Investment Themes

The Trust has identified four key funding themes that respond to the needs of coalfield communities. A project must address one or more of the themes and for guidance on the suitability of your project please contact your regional office.

Access to Employment

This theme aims to connect people living in deprived neighbourhoods to mainstream opportunities.

We will be seeking forward-thinking and locally designed approaches that offer a route for people to get back into work.

These approaches include:

Engagement programmes that concentrate on pre-employment support, provide information, advice and guidance and which prepare people for work.
Work experience programmes that develop valuable skills, experiences and which respond to labour market demands.
Employment programmes such as apprenticeships and wage subsidy schemes.

Education and Skills

This theme aims to support people in accessing learning opportunities and developing their skills through added value activity (not statutory mainstream provision).

These approaches include:

Projects that raise aspirations and encourage a return to learning.
Projects that engage people in formal and informal education.
Projects that improve educational attainment and provide accredited training.
Targeted work with young people promoting further education.
Out of school hours activity.

Health and Well Being

This theme aims to improve the health and lifestyles of people living in coalfield communities through community based approaches and preventative projects.

These should be:

Community based and prevent ill health by addressing:-

Healthy eating
Teenage pregnancy
Substance misuse

Additional to statutory provision and provide support to:-

Carers
Extra curricular activities for the young

Complementary to the Trust’s Healthy Lifestyles Programme that:-

Improves participation
Promotes healthy lifestyles
Increases capacity, aspirations, skills and employability
Diverts from anti-social behaviour
Engages the community
Builds infrastructures that last

Health related project or activity used as a vehicle for delivering the Trust’s wider objectives of:-

Assisting people into work
Providing training and skills for unwaged people
Increasing the number of new volunteers

Note due to the Trust's limited resources we will not fund certain types of Health and Wellbeing activities. Please carefully read the Information booklets, which can be downloaded at the bottom of this page, for full details.

Access to Opportunities

This theme aims to improve access to services in coalfield communities recognising that limited community infrastructure and geographical isolation can prevent people from taking up opportunities.

These approaches include:

Projects that create new facilities, improve existing facilities or acquire community owned assets to deliver services responsive to gaps in provision, evidenced community need and which demonstrate on going sustainability;
The development of transport solutions such as community transport or wheels to work initiatives;
Improved access to services that tackle poverty and debt;
The development of new childcare provision;
The provision of support services or facilities to enable the development of new social enterprise initiatives;
The provision of support for the third sector to build capacity, improve service delivery and equip itself to take up procurement or commissioning opportunities.

Follow the link below to download a pdf version of the - Coalfields Community Grants - Level 1 Information Booklet

Please contact your regional office if you have further questions about the Coalfields Regeneration Trust's grant application process - contact details for your regional office can be found here.