Projects to boost skills on the coast

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In March 2010, the Government awarded a special one-off grant of £200,000 to the East Lindsey Coast with specific objectives focused on improving economic prosperity and reducing unemployment. The projects also have to be of long term benefit for the local area.

In identifying where and how the money would be best spent, key partners including the District Council, Lincolnshire County Council, Job Centre Plus and the Government Office for the East Midlands have looked at which area needed the support most and what would be deliverable with the strongest outcomes. Through this process investment in Mablethorpe has been prioritised, however, the projects will serve the wider coastal catchment area.

When deciding how the money should be spent it was recognised that in the last few years the Lincolnshire Coast has seen significant outside investment to improve the local economy, particularly in Skegness with the annual SO Festival that has attracted more than £750k to Skegness over the past three years and has a direct link to London 2012. This festival alone is estimated to be worth over £1.2m to the local economy and investment in leisure from the private sector. Further investment has also been secured for the new Skegness academy on the St Clements school site. The Academy will develop links with local and national businesses to provide opportunities for students of all abilities to become involved in a range of work related enterprises to broaden their skills base and employment opportunities.

Mablethorpe is consistently recognised as being in the 10% most deprived communities in the country with particular issues around ill health and a shortage of skills needed to deliver on the main economic sectors of tourism, hospitality and care and the emerging creative/cultural sector. The Economic Baseline report for East Lindsey identifies that the town has below average levels of economic activity due to a high proportion of both unemployed and retired residents. The report also recommends that investment is needed in the development of new service industries to improve the local economy.

The three projects (outlined below) will be achievable thanks to match funding which has enabled partners to increase the initial £200,000 from the Government into £360,000.

The projects will provide a long term solution to address some of the area’s key issues.

The projects to be taken forwards are:

A Care Based Social Enterprise (£128k) – The project will deliver a new social enterprise that will provide personal care services to local residents in the coastal area. The range of services provided will be based on individual needs and could include gardening services and exercise programmes as well as more traditional home-based care. The current model being investigated is a brokerage service that will identify eligible client needs and seek to source services from within the local economy, rather than providing competing services in the local area. It will also provide new employment and training opportunities in the care industry which is identified as a key economic growth sector along the coast.

Tide Gallery, Mablethorpe (£213,000 subject to match funding) – A community project to transform the old library on Victoria Road in Mablethorpe into an exhibition and gallery space. This project, which is community led, would support the continued growth of the cultural offer along the coast strip and provide Mablethorpe with its own dedicated arts venue, with employment, volunteering and training opportunities for those interested in the creative industries. The project will include a tea room selling locally sourced produce; craft and exhibition space; retail area selling local artisan crafts; a conference and training room a community office as well as a potential central base for the Town Centre Manager. It will also provide a central source of information and advice for local residents on response and adaptation to coastal flood risk by drawing in additional funding under DEFRA’s Coastal Pathfinder programme.

Coastal Service Academy (£20k) – This initiative will be jointly provided with Job Centre Plus under the Get Britain Working Campaign. It will bring together learning providers, employers and referral agencies to deliver a series of training events that are linked to the needs of local employers within the hospitality sector. It will help local people to improve their skills so they can be matched with jobs in the area.
Helen Matthews of Mablethorpe Art Works, explained: “The funding and support has helped secure the project and will enable the new community group to start trading in the early summer of this year. The ‘Tide Gallery’ will become the first permanent arts space in this area of the coast. It will benefit the local community, artists, craftspeople, the tourism offer, local suppliers and those seeking to improve their skills and take advantage of exciting creative work and training opportunities.”

The three projects will be established during the next six to 12 months and are intended to deliver long term economic and social benefits to coastal residents by improving local employment opportunities and access to local services