Two local charities have been awarded a total of £4,200 through TalkTalk’s latest Future Fibre Fund initiative launched to help women-led charities succeed.
After receiving over 40 applications from a wide range of charities across Greater Manchester and Leeds, TalkTalk selected Smart Works Greater Manchester and Olympias Music Foundation to each receive a cash donation from an overall pot of £5,000 to help with their exceptional work:
Smart Works Greater Manchester, a women’s employment charity with centres based in Stockport and in Manchester, which aims to provide relief of financial hardship through its employment services, has been awarded £2,000to assist with organising job fairs and supporting jobseekers through the interview process. “The donation from TalkTalk’s Future Fibre Fund will enable us to extend our core programme of job coaching and employment dressing for unemployed women living in Greater Manchester and help build a closer relationship with employers and our clients in the fast-growing tech sector,” said Jan Iceton, Board Chair of Smart Works Manchester.
Olympias Music Foundation, an award-winning woman founded charity based in Manchester, helps provide music lessons to children from low-income backgrounds and has been awarded £2,400 to pay for four children to have their own instrument and 1-1 music lessons for an entire year. “We are thrilled to receive this donation from Talk Talk’s Future Fibre Fund towards our work in championing diverse young people in music. At a time of huge social challenge, music has the power to bring communities together, inspire individuals and heal divisions. We are proud to be nurturing the next generation of diverse musical talent in Manchester,” said Jo Yee Chueung, CEO and founder of Olympias Music Foundation.
Lucy Thomas, Corporate Affairs Director at TalkTalk, said: “We’re passionate about supporting projects that make a difference in the communities where our full fibre packages are widely available. Both Smartworks and the Olympias Music Foundation are making a big impact and we’re pleased to be able help them continue their good work.”
TalkTalk aims to empower more women in the technology sector through various initiatives, including its annual North West Women in Tech awards – providing a platform to recognise and applaud the outstanding contributions of inspirational women, a partnership with the University of Salford and UA92, in addition to internal colleague networks and mentoring.
The Future Fibre Fund initiative follows the wider availability of TalkTalk’s Full Fibre and Amazon eero packages across the North West. These plans combine the benefits of a 100% full fibre connection and Wi-Fi 6 technology to deliver enhanced speed and reliability.
