Almost £600,000 has been pledged to support people in West Cumbria.
Phoenix Enterprise Centre at Cleator Moor has secured £577,000 in grant funding for its new Digital Access, Advice, Food and Support.
The project is supported by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, Copeland Community Fund, Cumbria County Council and Copeland Borough Council.
The three-year project is set to provide some of the most vulnerable people across West Cumbria with support from Phoenix Enterprise Centre’s three IT centres in Whitehaven, Cleator Moor and Millom, where residents will be able to access:
- A qualified, quality assured advice and guidance service.
- Free access to computers and the internet to search, apply for, and maintain benefits and jobs.
- Referrals to organisations including Citizens Advice Copeland, credit unions and social prescribers.
- Access to The Food Pantry which provides weekly food deliveries to people in financial distress.
Phoenix Enterprise Centre aims to tackle economic deprivation and unemployment in West Cumbria and provide business start-up advice, workspace, office accommodation, provision of welfare support and support regeneration activities.
Joanne Crowe, executive director, said: “Securing three years of funding enables us to deliver, and further develop, vital services across Copeland.”
The NDA is tasked with safely and securely decommissioning the nation’s oldest nuclear sites. Its director of socio-economics, Jamie Reed, said: “We care about our communities which is why we are proud to support Phoenix Enterprise Centre.
“From helping people to get back into employment and providing debt management advice, to arranging access to supplies for those in food poverty, now more than ever this project is a vital lifeline.
“We invest around £15m each year in our site communities, delivering a positive and long-lasting legacy for future generations.”
