£400k investment to boost skills and opportunities in West Northants

04 September 2025

Community organisations and residents across West Northamptonshire are set to benefit from a £415,000 funding boost to help people build skills, improve wellbeing, and unlock new opportunities.

The funding, delivered by West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) through the Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), will support 15 projects led by local charities, voluntary groups, and social enterprises.

These initiatives will provide training, coaching, and wellbeing support designed to help people into employment, education, and volunteering, while also strengthening connections and resilience within local communities.

This year’s successful organisations represent a wide range of expertise, from supporting vulnerable families and unemployed young people to delivering specialist training and wellbeing services.

“We are proud to be investing £1.7 million into these fantastic community projects through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Each of these organisations is making a real difference on the ground - whether that’s helping people develop skills to get back into work, supporting young people to plan their future, or tackling social isolation and mental health challenges.

“Together, these initiatives will strengthen our communities and boost opportunities for local people, helping to grow a stronger economy for West Northamptonshire.”

Cllr James Petter, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Local Economy, Culture and Leisure

Examples of funded projects include:

• Innovation CIC – Project Innovate: supporting adults with learning difficulties to access meaningful employment through enterprise, vocational training, and tailored opportunities to build life chances.
• Northampton Hope Centre – Hope in the Community: offering wellbeing and life skills training, including employability support such as CV writing alongside one-to-one support to help people move into work.
• Doddridge Centre: employing a Community Skills and Development Worker and Apprentice to mentor and coach vulnerable and isolated residents, helping to build confidence and support people to return to work.
• The Good Loaf: creating meaningful work opportunities for vulnerable women through its artisan bakery and café, with dedicated one-to-one coaching to help participants progress towards employment.
• Learning & Skills Academy – Learning for All: combining housing, health, and food support with vocational training and work-readiness skills, helping those furthest from the labour market progress into employment, education or volunteering.
• The Lewis Foundation: strengthening volunteer and work placement programmes by hiring team leaders to provide consistent support, helping participants develop skills and improve their employability.
• Born to Shine: supporting young people with additional health needs to plan their career paths, including CV writing, interview training, LinkedIn coaching, and practical help such as clothing for interviews.
• Restore Northampton - The Well: expanding wellbeing services to help adults move from crisis to independence, focusing on confidence, skills and reducing loneliness.
• Salvation Army - Employment Plus: providing one-to-one employment support, with funding enabling the appointment of an Employment Development Coordinator to double the number of participants supported.
• United African Association: offering intermediate and advanced IT classes alongside employability skills workshops to help unemployed members of the African community secure work.
• Unity in Diversity CIC - Dad Talk: improving mental health and wellbeing among fathers from Black and refugee communities, raising awareness of cultural perspectives on mental health and reducing social isolation.
• Volunteer it Yourself: giving unemployed young people the chance to gain trade skills and City & Guilds qualifications by refurbishing community facilities such as Northampton Scouts Rugby Club and Long Buckby Youth Club.
• Workbridge (St Andrew’s Healthcare) - Pathways to Success: running nine-week courses combining employability skills training with therapeutic wellbeing activities, supporting adults referred by GP surgeries into better health and work opportunities.
• Other successful projects include Right Resolution, Support Northants, and the Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce, who will also be delivering a variety of training, mentoring and support schemes.

The People and Skills programme is part of WNC’s wider commitment to supporting community resilience, enhancing workforce skills, and ensuring local residents have access to the opportunities they need to thrive.

For more information on the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and funded projects, visit the Funding and Allocations webpage.