FareShare Midlands receives grant for single parents support service

THE Maximus Local Impact Fund has awarded £9,600 to FareShare Midlands to fund their new skills programme for single parents.

FareShare Midlands is the region’s largest food redistribution charity and has been tackling food waste and food poverty by distributing surplus food to frontline charities and community groups across the Midlands since 2008. At the same time, through its growing SkillsShare Employability Service, it is delivering innovative programmes that help residents develop their skills, overcome barriers to work and move into employment.

The grant will be used to help fund a new employment support scheme from the FareShare Midlands depot in Nottingham, Launching in May, workshops will run once a month for six months and will help single parents to gain new skills and find meaningful employment with sessions covering topics such as budgeting, setting realistic job goals, and defining transferable skills.

Sessions will take place during school hours, which eases the need for parents to fund childcare. Costs associated with attending sessions, such as taxi fares, will also be subsidised, and free lunch and refreshments will be provided on the day. Upon completion of the course, attendees will also receive a free family food parcel to help support families while the parents look for work.

Launched in March 2023 as part of our delivery of the Restart Scheme, the Local Impact Fund supports charities and community organisations across South and West Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, by providing grants that offer direct benefit to the local community whilst investing in the region’s economic recovery.

The fund furthers our social value commitment by making a positive impact within a number of local communities, with successful projects ranging from resources for ESOL learners to employment support services for single parents and peer mentoring for people at risk of homelessness.

So far, Maximus has invested £54,600 in nine community projects and initiatives across the North during the first two rounds of funding, helping to transform thousands of lives at a local level.

Simone Connolly, CEO at FareShare Midlands, said:

“We are extremely pleased to have been awarded £9,600 to deliver Employability Workshops to lone parents in Nottingham. It can be daunting thinking about returning to work as a single parent, and our workshops will remove fears, highlight the benefits and boost confidence. This is another example of our growing SkillsShare employability programmes, and we thank Maximus for this great opportunity.”

Anne Seddon, Social Value Manager at Maximus, said:

“The Local Impact Fund offers grants to small and medium-sized charities, social enterprises, and community organisations to tackle a range of key issues. These grants enable Maximus to leave a lasting legacy beyond the Restart Scheme, and by supporting FareShare Midlands we can ensure single parents develop their skills and move into sustainable employment.”

Charis Green, Head of Community Partnerships at Maximus, said:

“At Maximus, we believe that it is vital to give back to the regions in which we operate. The Local Impact Fund allows us to make a positive difference in the lives of the people and organisations at the heart of those communities. We are delighted to be able to award grants to charities like FareShare Midlands, who are making such a valuable impact in their local communities.”

To find out more about the Restart Scheme, please visit: www.maximus.restart.uk and to find out more about our Social Value commitments, please visit: https://www.maximusuk.co.uk/about-us/our-impact.