A LOTTERY funded project has seen 17 young people from Barry awarded £1500 funding to help them find work.

An 18 month Big Lottery funded project, Pop Up Talent aims to tackle the problem of over a million 16 to 25 year olds being unemployed via inspirational workshops, tasters, training and opportunities for grant funding.

Working in collaboration with Gwalia, the project has seen 17 young people from Barry be awarded with talent bonds worth £1500 to help them find employment. Talent bonds are an employability grant awarded to young people who have been involved in a Pop Up Talent programme.

These recipients received help to apply through the Barry Communities First "Sticking at It" NEETs project that aims to help young people into employment, training and education.

Senior Community Development Officer Mark Ellis said: "After finding about this funding scheme through Gwalia, the Development Officers offered the opportunity to clients working with the Communities First programme.

"This funding will help benefit the clients and already a number of them have secured work through being able to access the funding.

"It has been great working in partnership with Gwalia to offer this help to local Communities First residents."

The talent bonds have been spent on items such as interview clothes, safety boots, Construction Skills certification scheme courses, Security Industry Authority licenses and more.

The Vale of Glamorgan Council led Barry Communities First aims to improve the health, prosperity and learning of residents living in parts of Buttrills, Cadoc, Castleland, Court and Gibbonsdown.

For more information about Barry Communities First contact 01446 709432 or visit www.BarryCommunitiesFirst.org