The PURE Expo brought together the project’s nine delivery partners to celebrate inclusion, showcase best-practice and share innovation

Birmingham: The PURE Project hosted an Expo to celebrate inclusion in the workplace at the BID Services’ Deaf Cultural Centre, Birmingham. The one-day event offered a range of inclusive sessions, covering key issues like learning disabilities, mental health, and employer best-practice.

The Expo is part of the PURE Project – a unique scheme that supports people over the age of 25 facing complex barriers with securing employment, training, and education. It is a £20m project managed by Birmingham City Council, part-funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) and delivered through nine community partners across the city.

The groups and types of barriers the PURE Project covers are:
People who are homeless or vulnerably housed Women fleeing domestic abuse Offenders and those at risk of offending People with learning disabilities and difficulties People with mental health difficulties People with physical and sensory disabilities

Councillor Mariam Khan who oversees the Project said “I am delighted the PURE Project and our partners across Birmingham are coming together to celebrate inclusivity in the workplace. The scheme has supported almost 3,500 of those unemployed and inactive. The PURE Project is essential in enhancing employee engagement and helping those facing complex barriers have a sense of belonging. This kind of support is important now, more than ever before.”

The PURE Project Lead, Tabriz Hussain, said “Our team and network of partners are dedicated to equipping vulnerable people with useful skills to get them back on track. Many of the participants who have been through the scheme are facing a difficult period in their life, so this support really matters. The scheme has supported more than 2,000 people with disabilities and more than 1,700 ethnic minorities. Our ambition is to support almost 5,000 people; we encourage more people to reach out to see how we can help.”

The Expo was hosted at BID Services’ Deaf Cultural Centre. Mark Woodall, Service Manager at BID Services, said “The work we do is so important – it has made such a big difference to the lives of our participants. The launch of the digital inclusion initiative has made £500,000 available to bridge the digital gap. It is making more than 500 devices available, including laptops, tablets, MiFi access and accessibility software. Come have a chat for personalised, continuous support.”

The PURE Project is delivered by the following partners:
Trident Reach
Cranstoun
Birmingham Mind
Birmingham Rathbone
BID Services
Fircroft
Fareshare
BSWAid
Midland Mencap