Search Results

Program Erasmus+ Key Action 2 project Description EDIN is an Erasmus+ Key Action 2 project, which aims to exchange good practice in the field of diversity and inclusion in the workplace. The project responds to current needs of different European countries, where Diversity & Inclusion is a key discussion point within public and government policy. The current economic and demographic situation in EU countries has had a big influence on the business environment, and there has been a lot of research which has suggested that diversity has a positive impact on the atmosphere in the workplace, as well as encouraging innovation and efficiency. The focus of the project is to promote effective solutions related to managing Diversity & Inclusion in business, in order to have a positive influence on working environments and suggesting solutions which will help to overcome all the barriers associated with this topic. Goals The main goals are to promote ideas and solutions around Diversity & Inclusion in work places; create tools and solutions supporting implementation of ideas in business environments and sharing knowledge and good practice about diversity. Objectives Build a platform of knowledge to share information about diversity in workplaces; Increase knowledge about diversity in business, and exchange experiences and good practice; Engage social partners – including public bodies, Private Companies, Social Enterprises and Voluntary Sector Organisations (NGOs). Increase competencies around Diversity and Inclusion of company employees participating on the project. Promote inclusion in companies. Outputs International network of organisations working together around diversity and inclusion representing Private, Public and Voluntary sectors. An on-line platform for organisations to be able to share and gain knowledge on diversity and inclusion. Increased partnership and cooperation between network partners from the Public, Private and Voluntary Sectors. Increased “cultural awareness” within companies in the EU countries involved in the partnership. Partners COORDINATOR: Orange Hill Sp. z o.o. Community Action Dacorum, United Kingdom Defoin, Spain Verein Multikulturell, Austria CSES - Center for Social Entrepreneurship, Sweden Cnam Pays de la Loire, Paris Merseyside Expanding Horizons, United Kingdom For more info, please contact: saralopez@expandinghorizons.co.uk

Program: The Access Enterprise project will develop learning resources which support the professional development of new and existing Business Advisers/Coaches working with people from marginalised groups including young people, people with mental health issues, people with disabilities, migrants, people from a BME background, people over 50; people from social deprived communities; and women. Description: One of the main aims of the Access Enterprise project is to develop and produce learning resources and a training methodology which, through a co-production process (working with the end users (Business coaches and Entrepreneurs from marginalised groups) during the consultation, piloting and strategic positioning of the project, ensure that disadvantaged learners people’s needs are at it's heart. The basis for the success of this project is the project partners’ belief and determination that people from the marginalized groups listed above should have person centred supported which enables them to explore and move into self-employment and set up businesses. The project through development of the research, and training resources, will give adult learners from these marginalised groups the opportunity to learn from each other and also co-create the emerging resources by sharing their experiences and what skills, values and experiences are necessary for Business Advisers to support them effectively. Through the development of this training adult educators (Business Advisers) will increase their own skills and competences, in each of the partner countries and across Europe, and will be better equipped to support people from marginalised groups to learn, explore entrepreneurship and ultimately set up businesses. The project will address this identified gap in existing provision and will complement existing services by developing a set of resources for individuals from marginalised groups to overcome barriers into business start-up and achieve their self-employment aspirations, resulting in greater chances within the labour market. Currently there is a lack of appropriate opportunities for a combined package of training, development and personal support to provide person centred support on entrepreneurship and business start-up, and therefore improving their lives. Targets Business Advisers/Coaches Potential entrepreneurs from disadvantaged groups or communities Outputs State of the art review into business start-up support and entrepreneurship in Europe Training modules for Business Advisors Access Enterprise Impact Assessment, Positional Analysis and Sustainability Report Partners: MEH (UK) DEFOIN (ES) Approximar (PT) Athens Lifelong Learning Institute (GR) Social Innovation Fund (LT) CPIP (Ro) For more info: Stacey Robinson staceyrobinson@expandinghorizons.co.uk www.accessenterpriseproject.com

Description The Liverpool Transnational Unit (LTU) will support voluntary and community (VCS) sector organisations across the Merseyside area towards increased potential for sustainability through accessing European working opportunities by: Developing VCS organisations (planning, goal-setting, diagnostics, training, up- skilling) Sharing information, best practice and identifying opportunities for EC working Providing EC partner links and matching service Developing project applications for VCS organisations Secure inward investment from the EC to Merseyside based VCS organisations The LTU is managed by Merseyside Expanding Horizons and receives funding support from the Third Sector Local Infrastructure Fund through Voluntary and Community Action Wirral (VCAW). The LTU will aim to not only match groups to European counterparts, but to identify opportunities, develop projects and help with securing funding for projects. The LTU offers a bespoke service to organisations including the following services: Diagnostic analysis to identify support needs of VCS groups Practical support, training and advice for groups and staff/volunteers Development of projects and applications for project funding Ongoing management of transnational projects Contact: Rosina Ndukwe Merseyside Expanding Horizons rosinandukwe@expandinghorizons.co.uk For more information please visit: www.liverpooltransnationalunit.com

Programme Merseyside Expanding Horizons is currently partner in Youth in Action programme sub-action 4.3 "YALM - Youth Active Learning in Moving". Description MEH is involved in an exchange of 2 youth workers who are enjoying mobilities in Europe. The project supports a young worker from Liverpool who is currently working for an Italian non-profit organisation called CSC - Centro per lo Sviluppo Creativo “Danilo Dolci”, and as a bilateral exchange, MEH is currently hosting a young Italian worker who will support the MEH team in the management and delivery of European and local projects. The placements in the UK and Italy will be carried out for 6 months and will provide the opportunity for both youth workers to experience a new intercultural experience whilst gaining new skills in youth work. Target Young workers For more info: To read about UK Youth Worker Adam Robson's 4.3 experience in Palermo click here To read about Italian Youth Worker Irene La Pera's 4.3 experience in Liverpool click here For more information about the Youth in Action Programme 2007-2013 please click here

Program Erasmus+ Description YC aimed at creating strong link between young refugees, asylum seekers and immigrants and EU Youth through creative work and cultural activities aimed at fostering social inclusion. EU Youth Report stated that young people should be able to grow up in inclusive and pluralistic communities, based on European democratic values, the rule of law and fundamental rights Education, youth participation, interfaith and intercultural dialogue have a key role to play in preventing radicalisation by promoting common European values, fostering social inclusion, enhancing mutual understanding and tolerance (European Commission, 2015). The objective of Youth Connections project is to contribute to more equal, intercultural and inclusive youth local communities through new approaches and transnational initiatives. Targets - Young resident refugees, asylum seekers and migrants - Youth workers, trainers and teachers will be trained through innovative methodologies, teaching/learning modules and guidelines to involve the above-mentioned target group together with European youth and Local stakeholders (associations, schools, public authorities, etc.) Partners MERSEYSIDE EXPANDING HORIZONS LIMITED (UK) PROMIMPRESA SRL (IT) Asociacija "Aktyvus jaunimas" (LT) AGIS, NOTE et INNOVE (FR) APROXIMAR- COOPERATIVA DE SOLIDARIEDADE SOCIAL CRL (PT) ICEP s.r.o (SK) For more info: Anna Bellan annabellan@expandinghorizons.co.uk

Programme Job Club Plus (JC+) is a new 30 month project funded by the GRUNDTVIG Programme under the EU Lifelong Learning Programme. Description Merseyside Expanding Horizons are the UK partners in this project which aims to develop, test and disseminate at European level an effective and sustainable methodology to increase the employability of low-skilled and long-term unemployed people by providing key-training and guidance. The proposed methodology is an enhanced version of a Job Club (JC), thus the project is called Job Club Plus (JC+). A job club is a help club for unemployed or underemployed people, to facilitate self-help in the job search and to monitor progresses. In a JC people meet regularly to discuss their efforts and share outcomes. The basic JC, mostly used in the USA and the UK and only recently in other countries such as Italy, is fit for average users but inappropriate for low-skilled and more vulnerable people, who need much more support from educational, technical and psychological point of view. Project activities include; Investigation of the best existing career guidance practices, to improve the upskilling methodology Development and testing of the curriculum for the Job Club + programme Design and testing of the learning outcomes validation process Development and testing of the trainers’ training programme Ensuring appropriate knowledge and visibility of the project throughout Europe Ensuring appropriate take-up of the project outcomes by the career guidance and adult education operators and other stakeholders in Europe. Target Low-skilled and long-term unemployed people Goals The major aim of increasing the employability of those people encompasses the objectives of up skilling, educating and empowering them via a range of complementary and balanced activities. Outputs The enhanced methodology will be developed across 6 countries to produce an effective tool to face the complex and widespread problem of long term unemployment across Europe through an integrated path comprising up-skilling, empowering and educating disadvantaged adults. Partners The project comprises of 6 partner organisations from 6 different countries, ARES – Italy (coordinating organisation), Greta du Velay – France, MEH – UK, FOLK – Sweden, Verein Multikulturell – Austria and Accion Laboral – Spain. The first meeting for the project took place in Campobasso Italy in December 2013 For more information about the project please contact; Project Coordinator Paola Pietrangelo at email; p.pietrangelo@ares.cb.it

Program European Union - European Regional Development Found Description Enterprise Hub (EH) is a comprehensive entrepreneurship promotion and business support programme, supported by the European Regional development Fund (ERDF) which will foster the creation of new enterprises from pre start to early stage businesses. Targets We are providing assistance to 6360 potential-entrepreneurs and helping create 1272 new business ventures. Goals The Enterprise Hub will reach and provide high quality business brokerage and business support services to a diverse customer profile of would be entrepreneurs. Resulting in the creation of high value SMEs and social businesses across all sectors and providing a simplified route for customers to access the support when and how they need it. Outputs MEH will provide business start support to through a range of information workshops and one to one support. Partners The Enterprise Hub is a consortium of partner organisations of which Merseyside Expanding Horizons is one. For more info: If you would like more information or are interested in attending a workshop or signing up for one to one support, please contact Joe Hemington on 0151 330 0552 joehemington@expandinghorizons.co.uk

Description Europe faces an ageing population, which impacts directly the labour market composition and dynamics. In 2000, 40% of the total population from 55 to 64 years were active in the labour market. In 2019, this same indicator rose to 63%. (from EUROSTAT database). According to the European Commission, between 2016 and 2060, it is estimated that the working age population (15 to 64) in the EU will decline by 11.6%. According to the European Commission, between 2016 and 2060, it is estimated that the working age population (15 to 64) in the EU will decline by 11.6%. In other words, the European labour market is becoming older and may start shrinking in the upcoming decades. This scenario imposes many risks to our social systems, since a smaller labour force may not provide for the needs of an ageing population. SILVER project aims to create a coordinated response for the promotion of a career in the third age, that addresses a two-fold ambition: From one side, managers, HR and other interested professionals are given awareness, strategies and learning tools to a structured way to contribute to career extension or preparation of retirement, enhancing their readiness to support older workers; From another side, older workers themselves are aware of challenges of ageing and empowered for an active ageing within the workplace, either to keep working for longer or to support a smooth transition to retirement. Output This project aims to create a coordinated response for the promotion of a career in the third age, integrating the needs of both groups: employers and workers. Specific objectives are: - Identify promising practices & work methodologies on active ageing in the workplace,by sounding old people themselves and HR departments - Raise awareness on organisations from different sectors (public, private, non-profit) about their practices & initiatives towards an age-friendly workplace and the improvements needed - Promote self-awareness on older workers about their sense of preparation and acceptance for retirement Targets The target groups of InALMH are: Employers (managers and HR professionals) Workers +50 Trainers/Educators Partners KMOP – Social Action and Innovation Centre (Greece) The Trebnje Center for Education and Culture (Slovenia) EaSI (Romania) Aproximar (Portugal) AFEJI (France) En3karriere (Denmark) For more info contact Stacey Robinson Staceyrobinson@expandinghorizons.co.uk

Programme Erasmus+ Description Motive is an Erasmus + project funded by European Union which recognise that adult learning makes an important contibution to social inclusion, active ctizenship and can upskill/reskill those afected by unemployment. MOTIVE does this by developing a training methodology which enables adult learners to develop a personal pathway through finding their own Community Resilience Employability Development Opportunity (CREDO) they will discover motivation to become active citizens in their own community and to learn new skills and competencies through informal and non formal learning. MOTIVE will develop training course and learning course which support adult learners to become Community Learning Champions in their own community and support other adult learners to access and engage with their own CREDO and learning opportunities and validate this learning with use of validation tools. Target Adult learners Output By creating a personal pathway for individuals Motive will develop resources which can be used within community education to support people to become active citizens and develop/improve competencies and skills which enable them to move onto further education or employment. The project will develop resources, processes and guidelines which enable the Community Learning Manager to support the Community Learning Champions successfully. The resources will also enable learners to map out areas of the lives in terms of WORK (represented by how much time they are in paid employment), LEARNING (represented by the time spent in informal, non formal, or formal education), PLAY (how much time is spent doing leisure activities, and GIVING (represented by voluntary work) which in turn will support them to develop a personal action plan about which area of their life they would like to develop further. Thus the resources and training materials developed will enable practitioners and learners to develop skills and competencies within each sphere of their lives i.e. personal, social, and vocational. The project will also develop an impact assessment based on tools and resources. This impact will use "3 way thinking" methodology which enables individual learners to assess the impact of their personal path and CREDO in terms of the impact that it has on themselves, the organisation will be working with, and the community as a whole. Partners MOTIVE involve a Consortium of 6 organisations from 5 European countries : Project Coordinator - Merseyside Expanding Horizons, United Kingdom Partner organisations - Associazione Formazione 80, Italy - Socialiniu inovaciju fondas, Lithuania - Windmills Limited, United Kingdom - Verein Multikuturell, Austria - CEMEA Rhone-Alpes, France For more information: contact Joe Hemington, joehemington@expandinghorizons.co.uk To find out more about this exciting project or to get involved go to the project website www.motiveproject.eu

Programme Erasmus+ ka2 Description In accordance with European Strategy 2020, WISE project aims to create a positive environment for women with disadvantaged background around social entrepreneurship in order to boost their confidence, encourage the improvement of their skills and foster their self-employability with the support of tools and other women entrepreneurs and adult educators. The final goal is to inspire women from different backgrounds and include them in the labour market. Targets - Women of marginalised groups aspiring to become social entrepreneurs - Women business leaders from Social Enterprise - Adult Educators - Participating organisations (indirect target groups) - Training centres Partners WISE brings together 6 different organisations from 6 EU countries and representing private, public and third sector. The project is led by Merseyside Expanding Horizons that will work with partners from France, Italy, Romania, Slovenia and Spain that have a different expertise and will bring different perspectives on the field. For more info: Anna Bellan annabellan@expandinghorizons.co.uk

Programme Youth Support System - Sub action 4.3 – Support to Youth Workers’ Mobility Description Merseyside Expanding Horizons is the coordinator of a new European project funded under the Youth in Action programme sub-action 4.3 that will support the mobility of Youth Workers in Europe. The 12 month project called PRoMOTE: New Perspectives Through Mobility and Exchangeinvolves the exchange of 2 youth workers from the UK and Italy. MEH is working in partnership with Italian non-profit organisation CSC Danilo Dolci - Centro per lo Sviluppo Creativo “Danilo Dolci” to support the bilateral exchange. For 6 months a youth worker from MEH in Liverpool is currently working in Italy for CSC Danilo Dolci and MEH is currently hosting a youth worker from CSCDanilo Dolci in Italy. Both youth workers will work at local and European level in the delivery of projects within the youth field. The placements in the UK and Italy will provide the opportunity for both youth workers to experience a new intercultural experience whilst gaining new skills in youth work. Target Youth workers Goals Give youth workers the opportunity to experience a different working reality in anothercountry Gain a better understanding of the European dimension of youth work Improve youth workers' professional, intercultural and language competences Promote the exchange of experiences and approaches to youth work and non-formal education in Europe Contribute to develop stronger and better quality partnerships between youth organisations across Europe. Strengthen the quality and the role of youth work in Europe Outputs The expected results will concern the two youth workers, the two hosting organisations and the local communities The two youth workers will a) improve personal skills (social and intercultural) 2) improve and obtain professional skills (linguistic and communication, non.formal and creative working methods) 3) increase knowledge and management of EU youth programmes 4) create a professional network contacts 5) grow awareness about active citizenship and his role for the community development. MEH and CSC Danilo Dolci will 1) strengthen collaboration with each other and increase their network 2) exchange good practices 3) have new input and ideas for new projects. The local community will have positive effects from the project by 1) raising awareness on active and European citizenship 2) knowing more about EU opportunities, especially in the youth field Partners MEH is working in partnership with Italian non-profit organisation CSC Danilo Dolci - Centro per lo Sviluppo Creativo “Danilo Dolci” to support the bilateral exchange. For 6 months a youth worker from MEH in Liverpool is currently working in Italy for CSC Danilo Dolci and MEH is currently hosting a youth worker from CSCDanilo Dolci in Italy. Both youth workers will work at local and European level in the delivery of projects within the youth field. The placements in the UK and Italy will provide the opportunity for both youth workers to experience a new intercultural experience whilst gaining new skills in youth work. For more information about our partner CSC Danilo Dolci - Centro per lo Sviluppo Creativo “Danilo Dolci” click here For more information about the Youth in Action Programme 2007-2013 click here To read about our previous 4.3 project YALIM - Youth Active Learning in Moving click here