Member Article

Improving futures for Sunderland families

Families from across Sunderland are celebrating a landmark, charity-run project, which is helping to improve school attendance and boost key skills and employability.

The Improving Futures project, co-ordinated regionally by SAFC’s official charity the Foundation of Light, was originally launched by the Big Lottery Fund in September 2012 to help families with complex and multiple needs.

Since then it has worked with more than 114 families across Sunderland working with partners from the voluntary and community sector to deliver a range of support including counselling, housing advice, assistance in gaining employment, financial management and parental guidance.

To date this has led to increased school attendance for 43 children and directly resulted in eight adults finding full or part-time work.

Neil Heckels from the Big Lottery Fund, said: “Every child deserves the best start in life and Big Lottery Fund is proud to be funding 26 of these groundbreaking projects across the UK through the Improving Futures programme.

“The Foundation of Light project shows what can be achieved through tackling really challenging issues in new and exciting ways, using the power of football to break down barriers and get support to people who otherwise might be overlooked by other local services.”

To celebrate the success of the Improving Futures scheme families from across Southwick were invited to attend a special community event at Southwick Primary School in Sunderland, where they were able to take part in a variety of literacy, sports and arts and crafts workshops..

The event, attended by SAFC players Fabio Borini and Adam Johnson, also offered attendees the chance to meet with representatives from several housing associations and the Jobcentre Plus, to see what additional support may be available.

Pauline Walmsley, Community Coordinator at Southwick Primary School, said “Our school is a central hub for this community and we feel that we support parents and grandparents as well as children.

“Working with the Foundation of Light and the Improving Futures programme has really helped the whole community; it’s been instrumental in helping families engage services that have genuinely helped people change their lives for the better and our family day was a great way to celebrate these achievements bringing the whole community together.”

Improving Futures is one of a number of sport and education-based programmes run by the Foundation of Light, which benefit more than 42,000 young people and families across the North East every year.

Lee Crosby, Head of Improving Futures for the Foundation of Light, said: “With the support of the Big Lottery Fund and schools like Southwick Primary we have been able to help many families across Sunderland, many of whom are in very challenging circumstances.

“It’s a privilege to be involved in a project which spearheads a true community partnership and brings many groups together for the common cause of improving lives in Sunderland and we aim to expand this even further across the area in the coming months.”

For more information about Improving Futures with the Foundation of Light contact Lee Crosby on 0191 551 5127 or email lee.crosby@safc.com. More details about the 26 Improving Futures projects running across the UK can also be found at www.improvingfutures.org

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