Andy’s Ark gets ESF boost
Pictured: Andy Kent (Andy's Ark), Daniel Allegne (learner), Richard
Howitt MEP and Dominic Wade (Community Grants Project Manager)
Andy’s Ark, a Cambridgeshire social enterprise which offers training for disabled young people to become car mechanics, has secured a £12,000 ESF Community Grant to train 20 disabled young people practical skills repairing cars between now and March 2013.
The grant funds a six week induction course (two days a week) at the end of which participants will be able to decide if they wish to progress to more formal training or work placements in the industry, with the support of the project.
Andy’s Ark is based at Andy’s Kars, a commercially run car garage in Cambridge, which provides training opportunities on the premises. The grant award was announced at a visit to the garage by the Labour MEP for the East of England, Richard Howitt. The charity has been run for the last 10 years by Andy Kent, who is himself disabled.
“The European funding will help Andy’s Ark offer real time car workshop experience to disabled students,” said Andy. “Disabled people need to be seen as equals in everything they do. They may be disabled but they can do everything, just do it differently.”
The ESF Community Grants funding is managed in the East of England by TCHC (The Consultancy Home Counties Ltd.) In the East of England 80 organisations have been awarded grants to run projects of up to £12,000 each, reaching1550 individuals that are sometimes a long way from the job market and need help towards employment. The next deadline to apply for funding in the East of England is 12 November 2012. To receive information on how to apply, please email communitygrants@tchc.net