Womens Projects.
PROJECT DESCRIPTIONS
Women on the Up (WUP)
The Women on the Up (WUP) project ran across North Devon and Torridge from July 2006 until July 2008. The aim of the project was to support women living in rural areas to increase their skills and employment opportunities.
Women on the Up was funded partly by the EU, the EAGGF and DEFRA with additional support from Devon County Council.
The Community Council of Devon managed the initiative supported by a wider network of partners. The project worked with local ‘host’ organisations to set up the learning locally, whilst at the same time developing their skills to provide ongoing support to their community. The learning was tailored to the needs of local women, and advice and guidance was also available through our network of support services and partners.
The host groups that worked with the project were Ilfracombe Family Centre, Rug Rats Parent and Carers Group, Goodleigh Village Hall, Bucks Cross Village Hall Committee, Burrington Women’s Link, North Molton Community Workshop, Action for Blind People, Hartland Arts Club, Hartland Parish Hall, Bideford Ladies Circle and West Buckland Women's Group.
For ‘Learning Host’ groups we provided funding and support to help develop their service. For individual learners we helped by paying course fees, travel and carers costs.
WUP was a partnership project managed by the Community Council of Devon on behalf of Devon and Torbay Learning Partnership.
Contact: Olivia Webb, WUP Outreach Worker, Community Council of Devon
T: 01392 383443
E: olivia@devonrcc.org.uk
W: www.devonrcc.org.uk
The Women & Micro-Enterprise Project (WAM)
The Women and Micro-Enterprise project, which started in April 2006, aims to improve the economic position of women in rural Devon by promoting and supporting new business start-up activity and the development and growth of existing women-owned micro-enterprises.
The project runs in the North Devon, Torridge, West Devon and South Hams districts and, building on the success of earlier community learning projects run by CCD, it operates through a series of community Business ‘Host’ groups that represent or involve women.
Project Participants
Any woman over the age of 16 who lives within one of the four project districts is eligible to participate in the WAM project, provided she is interested in finding out more about the possibilities of business start-up or developing her existing business. Wherever possible support and training events will be held locally and funding is available to help with transport and care costs.
Funding
Business Host groups are able to claim up to £1500 of funding towards the additional support and development services that they may wish to buy in for their group. The transport and care cost funding is additional to this amount.
Project Leaflets for Download:
Leaflets are available from the Community Council of Devon on request or by downloading them on line as a pdf file:
Leaflet for potential Community Business Hosts
Leaflet for potential Women Project Participants
Project Background
Research conducted in 2004 by Exeter University and CCD confirmed the significant barriers faced by rural women wishing to join or return to the labour market and recommended entrepreneurship as a flexible and accessible employment opportunity for rural women. WAM is a partnership project managed by The Community Council of Devon on behalf of the Devon and Torbay Learning Partnership. It is funded by Devon Renaissance and Devon County Council and is supported by the European Regional Development Fund.
If you wish to be considered as a “Community Business Host” please call or email to have an informal discussion about your ideas as a voluntary group or organisation to jan@devonrcc.org.uk or
phone 01392 381256.
