Medway’s programme of social regeneration has taken a significant step further forward with approval by SEEDA (South East England Development Agency) of a major revenue funding allocation to Project REIGNITE led by Medway Council, together with Church in Society and a number of local neighbourhood community partnerships.

The social regeneration project is worth in total £503,000 with the majority of over £386,000 from SEEDA finances that will benefit disadvantaged neighbourhoods across Medway.

Project RE-IGNITE (Realising Economic Inclusion By Existing Disadvantaged Communities Through Employment Support Measures) aims to improve the employability potential of those members of the community who are either economically inactive, unemployed and/or on low incomes (over the age of 16+).

REIGNITE combines SEEDA and EU funds alongside resources from Medway Council and the Diocese of Rochester to enable delivery of a series of ‘employability development programmes’ in five key target neighbourhood areas across Medway (including All Saints & Brook Lines in Chatham; Twydall in Gillingham; Melville & Brompton, Brompton; & in Strood South), ensuring integration with the development of the new communities that are being developed on key regeneration sites and strengthen their position in the local job market in preparation for new employment arising from Medway’s regeneration.

The ‘employability development programme’ provides a range of interventions operated on an outreach basis through existing community buildings including:

• Identifying the personal, social, financial and economic barriers to employment facing each beneficiary
• Carrying out an employability assessment with each beneficiary (producing a report) and agreeing a plan of action by which barriers can be addressed
• Work with beneficiaries to implement personal employability plans, providing information, guidance/support
• Following assessment, refer beneficiaries to complementary community services, including training programmes, alternative services for financial management (e.g. local credit union), personal development, counselling, childcare etc.
• Prepare individuals to operate more effectively in labour market by providing training on how interview techniques, presentation, CV and application form preparation.
• Promote and instigate direct communication between prospective employers and beneficiaries via employer outreach visits, milk rounds, job fairs.

Five local ‘Neighbourhood Economic Inclusion Managers’ (NEIM) situated in each priority target neighbourhood area recruit local residents onto these employability programmes.

The NEIM primarily provides support, information, advice and guidance to local beneficiaries and acts as a referral system to other complementary professional and community services/agencies.

In addition, a REIGNITE Economic Inclusion Co-ordinator project manages and monitors the delivery of the project activities across the target areas, reporting back to the steering group and SEEDA.