Lottery cash award for Lancaster women’s training firm

The Growing Club in Lancaster have received three years’ core funding grant from the National Lottery’s Reaching Communities programme.
Some of the women working at Lancaster-based not-for-profit The Growing Club CIC, which helps women build businessesSome of the women working at Lancaster-based not-for-profit The Growing Club CIC, which helps women build businesses
Some of the women working at Lancaster-based not-for-profit The Growing Club CIC, which helps women build businesses

This substantial new award will allow the organisation, which works throughout the north west, to further its reach of women in all stages of business, to offer skills and training.

The National Lottery Community Fund – Reaching Communities – is a programme that benefits long-term projects that work within communities to make positive 
changes. The programme especially focuses on projects that help people to identify their potential and championing them to reach their goals using strong community relationships and support networks. New statistics have shown that figures for self-employment have passed the 5m point. This is attributed to a rise in female self-employment. However, the support for women existing or transferring from benefits to work or self-employment is virtually non-existent, with lone parents suffering the most, even those who are employed[4].

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This is where The Growing Club’s work has become transformational, by working with women who are ‘marginalised’. The social enterprise’s mission is to support women in business – particularly women who are side-lined from success by a variety of reasons, including through disabilities, lack of funding, in receipt of benefits or low pay and also, not having the correct support infrastructure to develop a sustainable business.

The founding director of The Growing Club, Jane Binnion, said: “We are incredibly excited to have been awarded three years of core funding from the Reaching Communities programme.

“Our organisation has spent the last three years running on short-term project funding, meaning that we were only ever able plan for one year at a time, which isn’t ideal. Now we have been lucky enough to secure the funding award, our plans can be bigger and bolder, helping more women in already in business and those who are considering setting up their own business.

“The funding will mean that we can concentrate on future-proofing our organisation allowing us to improve sustainability and development outcomes.”

For all enquiries, contact Jane or Lisa at The Growing Club CIC, 01524 383846, text 07892 712417 or email [email protected]