The initiative had been designed to bring local people (parents, neighbours, businesses, teachers, voluntary groups and councils) together to harness their collective knowledge, energy, resources and enthusiasm to boost the aspirations and achievements of young people enabling them to succeed.
DCLG and DCSF outline that projects and activities under the initiative will:
• Break the cycle of generational
underachievement by broadening young people’s horizons and experiences –
this could include volunteering programmes, youth led projects, visits
to university campuses, theatres and museums, support for young people
to undertake work experience placements
• Provide advice and inspiration to young people about the routes they
can take into training, work experience, employment, further and higher
education
• Raise parents’ aspirations and self confidence so that they can
support their children to make the most of opportunities available to
them
• Draw on the talents of the whole community and beyond in order to
expand social networks. For example twinning with communities from
different parts of the county or country, or encouraging local people to
make a ‘community pledge’ to support and encourage local kids.
As the initiative is intended for neighbourhoods where low aspirations have been identified as a barrier to young people achieving their potential only deprived neighbourhoods within 64 local authorities will be eligible to apply for funding.
A full list of local authority areas eligible to apply for funding is outlined in the Inspiring Communities Grant Programme Information pack which can be downloaded from: www.communities.gov.uk/documents/communities/pdf/1198867.pdf
The final 15 Inspiring Communities will be selected from applications which must be made on behalf of neighbourhood partnerships. Guidance on the minimum composition of partnerships outlines that they must feature the local authority, local secondary school and local third sector organisastions. However, involvement of young people, parents and the wider community, local businesses, local youth services and other relevant service providers is strongly encouraged.
An Inspiring Communities Grant Programme Information Pack for Applicants is available from www.communities.gov.uk/documents/communities/pdf/1198867.pdf and sets out the aims and intended outcomes of the programme, the model for designing and delivering Inspiring Communities locally, who may apply and how applications will be assessed.
EnterpriseUpfront would like to hear from partnerships that are successful in becoming one of the 15 Inspiring Communities with a view to highlighting and sharing best practice in future editions.