BBC Children in Need has announced that it has awarded new grants totalling £312,695 to three local projects working with disadvantaged children and young people in Cumbria. The grants have been allocated through the charity’s Main Grants Programme.
The new funding will enable projects to provide services to young people in the area and means that BBC Children in Need currently has more than £2.7 million invested locally.
The newly awarded grants come as BBC Children in Need celebrates its fundraising total for the 2018 Appeal: £58 million. The charity said that the incredible total would not have been possible without the public once again coming together to help raise money to change the lives of disadvantaged children and young people. The 2018 total is the culmination of the efforts of every single person across the UK who did something to raise money, from rambles, dance-a-thons and duck races, to sky diving, quiz nights and bake sales.
One project which has been awarded funding is, Aspatria Dreamscheme. It will use a three-year grant of £117,936 to deliver a youth club five days a week for isolated children and young people in Allerdale. The project will enable the young people to enjoy various fun and engaging indoor and outdoor activities and help them to build friendships, develop confidence and self-esteem and have a greater sense of belonging.
Carlisle Mencap has also benefitted in this latest round, receiving a three-year grant of £71,922 to deliver weekend residentials for children and young people with learning disabilities from across Cumbria. Taking part in the residentials helps the young people to develop independence, improves their confidence and helps them to develop social skills. Anyone who would like to find out more about the weekend residentials should contact Carlisle Mencap on 01228 674393 or email [email protected].
Elsewhere, Young Cumbria has been awarded £122,837, over three years, to deliver a programme of support for vulnerable children and young people who are facing disadvantage in West Cumbria. The service will provide emotional and practical support to young people which will help to improve mental health, reduce the need for crisis support and help to raise the young people’s aspirations for the future.
Lynsey Crosthwaite, Director of Services at Young Cumbria said: “It’s fantastic news to hear that we have been awarded with this funding which will enable us to provide a vital service to vulnerable young people in our local community for the next three years.”
Speaking of the new grants, Elizabeth Myers, Regional Head of the North at BBC Children in Need said: “It’s always a great privilege to award new funding to projects doing fantastic work in their communities, like Aspatria Dreamscheme, Carlisle Mencap and Young Cumbria. We look forward to seeing the positive impact that these projects will have on the children and young people that they support over the coming years.”
Speaking of the 2018 Appeal total, Simon Antrobus, Chief Executive of BBC Children in Need, said: “Once again our incredible supporters across the UK have done themselves proud. This tremendous result will allow us to continue our vital work to help make a difference to disadvantaged children and young people across the UK. As a charity we exist to support organisations in communities across the UK which empower children and extend their life choices, and this phenomenal total will go a long way in helping us make a lasting impact. An enormous thank you to everyone who once again went above and beyond!”
Across Cheshire, BBC Children in Need is currently funding 39 projects to a value of £2.7 million.
BBC Children in Need currently awards grants at six points during the year and funds two types of grants. The Main Grants Programme is for grants over £10,000 per year to support projects for up to three years. Meanwhile, the Small Grants Programme supports projects for up to three years, and includes grants up to and including £10,000 per year.
BBC Children in Need relies on the generosity and creativity of the thousands of supporters and fundraisers who raise millions of pounds for the charity every year. To date the UK public has raised over £1 billion for children and young people facing disadvantage across the UK.