Local poverty relief charity Thanet Community Development Trust (TCDT) has received £5,000 to fund two construction skills certification scheme (CSCS) courses, the training needed to work on a construction site. The courses will provide places for 20 unemployed people in Thanet hoping to work in the construction industry.
The donation was provided by the Santander Foundation, which offers Discovery Grants to UK registered charities for projects that help disadvantaged people in local communities.
TCDT has been supporting the residents of Thanet since 2002 by providing training to help people to become better prepared for work. The charity’s mission is the relief of poverty among local vulnerable and disadvantaged people. TCDT receives no core funding but works with local partnerships to deliver projects that change the lives of Thanet residents.
The grant will provide 20 free places across two courses to help unemployed people in Thanet achieve their full CSCS Green Card. The card acts as a gateway to working in construction, however it can be very expensive for an individual without support. By providing CSCS courses free of charge, the charity is able to remove a significant barrier to work and help course participants find employment in their desired industry.
Andrew Morris, Head Tutor at Thanet Community Development Trust, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for local people who are looking to work in the construction industry. Without this grant, many would not be able to afford the £250 cost of the qualifications and tests needed to obtain the CSCS Card. Now, we can help 20 people find work, sign-off from benefits, and become financially independent.”
David Hawkins, Branch Director at Santander’s Bath Branch, said: “The Santander Foundation makes hundreds of donations to local projects every year with the aim of assisting organisations, communities and vulnerable people throughout the UK. The staff at our branch know the great work Thanet Community Development Trust does in our community and we hope this grant will help them in their support for local people.”
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Notes to Editors:
Media Contact
Leonora Burtenshaw at Santander
Email: Leonora.burtenshaw@santander.co.uk Tel: 020 7756 4543
Andrew Morris at TCDT
Email: andrew.morris@tcdt.org.uk Tel: 01843 855155
About Thanet Community Development Trust
Through its work, TCDT has changed the lives of thousands of people. Its community development work helps neighbours come together and has transformed neighbourhoods forever. The charity’s other main focus is on helping people into, or nearer to, work. TCDT has created full and part-time employment and voluntary positions for hundreds of local people. It helps people raise their skills, gain qualifications, look for work, and start their own businesses. The charity’s beneficiaries include the unemployed, veterans, the mentally or physically impaired, people who are lonely and isolated, care leavers and ex-offenders. TCDT’s work has been recognised by being named Thanet’s Charity of the Year in 2017.
One of TCDT’s biggest assets is its people. It has a dedicated, experienced and loyal core team, some of whom have been involved in the Trust since it was formed in 2002. In addition to the Board of Trustees and staff, it also has a wide range of trusted delivery partners.
For more information please visit: www.tcdt.org.uk
Santander Foundation
The Santander Foundation is at the heart of the Bank’s community activities, providing grants to small charities and social enterprises working with disadvantaged people to fund skills, knowledge and innovation projects across the UK. Discovery Grants of up to £5,000 are available to support three types of activity:
- Explorer: improving people’s knowledge
- Transformer: supporting skills and experience
- Changemaker: innovative solutions to social challenges
Over the last five years, the Santander Foundation has provided £26 million in funding to 13,914 UK charities through Discovery Grants and Staff Matched Donations. For more information please visit: www.santanderfoundation.org.uk
Santander UK is a financial services provider in the UK that offers a wide range of personal and commercial financial products and services. It has brought real competition to the UK, through its innovative products for retail customers and relationship banking model for UK SMEs. At 30 June 2018, the bank has c24,200 employees. It serves around 15 million active customers, via a nationwide branch network, telephone, mobile and online banking; and 64 regional Corporate Business Centres. Santander UK is subject to the full supervision of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) in the UK. Santander UK plc customers are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) in the UK.