National lottery Fund: Trafford based Elephants Trail Group gets £80,000

There are celebrations in Trafford after £80,000 in National Lottery funding was awarded to support the Elephants Trail project in the borough.

The Elephants Trail involves local residents who have had the hardest lives. It draws on their valuable expertise, developed through their lived experience. They aim to use this to create systemic impact to tackle inequality in Trafford.

Through developing community power and community-led innovation, the Elephants Trail group aims to influence and change local places, local services, and local decisions that affect the lives of Trafford residents.

Elephants Trail group will focus on a challenging problem to create their own agenda, develop new ideas with local decision-makers, and then seek to spread their solution into the ‘mainstream’.

The group is meeting weekly to think deeply about challenges faced by people who have experienced a mix of homelessness, substance misuse, domestic violence, contact with the criminal justice system, and mental ill-health.

The project is hosted by Unlimited Potential, a community benefit society that specializes in social and economic innovation. It is sponsored both by Trafford Council and by Trafford Community Collective, which supports the development of the voluntary, community, faith, and social enterprise (VCFSE) sector across Trafford.

The new funding from The National Lottery Community Fund, which distributes money raised by National Lottery players for good causes will see the group engaging other people with similar lived experiences, and then inviting decision-makers to turn their ideas into practical proposals.

Rob, a participant on the Elephants Trail, said: “What makes us a unique group is using our life paths to change the way for the younger generation.”

Chris Dabbs, Chief Executive of Unlimited Potential, said: “We are delighted that The National Lottery Community Fund has recognized the Elephants Trail in this way. Now, thanks to National Lottery players, we will be able to spread its approach in Trafford, and hopefully later into other parts of Greater Manchester.

This is important because there are many people who have multiple challenges in their lives, for whom the current system is not as effective as it might be.”

Councillor George Devlin, Trafford Council’s Executive Member for Housing and Advice, said: “The Elephants Trail is a fantastic project, and I am delighted that we have received funding from the National Lottery Community Fund. People who have first-hand experience of disadvantage understand the practical challenges in seeking advice and support – and the project is there to help those very people.

“We are looking forward to working with the Elephants Trail to learn how services can be delivered in a better way.”