Podcasts about european social fund

Anger in the voluntary sector There was anger across Northern Ireland when the government's funding allocations from the replacement for the European Social Fund were announced. Firstly, the announcement was made late morning on the very last day possible. And secondly, the level of funding from the replacement programme, the Shared Prosperity Fund, was much less than that lost from ESF. Many people felt this was not the promise the UK government made after Brexit. For people in Derry, this was regarded by some as a second blow. While the city did well from the first found of the Levelling-Up Fund, it got nothing from the second round – despite having the worst deprivation figures in NI, and one of the very worst in the whole of the UK. The second of the new series of Holywell Trust Conversations podcasts contains interviews with people in voluntary groups in Derry that have experienced the two programmes – both winners and losers – to ask them about their experiences and the impact of the decisions. While Derry got nothing from that second round of the Levelling-Up Fund, it actually did very well from that first round. Some £49m went into NI from the initial allocations, of which £16m was won for the Derry and Strabane council area. This was far more than to be expected from its share of the population.  Criteria for the Levelling-Up Fund were projects that would cut crime in areas where it is worst; provide incomes for those who need it most; transform the economy by generating higher paid and higher skilled jobs; and attract new investment. Groups that obtained funding were a sports hub for boxing and snooker, that also contains football changing rooms; improvements to the village centre in Derg; and the Acorn City Farm on a derelict part of Derry's largest central recreation area, St Columb's Park. Success in that first round was in part the result of the council already having projects that were ready to go, with businesses cases prepared, and looking for funding. Shauna Kelpie of Acorn City Farm, discusses her experience of successfully bidding for Levelling-Up Fund money on the podcast. It was that context of first round success that explains Derry's lack of success in the second round, when £71m was distributed across NI. That did not prevent some local people who bid into that second round from being very unhappy at being rejected, nor raising questions about how the government was implementing its criteria. But if there was unhappiness about the Levelling-Up Fund, that was nothing to the sheer anger felt across the voluntary sector about the results of the replacement of ESF by the Shared Prosperity Fund. Many groups that had been funded for years by ESF, delivering important projects, found themselves without continued funding and were shocked by the decisions. Some employees were told on the Friday that there was no job for them to come into on the following Monday. Catherine Barr of Derry's Women's Centre strongly criticised the bidding process as well as the decision, which means that some of its core services have now been lost. The government had told groups to bid in partnerships, and the proposal that involved local women's groups and led by Derry Youth and Community Workshops was rejected. No explanation for the decision was provided by government. Charles Lamberton of Triax is equally critical of the process, even though Triax was successful in its bid for funding. They are providing a range of training and support services to people across the Derry and Strabane council area who are economically inactive. It is clear that while there is enormous anger at the decisions taken, the process undertaken by government departments has made the situation very much worse. Bidding processes began late, with decisions taken only at the very last moment. Nor were those decisions consistent with what many in the voluntary sector understood the criteria and level of funding to be. The result if a significant loss of key services, without obvious routes to replace them. The podcast is hosted on the Holywell Trust website.            Disclaimer: This project has received support from the Northern Ireland Community Relations Council which aims to promote a pluralist society characterised by equity, respect for diversity, and recognition of interdependence. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the Community Relations Council.      

In our fifth episode, Gorgi Krlev and Dominik Domnik discuss what it takes to foster innovation that benefits society. We delve into what social innovation is, and what role public policy and specific funding instruments play for the growth of the sector. Gorgi is an assistant professor of sustainability at ESCP Paris. He has conducted a study comparing and assessing approaches from 10 different countries to support social innovation. Dominik works for LMU's Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center. He has previously worked for a foundation and a family office and set-up his own social business. They discuss the rationale for factoring in the long-term benefits for society when investing into innovative solutions to societal problems, whether you are a policy maker or an investor. We also address jargon and how to bridge cultural differences between the private sector, the public sector, and civil society to jointly promote social innovation. Links Gorgi conducted the study “Financing Social Innovation” on behalf of SEND, the German Social Entrepreneurship Network. Examples mentioned by Gorgi and Dominik: Portugal Social Innovation is a government initiative aimed at stimulating the social investment market in Portugal. It mobilizes around EUR 150 million from the European Social Fund through 4 financing instruments: capacity building for social investment, partnerships for impact, social impact bonds, and the social innovation fund. Power Up Scotland develops early stage social businesses through investment, business support and cross-sector partnerships. It has been launched by Big Issue Invest in partnership with the Scottish Government and the University of Edinburgh. The Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra received an endowment capital fund of approximately 84 million euros from the Bank of Finland and the Finnish Parliament. Sitra's work is funded by the returns from its capital. Investments up and running and underway include Social Impact Bonds (SIB), e.g. with a focus on Type 2 diabetes prevention. For feedback on the show or to suggest guests for future episodes, contact us at scifi@esmt.org

Welcome to another installment of our monthly excursion into Politics and Spirituality with Marielena Ferrer, a socially engaged visual artist and art educator. She serves on the Kingston Arts Commission and Diversity Equity and Inclusion Task Force. Ferrer studied architecture at Central University of Venezuela and later earned a certificate of distinction in “Leadership and Empowerment” from Spain's Polytechnic University of Valencia and a diploma in “Gender Leadership” through the EQUAL Transnational Cooperation Community Initiative of the European Social Fund. In addition, she earned a University Expert Diploma in “Mental Health, Cultural Processes and Psychological Interventions With Immigrants, Minorities and the Socially Excluded” from the University of Barcelona. Ferrer is currently completing a BFA in sculpture from SUNY New Paltz makes art to “assist people in becoming aware of themselves and their environment as fully as possible.”On the second Mo(o)nday of the month we get together to discuss subjects related to or inspired by the Art of Living and the Art of Living together, two themes from the book, Espiritualidad y Politica, which Marielena contributed to 10 years ago while living in Spain. This month we continue our conversation on what it means to be "in community" inspired by Marielena's recent O+ Festival participatory art exhibit. She also shares her perspective on Indigenous People's Day which interesting to me is celebrated in different ways and under different names in other countries around the world. We were inspired by this article about the downsides of empathy and finish up the show exploring some of it's main themes. We'd love to hear what you think!Today's show was engineered by Ian Seda of Radio Kingston.Our show music is from Shana Falana !!!Feel free to email me, say hello: she@iwantwhatshehas.org** Please: SUBSCRIBE to the pod and leave a REVIEW wherever you are listening, it helps other users FIND IThttp://iwantwhatshehas.org/podcastITUNES | SPOTIFY | STITCHERITUNES: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/i-want-what-she-has/id1451648361?mt=2SPOTIFY:https://open.spotify.com/show/77pmJwS2q9vTywz7Uhiyff?si=G2eYCjLjT3KltgdfA6XXCASTITCHER: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/she-wants/i-want-what-she-has?refid=stpr'Follow:INSTAGRAM * https://www.instagram.com/iwantwhatshehaspodcast/FACEBOOK * https://www.facebook.com/iwantwhatshehaspodcastTWITTER * https://twitter.com/wantwhatshehas

Do we only repair the things that we cherish? Is there a place for visible mending in our built environment as well as our clothes? Can a repair add value to the object that is mended? And do we always need to intervene with repair – or is 'curated decay' sometimes a better option? On today's episode, I'm talking to Caitlin DeSilvey, a geographer whose research explores the cultural significance of material change and transformation, with a particular focus on heritage contexts. She has worked with artists, archaeologists, environmental scientists and heritage practitioners on a range of interdisciplinary projects, and is one of the most inspiring academics I have ever come across.She has worked with artists, archaeologists, environmental scientists and heritage practitioners on a range of interdisciplinary projects, supported by funding from UK research councils, the Royal Geographical Society, the Norwegian Research Council and the European Social Fund.We discuss:-  The overlaps between cultural geography and history of design.-  Her book, Visible mending: Everyday repairs in the South West. -  Using visible mending in stonemasonry in heritage sites.- Why she uses visual imagery and storytelling as well as participatory activities to engage people in imagining changing environments and places.- Why damage and decay captures her imagination.… and more!Here are some highlights.  How value can be created by repair:“One of the things that we became really interested in the project was how the objects that people were bringing to be repaired and then the stories that the repairers told us about these objects, were as much about people's identities as they were about the objects themselves. There were stories about the woman who would bring her all blown out slippers and say ‘Oh, I need you to put the new souls on these,' and the repairers would say 'But it's not economical. And the response would be, ‘No, no, but you really need to do this because they're the only slippers that are comfortable' or ‘You need to fix my porridge pot because I've been making porridge in it for the last 50 years.' There was always a little bit of a narrative attached to it.  And that sense of value and what we value, and that being often uncoupled from economic valuation became really central to the project. We also became quite interested in how value is created by repair, so by attending to something, and extending care, we actually produce value. So it's not just about a thing that we value and therefore we get it repaired, there is actually this much more dynamic relationship with the things that we repair.”Our impulse as human beings to fix things:“I've been really interested in the value in actually not repairing. What happens when we have a structure that is probably already on that path, something that is falling apart, ruining, however we wanna describe that process, and instead of pulling it back from the brink and making intact again, we just let that process play out? And the stories that become available when you allow that to happen are interesting and worth telling. But it's an approach that only applies to specific contexts and that way of thinking around that. You can find heritage value in something that's falling apart as well as something that's held together. It really came out of that work at the Homestead – it was the decay and the dereliction and the interplay, the way in which animals had occupied the buildings and the way in which there was this real blurriness around nature and culture that actually was so rich about that site. But to be honest, my interest in damage and breakdown and decay is partly about the moments when we can allow that to play out and learn from it, but also partly about the moments when we just can't resist intervening and why? So it's not necessarily about always stepping back, it's also about trying to understand our impulse as human beings to fix things.”The importance of storytelling “One of the things I'm preoccupied now with is the fact that we really need better stories to move us into this future that we're facing. And we need ways of knowing the world and watching it change that are not all about loss and despair; where there's some hope, which can be difficult at times. So for me, I think it's just trying what works.”About Katie TreggidenKatie Treggiden is a purpose-driven journalist, author, podcaster and keynote speaker championing a circular approach to design – because Planet Earth needs better stories. With 20 years' experience in the creative industries, she regularly contributes to publications such as The Guardian, Crafts Magazine, Design Milk and Monocle24. Following research during her recent Masters at the University of Oxford, she is currently exploring the question ‘can craft save the world?' through an emerging body of work that includes her fifth book, Wasted: When Trash Becomes Treasure (Ludion, 2020), and this podcast. You can find Katie on Instagram @katietreggiden.1, sign up for her e-newsletter here and if you're a designer-maker interested in becoming more sustainable, sign up for her free Facebook Group here. If you'd like to support more fantastic content like this, you can buy Katie a ‘virtual coffee' here in exchange for behind-the-scenes content and a shout-out in Season Three. Waste: A masterclass is a 12-week programme conceived to inspire, educate and empower designer-makers to create circular products from waste. Click here to find out more or visit katietreggiden.com/masterclass.

Carrie is a recent participant on Action Towards Inclusion - a dynamic programme across York, North Yorkshire and the East Riding supporting people into work, training and volunteering. Carrie faced a number of challenges but has made fantastic progress through taking part in the programme. Action Towards Inclusion is funded by the European Social Fund and the National Lottery Community Fund and managed by Better Connect. You can find out more here...

Mick is a recent participant on Action Towards Inclusion - a dynamic programme across York, North Yorkshire and the East Riding supporting people into work, training and volunteering. He has wide ranging work experience and Action Towards Inclusion has helped him increase his confidence, IT skills and move on in his life. Action Towards Inclusion is funded by the European Social Fund and the National Lottery Community Fund and managed by Better Connect. You can find out more here...

Welcome to Episode 22 of the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce Podcast - this episode contains audio from our Chamber Live Event which took place on the 16th February 2021 and was hosted by our Policy, Campaigns and Communications Director Chris Fletcher. In this Episode, Chris is joined by our Head of Research Subrah Krishnan-Harihara who talks us through the results of the recent British Chambers of Commerce survey and what this tells us about the economic impact of both the current national lockdown and the implementation of the new Brexit deal. Philip Murphy, our Skills Coach, provides us with an update on his role at the Chamber as part of the Skills for Growth project that is funded by the European Social Fund and provided in collaboration with the Growth Company. This is followed by an announcement from our Membership Events and Partner Delivery Manager Lea-Anne Gardner about our new partnership with the Cyber Resilience Centre to support our Members - she introduces Detective Inspector Grace Hulse from the Cyber Resilience Centre who tells us more about the effect of cyber crime on UK business.

Marie Louise Coleiro Preca, former President of Malta and current President of Eurochild, is the guest of this FEPS Talks podcast episode conducted by FEPS Secretary General László Andor. The main topic of the conversation is the one she has committed to during her entire political life: how to tackle child poverty. The problem is not new, but it has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 outbreak in most EU countries. This makes the EU Child Guarantee a very timely initiative, and an instrument that could effectively promote equal opportunities among children, especially if framed in a social investment approach. With the same purpose, President Coleiro highlights the importance the FEPS initiative “Towards a Child Union” which advocates high quality and inclusive early child care and education. She also remarks the negative effects of the COVID-19 outbreak in education due to the digital divide, which threatens the young generation. In the moths of the lockdown, many children did not have access to the online courses, and children with disabilities could most easily be left behind. An effective Child Guarantee needs adequate funding from the European Social Fund, and it would also benefit from the EU setting targets for the member states for poverty reduction, just like under the Europe 2020 strategy.

Our latest venture, The Social Learning Club in partnership with The Lantern and Dorset Community Action (and funded with a grant from the European Social Fund and the Education and Skills Funding Agency), is based around helping anyone learn anything using the Internet and handheld devices. We have done donated smartphones and two needed new screens. Air FM were there and wanted a chat! Have a listen. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/circular-shop-stories/message

Gen Now stands for Generation and Now. It is made by a group of young people from Manchester. We're talking about the evolution of lifestyle, culture, music, politics, fashion & trends. Within we have conversations with international acts such as Emmanuel Jal and Manchester based artists - Sandi Glowe, Kashi 47, Baby Flxcko & Anamelia. In conversation with Sara and Colin from our sister station, Sonder Radio, two stations have come together to combine & educate each other. Project funded by Manchester Adult Education Service and European Social Fund.

I Forgot My Glasses is a new podcast series looking at the issue of adult literacy in 21st century Ireland, Produced by NALA - The National Adult Literacy Agency & UrbanMedia. If reading, writing, maths or technology is holding you back, take the first step – Freephone 1 800 20 20 65 for information on free courses or go to takethefirststep.ie This podcast is supported by the European Social Fund, the Government of Ireland, ETBI, SOLAS and NALA. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The EU's regional policy aims to address the territorial, social and economic imbalances existing between the different regions of the EU. Also known as cohesion policy, it covers all regions and cities of the European Union, helping to support job creation, business competitiveness, economic growth, sustainable development, and to improve citizens' quality of life. Almost one third of the total EU budget has been set aside for cohesion policy for the 2014-2020 period, with this financial support distributed through two main funds, the European Regional Development Fund and the European Social Fund, part of the European Structural and Investment Funds, which are making a real difference to the lives of people the length and breadth of Europe. http://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_BRI(2019)637953 Source: © European Union - EP

The EU's regional policy aims to address the territorial, social and economic imbalances existing between the different regions of the EU. Also known as cohesion policy, it covers all regions and cities of the European Union, helping to support job creation, business competitiveness, economic growth, sustainable development, and to improve citizens' quality of life. Almost one third of the total EU budget has been set aside for cohesion policy for the 2014-2020 period, with this financial support distributed through two main funds, the European Regional Development Fund and the European Social Fund, part of the European Structural and Investment Funds, which are making a real difference to the lives of people the length and breadth of Europe. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_BRI(2019)637953 Source: © European Union - EP

As Britain departs the European Union, will its voluntary sector be ripped apart? And will it rue its decision not to become more involved with the EU Referendum debate? Tim is joined by Brendan Costelloe from the National Council for Voluntary Organisations to discuss the financial and social impact of the UK’s decision to leave the EU. They discuss the size of the sector (£45.5bn revenue in 2016; the NCVO has over 12,500 member organisations) and whether the absence of European Social Fund investment will leave a back hole in charities’ budgets. They also look at the personal benefits volunteering can bring and how those feeling compelled to offer support can become involved. For more on the National Council for Voluntary Organisation visit ncvo.org.uk #Podcast #Brexit #BrexitPodcast #Referendum #EUReferendum #VoteLeave #VoteRemain #VoteIn #EU #UK #TimHeming #JenniferHahn #News #Politics

Software Alliance Wales (SAW) is a £13m collaborative European Social Fund project led by Swansea University, in conjunction with the universities of Aberystwyth, Bangor, Glamorgan and Trinity St Davids. The project aims to foster innovation and growth in the ICT/software sector of Wales, with specific emphasis on the convergence area. The project provides opportunities for technical professional development, a unique ICT certification scheme, business ICT workshops and student development projects.