Structural Funds and Community Initiatives

Case Study
Birmingham receives ERDF grant

Birmingham Central Library was awarded a £300,000 grant from the ERDF to help local companies go for growth by putting more of its business information on-line. The grant will assist in the conversion of an existing card index to a database available free on the Web. The database will be a signpost to statistics on a vast range of subjects including the car industry, catering, tourism and retailing. The grant has been awarded because the enhanced service is expected to create 70 jobs and safeguard 40 others. The funding will also assist with a programme of seminars and workshops for companies in the city's textile sector. These are intended to help firms make more profitable use of business information.

Case Study
Our City

Brighton and Hove Libraries and Museums were partners in Our City, a project supported by the ERDF. With partners in Charleroi (Belgium), Potsdam (Germany) and Cork (Republic of Ireland), the project had two complementary strands. Firstly working in conjunction with local companies and universities to create multimedia installations to interpret local heritage and promote cultural identity to visitors and local residents alike. In Brighton's case this resulted in a multimedia guide to the Royal Pavilion Estate. The cities also worked together to develop increased expertise in cultural and visitor management. The project ran from January 1997 to April 1999.

Case Study
Newcastle library service is involved in an ESF part-funded project co-ordinated by Community Service Volunteers North West Newcastle.

The library service, along with nursery schools and family centres, is working with the project to deliver the 'Books for Babies' programme. This operates by giving books to babies and young children, thereby trying to improve the literacy levels of the next generation at the same time as identifying the literacy needs of the parents.

http://www.esfnews.org.uk/newca.htm

Case Study
PEACE for peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland

Newry public library in Northern Ireland and Dundalk public library in the Republic of Ireland were joint partners in the Books Across the Border project, funded by the EU Peace and Reconciliation Programme. The reading promotion scheme aimed to promote peace and reconciliation in the area by encouraging children and teenagers to read quality Irish fiction, especially that dealing with ‘the Troubles’. Teenagers from schools on both sides of the border have come together as a result of this library-led project to discuss literature and to write poetry and essays demonstrating their desire for lasting peace in their communities. Funding has been secured for Phase Two of the project which is aimed primarily at adults, and is currently (July 1999) at the initial planning stage.