Moneypenny charity wins Lottery funding

WeMindTheGap, the charity borne out of Moneypenny has received £1.1 million of funding from The National Lottery Community Fund to increase opportunities for disadvantaged women.

The charity model is a six-month paid traineeship, then a further six months’ support as trainees use their new skills to gain employment, education and a better life. The charity aims to help underprivileged young women transition from “prisoners of circumstance” to “pilots of their own lives”.

It can now set up 16 traineeships in different cities. By 2023, the charity will provide six months’ employment for 160 trainees in 16 communities, sustain continued support for over 450 graduate trainees and work with 140 local employers.

Co-founder of Moneypenny, Rachel Clacher, is WeMindTheGap’s Founder and Chair. “We saw a real need to address social mobility, so we applied the Moneypenny ethos, to focus on helping young people in need,” said Rachel.

“We strongly believe in doing the right thing, treating people well and providing ongoing support. This is not ticking boxes, it’s about business and communities. We proved that public and private partnerships work and under-served young people can achieve real careers if they have access to the right opportunities.”

Joe Ferns, UK Funding Director at the National Lottery Community Fund, said, “Through coaching and mentoring, WeMindTheGap empowers women to gain the skills they need to gain confidence and full time employment.”