I’m shocked that there are vacancies at Finding Futures
Nick and Philippa White post the letter to Lib Dem Minister Sarah Teather MP
Here’s the press release:
Nick Perry, the Lib Dem parliamentary campaigner for Hastings & Rye, has expressed his concern that a local project funded to help excluded and hard to reach young people has 50% vacancies, despite the high levels of need and disadvantage in the town.
Finding Futures, part of the Brighton Housing Trust family of organisations, hit the local news recently after winning a Heritage Lottery grant of £500,000. However, four out of its eight intensive support places are still available, despite schools being over half way through the first term of the academic year.
Nick Perry says this is not right, and may herald potential problems with Pupil Premium funding – calculated to deliver an extra £1.5m of Government spending for Hastings & Rye young people:
“I am determined to support projects like Finding Futures to work with as many excluded and disadvantaged young people as they can. That is why I have written to Sarah Teather MP, the Lib Dem Minister for Children & Families, to ensure that the Government is very aware of the practical obstacles that can arise, even though it has earmarked money for the hardest to reach. This money must follow these learners, and I will work to make sure that it does,” he said.
The news comes as Hastings Borough Council prepares to launch a campaign in the New Year to create 100 apprenticeships in 100 days. Nick added,
“I am delighted that Hastings Borough Council is taking up Lib Dem MP for Eastbourne, Stephen Lloyd’s idea. Eastbourne businesses managed 182 apprenticeships in 100 days. I hope we will be beating Eastbourne’s tally – not least to see the look on my good friend Stephen’s face!”
