Young Somerset Receives £294,000 Grant to Expand Youth Employment Services

Young Somerset, a charity based in Taunton that assists young individuals in acquiring the necessary skills for employment, has been awarded £294,000 to broaden its service offerings. This financial contribution to the organization has been provided by the National Lottery Community Fund. The charity operates a cafe and shop situated within the Taunton library, where young people can gain experience in the retail or hospitality sectors. Siobhan Gallagher, the head of service at the charity, commented: “We work with some of the more complex young people in the county, young people who struggle with mainstream education.” Established in 1997 as the Somerset Rural Youth Project, Young Somerset annually supports approximately 5,000 young people across the county. Since 2021, the charity has developed its Bold and Brave shop and cafe in Taunton, which offers practical training sessions for young people who might otherwise face difficulties in accessing employment opportunities. The charity indicates that the funding from the National Lottery Community Fund will enable it to extend the Bold and Brave initiative into at least two additional areas within the county. Ms. Gallagher further stated: “We’re really pleased about this funding to support employment support over the next three years for people between 16 and 25 years old.” She also mentioned that the charity intends to offer its services in Sedgemoor and the Mendips next. Heather Shearer, the lead member for Children’s Services at Somerset Council, emphasized that it was “important” for young people to be able to access support to “raise their aspirations.” Follow BBC Somerset on Facebook and X. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.