Catherine Warren’s Post

Preparing for the future; what's next from our CEO Clive Gray We have a plan and new funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to help us transform over the next two to three years. As Blyth starts to thrive, new companies and commercial money is flooding in and funders are less prepared to support the town. Of course what they miss is that all the people we work with around wellbeing and employability still exist, but new housing estates and spending to bring people into the town make the average change. New situation The board of trustees, the Port of Blyth and the county council, to name but a few, think our work is still essential but we need to start to transition to make the most of the new situation. New commercial money has arrived to restore the Old Harbour Commissioners’ Building and while this means we have had to vacate, the port has signed a new lease for us on premises at Bates Terminal for archiving. New rooms We are also planning to use port temporary offices by the park for Learn the Ropes courses while we build new rooms above and below the mezzanine. Essentially the new strategy involves keeping our wellbeing and employability plates spinning, while shifting what is currently a working boatyard that does some training, to a visitor centre that creates 60 per cent of our income, runs paid for training courses and maintains the Williams II and probably a coble on the water. Shift in Focus Don’t worry, it won’t happen overnight, and the shape of the workshops will depend on the funding we can raise, but expect to see new paid job contracts issued this month and a shift in focus over time. Think of it like a seesaw, pivoting on skills training and shifting from ship maintenance and repair supported by grants to visitor income over time. There will be lots more to come and some of it isn’t yet foreseen, but it’s like taking Williams II on a voyage; you can never fully anticipate the weather and other eventualities.  Community purpose We know we have wonderful people and crew around BTS who will be there when we need them and believe we serve a purpose as a community and have a positive and important future ahead of us. Watch this space for exciting times to come! 

Finding the right funder for your kaupapa, community organisation, or project can be challenging. Doing your desk top research on the different types of funding organisations can play a helpful role in your funding journey. Spend some time finding a funder that shares an interest in the issues your organisation is working on. Most funders will have information on their websites about the types of work they want to support. Many funder websites will feature stories and videos about the organisations and the projects they have funded – these stories can help you understand whether what you offer may be a good fit with what the funder is looking for. You can find more suggestions like this in the ‘Helpful tips’ section of the Funding Guide, a resource we created to provide information on funders, what they are looking for, the types of funding available, and how to identify which funders are most likely to support your type of organisation or project. Click the link below to access the Funding Guide https://lnkd.in/gS3TgVRx

Important article by James Kirkup on the urgent need to prevent young people becoming NEET. Highlighting the positive impact of our Effective Transitions Fund NEET reduction programme and our new approach to work experience, equalex – a guarantee of 50 hours of quality #WorkExperience. ⭐ Read about our Effective Transitions Fund and equalex: https://bit.ly/3LJVLWH

New Funding Alert: The UKSPF Herefordshire Research and Development Innovation Fund is open for applications with businesses encouraged to submit an expression of interest (EOI) as soon as possible. The UKSPF Herefordshire Research and Development Innovation Fund is a revenue grant scheme that has been funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The aim is to help Herefordshire businesses to: + Increase productivity + Access new markets + Develop new products / processes and services leading to new employment opportunities and a more resilient and competitive business community Grants of between £5000 and £24,999 are available to Herefordshire businesses to: + Enable the procurement of external support and revenue items or activity to undertake research and development and innovation projects and + Develop and adopt innovative new processes, products and services The grant can contribute up to 80% of the eligible costs. Full details online: https://lnkd.in/e6wc-t5R

Young Enterprise Scotland has issued redundancies for 17 employees after it was delayed in securing funding from the Scottish Government, and will now deliver its range of enterprise education with a team of just 12 staff members. Read more here 👇 #tech #news Young Enterprise Scotland

Scotland needs investment. Scotland needs to attract investment. Scotland needs better productivity. Scotland needs more skills. We have an aging population who are already increasingly reliant on future generations to support us. Of course the government cannot support every need in the country, for there are too many. However it is unthinkable that we could lose Young Enterprise Scotland and the vital work they do inspiring, supporting and investing in young people and their future contributions to Scotland's economy. Engaging young people in education to think about business and have an understanding of economics and the world of work is critical. The education system alone in Scotland cannot provide this, which is why they have HAD to do such wonderful work for over 30 years. It was a privilege to be involved with them recently and witness their work in action. I personally know successful entrepreneurs who have been through their ranks. So now, more than ever, I urge you to support them. (NB this is a personal post and views are my own) https://lnkd.in/eerc9pK4

Ready to take your #Benefits program to the next level? Explore alternative funding strategies that can boost your offerings and support your workforce in my colleague Reese Davidson's recent blog here. #MarshMMA #Education 

BID SKILLS IN THE SCILLY ISLES 🏝️ Excited for my upcoming visit to the Isles of Scilly to deliver my Bid Skills workshop to the island's SMEs and VCSEs. Fully funded by the Evolve Futures programme, this one-day workshop will equip local enterprises with essential bid writing skills and teach them how to measure and demonstrate the social value of the projects they deliver. Participants will spend the morning learning how to find funding and local contract opportunities, and ways in which they can develop their bid responses to improve the impact on buyers and bid evaluators. The afternoon session is led by two experts on Social Return on Investment (SROI) who will guide attendees on ways to showcase their project impacts: * Gemma Finnegan (Impact Lead for Cornwall Rural Community Charity - currently on secondment to Cornwall Voluntary Sector Forum) * Dr Timothy Walker (Research Fellow for the ECEHH European Centre for Environment and Human Health and part of the University of Exeter) Bid writing and SROI go hand-in-hand, as embedding project evaluation from the get-go helps evidence the resulting social impacts - which in turn helps secure subsequent grant funding and contracts. ➡️ Please tag or share this post with SMEs or VCSEs based in the Isles of Scilly who could benefit from this valuable opportunity. #BidWriting #BidSkill #SocialValue #SROI #IslesofScilly #SME #VCSE #FundingOpportunities

The BEAD program is a significant step toward closing the digital divide and bringing reliable internet to communities across the U.S. Let’s break it down by the numbers: $42.5 billion in total funding to support broadband expansion 14 to 19 million households in America still lack any broadband access 20 to 24 million Americans have broadband but don’t meet the FCC’s minimum speed standard The goal: Nationwide reliable broadband access by 2030 This initiative is critical not just for connectivity, but for economic growth, education, and digital equity. Ensuring underserved and unserved communities get the support they need is a complex task. The BEAD program encourages partnership as we all work together to support those in need in our communities. Lionheart Advisors offers support to help organizations navigate the BEAD process—from securing funding to project management and compliance. Let’s work together to meet the goal of nationwide access by 2030! #BroadbandExpansion #DigitalEquity #GrantFunding #InfrastructureDevelopment #BEADFunding #LionheartAdvisors

Unlock Growth Opportunities with the RAISE 3.0 Grant! Are you looking to expand your business, enhance your community impact, or bring your innovative ideas to life? The Ontario government's RAISE 3.0 grant is your gateway to funding that supports your ambitions. Designed to simplify the grant process and provide critical financial support, RAISE 3.0 empowers organizations to reduce administrative burdens and focus on achieving excellence. Ontario Business Network Ottawa Business Journal Women's Business Network of Ottawa (WBN) Business and Sports Events Ottawa Ontario Chamber of Commerce Capital Angel Network Small Business Centres Ontario