European Social Fund Newsletter, November 2009

In October we were pleased to hold the first London European Social Fund (ESF) Awards. Held at London’s City Hall, the event was attended by 150 delegates. Six awards were presented honouring the outstanding achievements of 15 Londoners who have built their confidence and developed their skills through innovative training and support schemes created as part of the £700 million London ESF Programme. The awards also recognised the significant role of employers and providers in improving skills and employment in London.

ESF Award Winners

The event was a joint initiative between the LDA’s EPMU and London’s five ‘co-financing’ organisations that fund ESF projects, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), Learning and Skills Council (LSC), London Councils, the London Development Agency (LDA) and the National Offender Management Service (NOMS).

Providers in receipt of ESF had the opportunity to submit nominations from June to September 2009. The winners and finalists were selected by a judging panel with members from the Greater London Authority, London Voluntary Service Council, London Voluntary Sector Training Consortium, Association of Colleges and Work Based Learning Alliance.

Danny Fitzgerald was one of the six winners and received the award for ESF Participant of the Year (14-19 years). He joined a young people’s ESF funded project at City Gateway to transform his life of crime to one with real prospects. Danny was excluded from school and increasingly became known in the local area for his involvement in crime. This carried on for a number of years until eventually he was arrested.

As a result of his exclusion from school, Danny lacked the skills to get into formal employment. Danny had been engaging with staff and peers at Limehouse Youth Centre (run by City Gateway) for years, and played football there regularly. He also joined a local 11-aside weekend team. After his arrest, Danny wanted to change his life. City Gateway’s youth work team referred him onto a structured training programme. This was the first time in years that Danny had stepped into a classroom.

Following his success on this programme, Danny progressed into an Apprenticeship with HSS Hire, and gained a further qualification in scaffolding. He enjoyed this placement, but found the lack of income a serious challenge to his self-motivation. He proved his new-found responsibility and accountability by discussing it with City Gateway staff members, whereupon he made the decision to stick at it with the hope that the Apprenticeship would lead to employment. HSS Hire was so impressed with his performance, that they offered him a full time job at the end of his Apprenticeship. Danny is still in this job, and is looking forward to working as a scaffolder in the future.

Danny is still playing football, and is a huge encouragement to his team, particularly the junior members. He also still attends Limehouse Youth Centre to play football and hang out with other young people. What’s more he has become a peer role model of success within the community.

More information on each of the winners and highly commended will be available on the LDA’s website at www.lda.gov.uk/esf shortly. If you are interested to get involved in next year’s awards, please look out for details on our website in Spring/Summer 2010.