// European Social Fund
' Opportunity for all '
What ESF Does
The European Social Fund (ESF) is one of four Structural Funds designed to strengthen economic and social cohesion in the European Union. ESF’s main purpose is to support the annual UK Employment Action Plan, which sets out how UK policies and initiatives take account of the Employment Guidelines established within the European Employment Strategy.
ESF aims
• help unemployed and inactive people enter work
• provide opportunities for people at a disadvantage in the labour market
• promote lifelong learning
• develop the skills of employed people
• improve women’s participation in the labour market
How ESF money is spent
Over the past four years, Essex County Council, and now in conjunction with ExDRA, have helped to support over 3,000 people through the European Social Fund (ESF) programme. Essex has benefited from an investment of over £ 10 million through ESF.
ESF money is awarded to applicant organisations which have successfully bid or tendered for funding. A project must be run by a legally constituted organisation, not sole traders or individuals.
ESF Round 2 - 'Opportunity for all in Essex' Jan 2005 to June 2007
Offering just over £6.2 million European Social Fund money this funding round covers the period January 2005 to june 2007. The 'Opportunity for All in Essex' primarily focuses on extending opportunities to disabled and significantly disadvantaged people. ExDRA manages the implementation of the Welfare to Work (W2W) Joint Investment Plan for Disabled People which aims to put disabled people at the heart of decision-making to eradicate barriers to employment.
ExDRA’s ESF programmes for disabled people will be a major plank of the implementation of W2W. The aims of W2W can only be met by providers working in partnership to optimise resources and design a cohesive range of provision focused on needs. It is for this reason that partnership working is central to the rationale of Opportunity for All in Essex.
ExDRA funds activity for ECC residents, that is people in Essex excluding the unitary authority areas of Thurrock and Southend. Opportunity for All in Essex builds upon existing provision aiming to ensure that disabled people enjoy geographical equity in respect of the provision available to them. Provision will be based upon the W2W Local Area Groups which in turn derive from the ECC Local Area Forums; East Essex (Colchester, Tendring) Mid Essex (Braintree, Chelmsford, Maldon) South Essex (Basildon, Castle Point, Rochford)and West Essex (Brentwood, Epping Forest, Harlow, Uttlesford).