Social enterprise gets £195,000 to boost employment in Oldham and Rochdale

Anwar Ali, CEO of Upturn

Upturn, a social enterprise based in Oldham, has been awarded £195,000 in funding from The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest funder of community activity in the UK.

Upturn will use the funding for its Local Change Oldham & Rochdale project over the next three years, with the aim of supporting more than 700 people from disadvantaged backgrounds to help secure employment.

The National Lottery funding will be spread across three main areas of focus for Local Change Oldham and Rochdale:

• Improving self-esteem and confidence through increased skills and capability,
• Improving mental health associated with financial hardship through employment,
• Generating better life chances, by supporting local people into local jobs, training and further education.

National Lottery players raise over £30 million a week for good causes across the UK. The National Lottery Community Fund distributes a share of this to projects to support people and communities to prosper and thrive. 

Anwar Ali, CEO of Upturn, said: “Thanks to National Lottery players, this grant means that we can reach more than 700 people across Oldham and Rochdale who desperately need our help when it comes to seeking employment, boosting their self-esteem and mental health, and creating better life chances.

“The pandemic has made these issues more prevalent as people’s lives were so heavily disrupted and it was incredibly difficult for many who come from disadvantaged backgrounds to get, and keep, a job during uncertain times.

“The impact of being unemployed and struggling to find work can have a huge impact on a person’s self-esteem and mental health, so we want to do everything we can to turn the tide in Oldham and Rochdale.

“This funding will make a big difference to people’s lives over the next three years, and we can’t wait to get started.”