Providing opportunities to access education, training and employment.

In Leeds, the 'Let’s Read' programme improves literacy for children at 13 primary schools in disadvantaged areas, through volunteer-run reading sessions. Volunteers deliver weekly one-to-one workshops, providing 350hundreds of children with vital support to build language skills, confidence, and a love for reading. 

The project’s impact extends to the volunteers themselves, with one now employed as a full-time teaching assistant and another enrolled in a teaching degree. The value of the program is best captured by one participating child: “I love seeing the volunteers on a Thursday. It’s always great to read out loud as they help me to learn new words.”

We continue to provide core cost grants to long-standing partners like Yes Manchester, who empowered 800 people through personalised support last year. This resulted in 13% of participants starting work, with an impressive 83% retaining their employment after six months. Additionally, the partnership helped 15 People achieve accredited qualifications in Health and Social Care and Community Food Worker training. 

In 2025, the Places Foundation Impact Fund awarded £25,000 to the PfP Thrive Academy. This 10-week intensive programme will support five Customers in gaining City & Guilds qualifications, providing a clear pathway from unemployment to secure, long-term careers.

Our free training portal offers over 700 online course, ranging from personal development to work-focused qualifications like CV writing and Level 2 Teaching Assistant certifications. Our supply chain contractor, Mullens, continues to provide licenses to an accredited training portal. The portal helps Customers build the skills and confidence needed to secure employment. 

The impact is clear through individual success stories: 

One Customer used the "Introduction to Safeguarding" course to pivot into support work, securing a job offer immediately after applying his new knowledge in the interview. 

Another Customer, focusing on mental health and personal growth, completed over 60 hours of training, including Level 2 and 3 qualifications and "The Science of Happiness" certification. 

In Scotland, contractors including Novus completed a £60,000 refurbishment for The Ridge, a charity providing construction and trades training and apprenticeships for young People excluded from mainstream education. Alongside this physical upgrade, a core grant from the Places Foundation ensured the continuation of the charity’s vital welfare and training services. 

Our supply chain partners provide career pathways by attending job fairs and hosting apprentices and work experience students. Additionally, our contractor Mullens continues to provide Customers with access licenses for an accredited online training portal.