A NORTH Wales charity has secured a major Lottery funding boost.

Wrexham-based WeMindTheGap announced this week that it has received £1.1 million of National Lottery funding to increase opportunities for women in Wales and the North West.

The charity, which has been running since 2014, has previously run successful traineeships for young women in Wrexham, Flintshire and Liverpool and this year launched its first traineeship in Manchester.

In addition to the Lottery funding it also has the backing of Flintshire Council.

The grant means the charity can now grow its core team to set up 16 traineeships in different communities across the country.

By 2023, the charity will provide six months’ employment for 160 trainees in 16 different communities, sustain continued support for over 450 graduate trainees as they make their way in the world, work with over 140 local employers and 100 sessional workers and coaches, and create an additional 40 jobs.

WeMindTheGap founder and chair Rachel Clacher, co-founder of award-winning outsourced communications company Moneypenny, said: "We saw a real need to address social mobility in our community, and we applied the same ethos that Moneypenny was founded on, to focus on helping young people in need.

“We strongly believe in doing the right thing, treating people well and providing ongoing support.

"This is not about ticking boxes, it’s about business and communities, and helping young women who are operating within a system that often doesn’t communicate.

"We have proven that public and private partnerships work, and more importantly that under-served young people can achieve real careers and real choices if they have access to the right opportunities.

"This grant allows us to have the resources to bring those opportunities to so many more young people, and we can’t wait to see what they achieve. We thank The National Lottery players wholeheartedly for making this possible.”

Joe Ferns, UK Funding director at the National Lottery Community Fund, said: “We’re proud that National Lottery funding is helping more young women thrive in their local communities by expanding this successful project.

"Through coaching and mentoring, WeMindTheGap empowers women to gain the skills they need to gain confidence and full time employment."

A WeMindTheGap traineeship sees young women undertake paid work experience in a variety of employment sectors, as well as being given new experiences, life coaching, support and mentoring.

Ten young women referred from across Wrexham and Flintshire are now half way through their traineeship.

WeMindTheGap works with selected local businesses including Flintshire-based Redrow and Coleg Cambria and Wrexham businesses Moneypenny, Ramada Plaza Hotel and Solvay, to offer trainees experience within a range of environments, industries and skill sets.

The employment placements are designed to allow the trainees to find their talents and skills and gain confidence in a supportive environment.

Trainee Sophie McCue from Wrexham was living in supported housing when she heard about the WeMindTheGap traineeship.

As a result of the traineeship, she now works at Boreatton Park-based PGL, instructing on-site, helping young people overcome their fears and succeed in their own new adventures on a day-to-day basis.

She lives independently, has a growing network of friends, regularly speaks at events as an ambassador for WeMindTheGap and helps out in Moneypenny’s HR department in PGL’s off-season.

Sophie, 21, said: “I learnt not to give up. I learnt to take help and I have learnt that there are people who care. Most importantly, I’ve learnt that things don’t change overnight.”