Health & Wellbeing
Poor health is one of the most widespread challenges coalfield communities have to face.
More than a third of residents aged over 16 report having health problems that last more than 12 months, and over 400,000 people are suffering with a long-term condition that limits their ability to get out and enjoy day-to-day activities.
That’s why we’re working towards improving health outcomes by investing in projects which can give people the support they need and help them lead a healthy lifestyle.
We have our very own dedicated Game On football programme, which hosts our annual Home International tournament each year to inspire young people from across the UK’s coalfields with a chance to represent their country.
Employment
Whilst in recent years employment rates have steadily climbed in the UK, the reality is much less positive in former mining areas.
Almost 80,000 residents would have to find work in order for the coalfields to be brought in line with the national average, and those that are in work typically have wages 8-10% lower.
We have been tackling this by developing programmes entirely dedicated to helping our communities to get back into work.
For example, our Employment and Skills Service in Yorkshire has a team of experienced coaches providing 1-1 help to people who need bespoke support to build their CV’s and find work.
Skills
Just over half of all employed residents in the coalfields are in manual jobs, and the amount of people with degree-level qualifications is well below the national average. Many of the new employment opportunities created in recent years are in warehousing and logistics and these jobs are welcome, but they often lower skilled and lower paid.
Our research shows that school performance is generally good but we still have a large number of people who have no qualifications. Some of this is generational but we also know we are losing talent to the big towns and cities.
By boosting the skills our communities have to offer, as well as working closely with local partners and employers, we aspire to make the coalfields a place where talent can thrive and there are higher skilled opportunities closer to where our populations are.
Learn more about the difference we’ve made by looking at our community stories, and how we’re striving to make a bigger impact through our latest strategy.