Buxton charity gets £5,000 boost to help people back to work

The donation has come from the Local Community Skills Fund which aims to positively impact communities where access to training and development are limited.

Paul Boham, Chief Executive at The Zink Project, said: "City and Guilds Foundation funding will enable Zink to support individuals who struggle to get work, or who haven't worked before, into volunteer placements to build work skills and gain confidence in their place in the labour market.” 

The Zink Project provides wellbeing, training and employability support to families and individuals facing poverty in the High Peak area of Derbyshire.

Zink empowers people and families to build a better future no matter what they’ve been through.

When a crisis happens, the charity provides emergency food and advice to sort out the cause and plan a future.

The group’s work coaches help people into work, education or training alongside a range of activities and interests that enable people to grow, learn and mix.

It was one of twenty charities, social enterprises and training providers across the UK which have now received grants from the pilot scheme, launched by the City & Guilds Foundation earlier this year.

The Local Community Skills Fund complements established City & Guilds grant giving schemes, including dedicated funding streams for frontline charities supporting individuals with convictions and displaced people to gain skills and find meaningful employment, together with a longstanding bursary scheme to help individuals facing barriers to gain the skills society needs.  

Faiza Khan MBE, Executive Director, Corporate Affairs & Foundation, City & Guilds, said:   “At City & Guilds, we know that focusing on local skills challenges can have a huge impact on living standards and prospects in communities. I’m delighted that we are supporting this charity, and look forward to discovering more about how this innovative project has helped change lives.” 

City & Guilds’ latest impact report revealed that £15.3 billion in social and economic returns was contributed to society in the UK via access to skills through its courses in 2023-24.