a great understanding of our client groups – that’s something you can’t buy.”
South West Forum Chief Executive Steve Woollett and Simon Charters, Regional Co-ordinator of the Forum’s Voluntary Value project (which is part-funded by ESF), attended the awards ceremony.
Simon said:
“We are delighted by the recognition that was given to third sector organisations, demonstrating the strong relationship between European Social Fund objectives and ongoing third sector activity around social exclusion.”
The European Social Fund exists to improve employment opportunities in the European Union – raising standards of living and helping people to fulfil their potential by giving them better skills and job prospects.
Between 2007 and 2009 the fund helped more than 72,000 people in the South West gain employment and training. During the present funding period, 2007- 2010, £266 million will be invested across the South West region.
For more information about voluntary and community sector engagement with ESF, visit www.southwestforum.org.uk and click on Skills, Employment and Worklessness.
