Good causes take chunk of £2.5m bank fund

FOUR North West organisations have scooped a share each of a £2.5m fund set up by NatWest.

Bubble Enterprises in Moss Side, Manchester, Antz Juction in Swinton, Salford, North Lancs Enterprise in Morecambe and the Women’s Organisation in Liverpool have been awarded funding from the NatWest Skills and Opportunities Fund.

The fund is dedicated to supporting projects in disadvantaged communities that help people to help themselves by learning new skills, getting into the world of work or setting up their own business.

Bubble Enterprises has received £21,665 for its Pod Digital programme which will recruit 50 would-be entrepreneurs into an interactive six-week enterprise engagement programme.

Antz Junction has been awarded £25,000 for its Work Ready programme which aims to support young people from deprived areas in Salford and Bolton into appropriate employment. The charity just celebrated its fourth birthday.

North Lancs Enterprise has been awarded £17,010 which will be used to give 40 disadvantaged economically inactive people in the deprived areas of Fleetwood and Morecambe the life-changing opportunity to set up their own business.

The Women’s Organisation has been awarded £29,000 for its #IamEnterprising programme  – a skills for business bootcamp and virtual incubator.

The winning organisations were chosen from a shortlist of 15 by a panel of judges from NatWest’s North Regional Stakeholders Board, along with a public vote which counted as one vote.

Board member Heather Waters said: “Bubble Enterprises, Antz Junction, North Lancs Enterprise and The Women’s Organisation are helping people from a variety of background realise their ambitions. They are all great programmes which benefit those directly involved as well as their wider community, and we wish them every success for the future.”