Community Case Study 1 – WEA Grant Award to Support Numeracy
The Liverpool City Region is set to experience a significant boost in numeracy skills among its residents, thanks to a generous grant from the WEA Multiply Community Grants Programme. The funding will enable us to run ten programmes supporting local residents in Liverpool, Knowsley and Wirral to enhance their mathematical abilities, enabling them to assist their children with homework and aspire to achieve Level Two Maths proficiency themselves.
By addressing the community’s specific needs, the programme seeks to create a more numerate and confident population, capable of navigating everyday math challenges with ease.
“We are thrilled to receive this funding from the WEA Multiply Community Grants Programme,” said Kerry Burns, Programme Lead. “This initiative will not only help parents support their children’s learning at home but also open up new opportunities for adults to advance their own skills and employment prospects.”
Local partnerships with schools, housing associations, FE and Higher Education Colleges and Community Hubs will play a crucial role in the programme’s success, ensuring that the resources and support are accessible to all.
About WEA Multiply Community Grants Programme: The WEA Multiply Community Grants Programme is dedicated to supporting local initiatives that enhance adult numeracy skills, fostering education and economic growth within communities across the UK.
The WEA was founded in 1903, and their mission is to bring adult education within reach of everyone who needs it. They continue to empower adults by bringing great teaching to local communities across England and Scotland, reaching tens of thousands of learners each year.
Community Case Study 2 – Big Wins in Norris Green!
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We’re thrilled to announce the impact of Cobalt Housing funding ten ‘Help Your Child Thrive’ programmes across five primary schools in Norris Green – all shaped by the voices of the community.
Cobalt Housing is a registered housing association based in North Liverpool, formed in February 2003 following the transfer of homes from Liverpool City Council. They manage and maintain around 6,000 affordable homes in Fazakerley and Sparrow Hall, Croxteth and Norris Green.
After delivering sessions in the schools with 88 local parents, the results of the impact are in… and they’re incredible!
Using the HACT Social Impact tool, Cobalt Housing have calculated a massive £100,326.00 in social value generated through our work. That’s a whopping £80.03 return for every £1 invested!
Social value is a way to quantify how different interventions affect people’s lives – the overall impact on people’s wellbeing, or their quality of life. It is a way of measuring the positive benefits that community based work has on both individuals and communities.
We’re proud to be making a real difference for families of children with SEND, meeting local needs with practical, empowering support. Last year, we reached 75 families in Norris Green, and next year, we’re aiming to support even more families!
Community Case Study 3 – LCVS Grant Award to Support Parents
LCVS1
Plus One Community Learning CIC Receives Community Grant from LCVS to deliver ‘Your Time to Thrive’ in Walton.
Plus One Community Learning CIC is proud to announce that it has received a community grant to deliver a transformative initiative in Walton. ‘Your Time to Thrive’ is a six-week programme designed to support parents, helping them re-enter the labour market with newfound confidence and skills.
‘Your Time to Thrive’ will offer comprehensive support in areas critical for personal and professional growth. Parents will gain confidence to assist their children with learning at home by understanding what children are being taught in class and the methods used to teach them. Parents will be empowered to support their child’s learning but will also develop essential skills themselves such as interview techniques, CV writing, and numeracy. The programme aims to equip participants with the confidence and competencies needed to pursue further education or enhance their career prospects. The course certainly gives adults a thirst for learning!
“We are delighted to receive this grant and launch ‘Your Time to Thrive’,” said Kerry Burns, Managing Director and Programme Lead at Plus One Community Learning CIC. “This initiative is about empowering parents not only to support their children’s education but also to build a brighter future for themselves. By enhancing their skills and confidence, we aim to open up new opportunities for career advancement and personal development.”
LCVS is the operating name of Liverpool Charity and Voluntary Services
For over a century, LCVS has been working to improve the wellbeing of individuals and communities in Liverpool through supporting and encouraging charitable giving and voluntary action and by bringing people, organisations and resources together. LCVS provides support, advice, training, networking and representation for individuals and charitable organisations across the Liverpool City Region and they help donors distribute over £4 million every year to charitable organisations, both here in the UK and across the world. They work in partnership with other organisations, agencies and individuals on Community Impact Programmes. Their focus is on health, education, income stability and culture as the cornerstones to the wellbeing, both for individuals and for stronger communities.
Community Case Study 4 – Onward Community Fund Award
Onward
We’re delighted to announce that we’ve been successful in our application and have been awarded a grant from Onward Community Fund. We’re so excited to be delivering our ‘Your Time to Thrive’ programme to residents in Everton and County in the Summer Term. The programme encourages personal growth and development and facilitates a pathway to support adults to re enter-education or the workplace. To find out more and see the impact we’ve had, click here.
Onward Housing is one of the largest registered providers of social housing based solely in the North West of England, with 35,000 homes across Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Merseyside and Lancashire. They are a not-for-profit organisation regulated by the Regulator of Social Housing.
Onward’s purpose is to make a positive difference in the communities they serve by providing homes that people love, in places they are proud of and by working with partners to go beyond housing and invent new ways to do more.
Onward Community Fund aims to support local groups and projects. In the last financial year, they awarded funding to 63 local community organisations. Regionally, they awarded:
- 34 Greater Manchester projects totalling £51,000
- 11 Lancashire projects totalling £21,000
- 18 Merseyside projects totalling £27,000
They support projects across four themes:
- Theme 1: WORK – supporting community-based employment, training, volunteering and enterprise opportunities
- Theme 2: FOOD – supporting food resilience in communities during a challenging economic period
- Theme 3: GREEN – improving access to and use of greenspace in communities to improve wellbeing
- Theme 4: DIGITAL – providing a digital skills and support offer
Their mission, ‘To make a positive difference in the communities we serve’, aligns perfectly with our values and passion.
For more about the great work of Onward Community Fund, click here
Help Your Tots Thrive
Help Your Tots thrive
We’re excited to share our vision for Help Your Tots Thrive — a community-designed project developed in direct response to what families in Norris Green, Clubmoor, and Anfield have told us they need.
This new initiative aims to deliver 15 supportive six-week blocks of workshops for many families with preschool-aged children, offering warm, welcoming spaces where parents can come together, share experiences and learn simple, effective ways to support their little ones and help them thrive.
From the beginning, Help Your Tots Thrive has been shaped by the community. Through heartfelt conversations at local hubs, feedback from neighbourhood managers and talking directly with families, we heard loud and clear that parents are struggling with challenges like behaviour, communication, emotional regulation, sleep, diet and toilet training. Many feel overwhelmed and isolated — and are calling out for practical support and a safe space to connect.
We’ve set up a dedicated steering group of local parents and community members who have helped shape the themes and approach of the workshops. Their lived experience and insight are central to this project, and many will be involved in delivery — sharing what’s worked for them, supporting others, and helping build confidence and resilience across our community.
While we are still seeking funding to bring this much-needed project to life, the demand and desire from local families is clear. This isn’t just a project — it’s a community movement to give children the strongest start in life, helping families overcome disadvantage..
Together, we can create a future where every tot has the chance to truly thrive.
Watch this space – and see our amazing community in action at Ellergreen, Norris Green on the photo below, coming together to support our pre-school children.
