WeMindTheGap, the charity borne out of Moneypenny, has received £1.1 million of National Lottery funding.
The charity supports disadvantaged women, and runs a six-month paid traineeship, followed by a further six months of support.
They currently operate in Wrexham, Flintshire, Liverpool and Manchester to offer unemployed young women new opportunities.
The charity aims to help underprivileged young women transition from “prisoners of circumstance” to “pilots of their own lives”.
“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,” said Rachel Clacher, co-founder of Moneypenny and founder of WeMindTheGap.
“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.
“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.”
Launched in 2014, the charity aims to grow its core team with the grant and set up 160 traineeships across the UK.
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 traineeship for young men is also under development and expected to pilot in late 2019.