The Cardiff City FC Foundation and Gower College Swansea have each won a £35,000 share of NatWest’s £2.5million Skills and Opportunities Fund.
Both were chosen by public vote to benefit from the fund, which supports organisations in disadvantaged communities that help people develop, create or access the skills and opportunities they need to get into work or start a business.
Charities, not-for-profit organisations and state-funded schools and colleges can apply for up to £35,000 each for a specific project from the fund which will distribute grants totalling £2.5 million this year and is expected to help more than 25,000 people.
About this year’s Welsh winners:
• Gower College Swansea
Through its newly incorporated community interest company (C4EE), the college will seek to equip disadvantaged young people with vital entrepreneurial, financial and literacy skills.
• Cardiff City FC Foundation – www.cardiffcityfcfoundation.org.uk
This new business education programme will challenge misconceptions, address under-representation, and release the creative and enterprise talents of foundation participants and supporters (primarily aged 16-24) from disadvantaged communities from South Wales.
Oliver Watts, Chairman of NatWest's South West and Wales Regional Board, said: “It was a challenging decision because of the standard of entries we received. But the panel felt that all of the organisations would make a massive impact in their local communities.
“Our congratulations and best wishes go to Gower College Swansea and Cardiff City FC Foundation and I’d encourage anyone who wasn’t successful this time to try again when applications open in August for the next round.”
Sue Poole, Enterprise Manager at Gower College Swansea and CEO of the recently incorporated community interest company Centre 4 Entrepreneurial Education, said: “We are absolutely delighted to receive this funding from Natwest. With his very generous donation, we can expand our work with young people from across South West Wales, helping them to unlock their potential and achieve successful futures.”
Ryan Jones, Cardiff City FC Foundation, said: “We are delighted. Entrepreneurship will be a visible and viable option for our students and supporters. Thanks to Natwest we will achieve more - we will create new businesses and social enterprises.”
Over 900 organisations from across the UK and Republic of Ireland applied to this year’s fund before a total of 90 were chosen to enter the public vote.
For further information visit www.skillsandopportunitiesfund.natwest.com
Photo shows (L-R) Sue Poole, Ben Room and Julie Thomas, all Gower College Swansea, with Annamaria Bridson, Director – Business Banking, NatWest.