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North East projects celebrate windfall from charity

FOUR organisations which help children and young people in the North East have received grants from The Children’s Foundation.

The Newcastle-based charity has awarded four regional small grants, totalling £2,990, to a variety of projects that will help boost the lives and well-being of disabled or disadvantaged youngsters.

Kerry McCormack, project manager from The Children’s Foundation, said: “We are delighted that our Regional Small Grants panel allows us to support the work of local community groups, which helps enhance the lifestyles of many children and young people who would normally not be so fortunate.

“Since the panel began in 1993 we have awarded over £260,000 to 311 community projects. This is a great way for us to spread our funds widely and make a difference to children in the region”

The four projects to receive funding are:

DERIC Youth Project, Durham - £500 to deliver a healthy eating session to encourage young people to cook and involve them in making a healthy tuck shop for all the young people to access.

Dare North East Community Interest Company, Sunderland - £840 to pay the fees of two specialist dance tutors to deliver sessions for children with visual impairment.

Clare Thompson, from Dare North East Community Interest Company, said: “The Children’s Foundation grant will enable us to deliver a project with young disabled people. It is an amazing opportunity for us to provide a dance and drama experience working with the charity Sight Service helping those with visual impairments.”

North East Dance CIC, Sunderland - £900 to allow them to deliver a healthy challenge dance programme, incorporating healthy eating advice for families with multiple children attending Southwick Community Primary School.

Director of North East Dance CIC Deloris Martin said: “We are grateful to the Children’s Foundation for the donation of £900 as this money will help us to provide a fantastic dance programme to families who live in an area of deprivation in Sunderland. Without this support the project would not go ahead.”

Tall Ships Youth Trust (TSYT) – £750 to provide three disadvantaged or disabled young people from the North East with the opportunity to participate in a future TSYT voyage.

TSYT chief executive Chris Law said: “We are absolutely delighted to receive the money. It will help three young people, who otherwise wouldn’t get the opportunity, join one of our residential voyages. Young people come away with a great sense of empowerment after operating a vessel 24/7 and a great sense of what they can do.”

The Children’s Foundation is the North East’s leading healthcare charity, and this year celebrates 25 years of campaigning to improve the lives of disabled, disadvantaged and distressed youngsters throughout the region.

The next Regional Small Grants panel meeting will be taking place in November and all applications for this round of funding should be submitted no later than October 31st to Kerry.McCormack@nuth.nhs.uk.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Joanna Graham .