The Coalfields Regeneration Trust is a registered charity that works across the former Coalfield communities of England, Wales and Scotland. The Charity was founded in 1999. The Coalfields Regeneration Trust’s aim is “To champion coalfield communities, generate resources to respond to their needs and deliver programmes that make a positive and lasting difference.” The Coalfields Regeneration Trust receives funding from the Department of Communities and Local Government for their work in English communities, The Welsh Government for their Welsh activities and the Scottish Government to cover their Scottish work. The Trust runs a number of initiatives and activities that make things happen at a community level in Coalfield areas. Each Country sets its own strategic objectives in line with local priorities. The focus of The Coalfields Regeneration Trust is to broker strong partnerships and to act as a catalyst for change.
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Activities in England
The Coalfields Regeneration Trust in England provides support to community groups, voluntary organisations and partners through a range of programmes. These include; Coalfields Community Grants which provides small grant support to community organisations; Enterprising Communities that provides practical help and technical assistance to support the development of social enterprises; Game on Midnight League which engages young people through football; and the Coalfields Micro Business Loan Fund which invests in new start businesses to help stimulate entrepreneurship in the coalfields. In addition, it is embarking on an ambitious programme of investment in property and development to generate the income to sustain its social investment activities moving forward. The Coalfields Regeneration Trust in England operates in the following regions; North East; North West; Yorkshire; East Midlands; West Midlands and Kent.
Activities in Wales
The Coalfields Regeneration Trust in Wales works within the community to tackle the issues that most affect the prosperity, resilience and opportunities available to the people who live in the Coalfield communities of Wales – which remain the most deprived and disadvantaged communities both in Wales and across the UK. The Coalfields Regeneration Trust in Wales delivers a diverse range of interventions that look to tackle poverty, address inequalities and provide opportunities where they do not exist – key notable projects include Game On which uses the power of football to help young people gain skills, friendships and to address social and health inequalities; Community Grants, which invest in grass roots community interventions which impact on local priorities and the Family Employment Initiative that works with those furthest from the labour market to gain skills and tackle entrenched barriers to employment.
Activities in Scotland
The Coalfields Regeneration Trust in Scotland has focuses on its own Scottish priorities through which they have developed a number of programmes which include the Coalfields Community Challenge which identifies and nurtures new social entrepreneurs; the Coalfield Community Futures Programme which helps local people to develop a five-year action plan for their communities future, and local programmes like Sportworks (funded by the Department for Work and Pensions), which combines sport and employment skills training and has an impressive track record of helping young people find jobs. Coalfields Regeneration Trust in Scotland operates in parts of the four former Scottish coalfields areas, of Ayrshire; Fife and Central; Lanarkshire and; the Lothian’s.