£500k awarded to boost Powys numeracy

Four Powys projects have received Shared Prosperity Fund support worth a total of £476,000 in the last eight months to help people manage their money and improve their wellbeing.

The awards have been made by the Powys Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF) Local Partnership Board, supported by Powys County Council’s Economy and Climate Service, under its Multiply (improving numeracy skills) theme.

The successful projects are:

• Making a Difference in Powys – Numeracy, £206,672, to Powys Association of Voluntary Organisations (PAVO), to run a grant scheme for charities and community groups who want to run maths related schemes.
• Family Numeracy, £153,480, to Welshpool-based Cambrian Training, to run courses on managing household finances and helping children with maths homework, for low-skilled and low-paid Powys employees in their workplaces.
• Money MOT for over 50s, £61,397, to Age Cymru Powys, for numeracy training for older Powys adults, to help them manage their money, find or stay in employment and feel more confident solving maths problems.
• Greener Maths at CAT, £54,297, to the Centre for Alternative Technology, to run courses for adults which will boost their confidence in using maths while learning about energy, biodiversity or sustainable construction.

“Our objectives under the multiply (improving numeracy skills) theme are for adults to achieve maths qualifications or participate in numeracy courses, for there to be fewer numeracy skills gaps reported by employers, and an increase in the proportion of adults that progress into sustained employment or education, and increased adult numeracy across the population generally,” said Councillor David Selby, the council’s Cabinet Member for a More Prosperous Powys and Chair of the Powys SPF Local Partnership Board.

For more information on the UK SPF in Powys visit https://en.powys.gov.uk/article/14045/UK-Shared-Prosperity-Fund-Open-For-Applications or email: ukspf@powys.gov.uk

The Powys SPF Local Partnership Board is responsible for deciding how the just over £26 million in SPF money allocated to Powys for 2022-25, by the UK Government, should be spent.

The partnership includes Powys County Council, Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority, Powys Teaching Health Board, NPTC Group of Colleges, Business Wales, Mid Wales Regional Skills Partnership, Mid Wales Tourism, Mid Wales Manufacturing Group, Powys Association of Voluntary Organisations, Wales YFC, NFU Cymru, Farmers’ Union of Wales, Chambers Wales, and One Voice Wales.