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£1million funding secured for Mid and West Essex
Date: 20 July 2006
Communities in Mid and West Essex are set to receive approximately £1 million worth of funding through the East of England Development Agency’s Investing in Communities (IiC) programme.
ExDRA is managing the funding in Mid and West Essex, an area covering the districts of Harlow, Chelmsford, Epping Forest, Brentwood, Uttlesford, Braintree and Maldon. Elsewhere in Essex, IiC is being managed by the Thames Gateway South Essex Partnership and the Haven Gateway Partnership.
The thrust of IiC is to encourage a new approach to tackling regeneration and renewal in deprived areas. In Mid and West Essex three initial priorities have been identified to make a real difference in those areas with greatest need. These are: improving basic skills and qualification levels; developing community assets and building social capital in the voluntary, community and social sector.
A range of projects will be delivered as a result of this funding including initiatives in Braintree, Maldon and Harlow to address basic skill levels and a contribution to the development of “Science Alive” in Harlow town centre, a unique project through which young people can be encouraged to engage in science and technology in a hands on and interactive way.
For further information about IiC contact Dianne Hardy – Investing in Communities Framework Manager dianne.hardy@exdra.co.uk
Click here to go to the IiC section of our website.
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Shell Step team wins national accolade
Date: 25 October 2006
The Shell Step Team at the Essex Development & Regeneration Agency (ExDRA) has won ‘Agency of the Year 2006,’ at the prestigious UK Shell Step Finals Awards Ceremony in London, making the Essex programme the most successful in the country.
The annual Awards, organised by Shell Step, celebrate the achievements of all the students who took part in the programme. Shell Step is a dynamic work placement programme, enabling undergraduates to undertake challenging projects within small to medium- sized businesses, giving them relevant and meaningful work experience, moving from the world of study to the world of work.
The Essex Development & Regeneration Agency (ExDRA), in partnership with Business Link, manage the programme for Essex from the Basildon Enterprise Centre and in 2006 placed 45 students in 42 Essex businesses and organisations. This achievement (one of the highest number of placements in the UK) was testimony to the hard work of the Shell Step team at ExDRA.
Glynis Argue, who manages the Shell Step programme in Essex, was delighted to have won the national Agency of the Year Award. “2006 proved to be an excellent year for Shell Step in Essex, despite some initial hiccups. In the early weeks it looked like it would be difficult for us to achieve our targets, due to a lack of students with the required skills applying to the programme. However with an abundance of optimism and enthusiasm, the team worked really hard with other agents within the UK, with the fantastic achievement of exceeding our student placement numbers. To win this award is really special for the whole team and testament to their hard work, particularly my colleague Richard Keenan who tirelessly co-ordinated the whole programme.”
Plans for Shell Step 2007 are already underway and with ExDRA continually striving to deliver a high quality programme in partnership with Business Link, 2007 is shaping up to be even better than 2006.
For more information about Shell Step in Essex please contact Freya Wallis, Assistant Shell Step Co-ordinator, on 01268 591436 or visit www.shellstep.org.uk
Agency wins national accolade Press Release 26.10.06 (158 KB) 
For further information please contact:
Glynis Argue
Tel: 01268 591436
Email: glynis.argue@exdra.co.uk
Stuart Graham
Tel: 01245 702415
Email: stuart.graham@exdra.co.uk
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