From understanding benefit entitlement to receiving support around managing debts, Better Off Finance is an innovative partnership project that will support residents of Liverpool City Region to improve their financial competency and offer pathways to sustainable employment.
About Better Off Finance
Better Off Finance is an innovative partnership funded by Building Better Opportunities via European Social Fund and the Big Lottery to undertake targeted community engagement and recruitment activities to reach out and connect with more than 800 residents from the local authority areas of Halton, Knowsley, St Helens, Liverpool, Sefton and Wirral within the Liverpool City Region (LCR).
It will provide support to people who are facing challenges moving towards or accessing employment opportunities, and those who due to a lack of financial capabilities face resulting barriers that can make it more difficult when trying to find and keep a job.
Better Off Finance will support individuals to:
- Improve their financial capability i.e. the ability to manage their money better, and financial resilience i.e. the ability to cope with changes in circumstances
- Prepare and progress into sustainable employment
- Progress into training and education opportunities which will enable them to be more work ready and to become more digitally skilled and included
The Better Off Finance Partnership
Better Off Finance is run by a partnership led by The Women’s Organisation chosen because of their reputation and track record in the Liverpool City Region as well as their capacity, skill and experience significant experience of project lead and accountable body status through ERDF and ESF for both UK and EU directorate programmes.
The partners are North Liverpool Citizens Advice Bureau; South Liverpool Citizens Advice Bureau; Wavetree Citizens Advice Bureau; Sefton l Citizens Advice Bureau; Knowsley Citizens Advice Bureau; St Helens Citizens Advice Bureau; Halton Citizens Advice Bureau; Wirral Citizens Advice Bureau; RAISE; Workers Educational Association; Social Enterprise Network.
The partnership will seek to impact on policy by influencing government and institutions by using qualitative and quantitative evidence based arguments
Building Better Opportunities
- The Big Lottery Fund is the largest funder of community activity in the UK. It puts people in the lead to improve their lives and communities, often through small, local projects. · It is responsible for giving out 40% of the money raised by National Lottery players for good causes. Every year it invests over £650 million and awards around 12,000 grants across the UK for health, education, environment and charitable purposes. · Since June 2004 it has awarded over £8 billion to projects that change the lives of millions of people.
- Better Off Finance has received funding from the Big Lottery Fund and the European Social Fund as part of the 2014-2020 European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme in England. The Department for Work and Pensions is the Managing Authority for the England European Social Fund programme. Established by the European Union, the European Social Fund helps local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support skills development, employment and job creation, social inclusion and local community regenerations. For more information visit www.gov.uk/european-growth-funding