- Area:
- South East England
- Programme:
- Young People's Fund Grants to Organisations
- Release date:
- 7 2 2007
A new project to keep young women safe on the streets of Sevenoaks, Tonbridge and Malling and Tunbridge Wells is today picking up a grant of £62,740 from the Big Lottery Fund.
Across the South East region 13 projects are receiving awards worth a total of £1,199,730 from the Young People’s Fund programme, which awards grants to innovative organisations working with young people (full list of projects and locations at end of release).
Tonbridge-based YWCA England & Wales will use its grant for the Streetwise project, which will see young women producing DVDs on themes of personal safety; safety on the streets, domestic violence and drugs and alcohol awareness. The DVDs and related training packages will then be distributed to youth groups, schools and the police across the west of Kent.
Anna, a young woman at the centre said: "I am so excited about the Streetwise project. I think it's really important that young women know how to keep themselves safe; there are so many risks out there. I'm also really looking forward to learning how to make DVDs."
The young women at YWCA West Kent will take ownership of the Streetwise project, with support from staff at the centre.
Von Dawson, project manager at the centre said: “Those taking part in the Streetwise project will decide on what every day safety issues they want to raise awareness about. At the moment, dealing with domestic violence and issues around e-safety (mobiles and Internet) seem to be key to young women. YWCA West Kent Young Women's Project in Tonbridge is thrilled to receive a grant from the Young People's Fund. The money will mean that we can develop a programme for young women to research and address personal safety issues.”
Across in Surrey, the National Autistic Society receives £148,338 to extend youth clubs in Guildford, Reigate, Woking and Worcester Park for young people with Asperger Syndrome for young people over the age of 13 years old. The Society currently runs Youth Clubs for eleven to 13-year olds.
Jane Vaughan, National Autistic Society Regional Co-ordinator for the South East said: “We are absolutely thrilled to receive the grant from the Big Lottery Fund because the request for extending the youth clubs came from the young people themselves; that’s what made it so important that we got the grant.
“This project is very much directed by the young people themselves. The youth clubs will build their confidence in social situations and will help them reduce their anxiety in new situations. Through fun and activities we can help them to build strategies to face new challenges in everyday life.”
Elsewhere in the region, the Hampshire, Isle of Wight and Channel Islands Deaf Association receives £116,414 to support deaf and hard of hearing young people make the transition from school to college and/or training and employment. The Association will run workshops for CV writing and interview techniques, and will work to build confidence and develop team and leadership skills.
Lynn Shannon, Chief Executive said: “This project will bring about such a change in the young people’s lives. It is so important for young people, deaf or hearing, to develop and achieve and to be involved in making decisions about their future and developing the skills for adulthood.”
Big Lottery Fund Head of Region for the South East Alison Rowe said: “What’s fantastic about these Young People’s Fund projects is that the young people themselves are taking control of turning their ideas into reality. The whole process teaches new skills, is extremely empowering, and ultimately allows young people to contribute positively to the local community.”
FULL LIST OF AWARDS FOR THE SOUTH EAST:
| Organisation | Location | Project | Award |
| Chase Hospice Care for Children Limited | East Sussex, Surrey, West Sussex | This project will allow a small group of young people, with life-limiting neurodegenerative conditions, the chance to plan and experience a holiday in the UK independent of their families. The young people will be required to set up a bank account, budget, allocate rooms, plan menus, arrange specialist equipment and manage the holiday with the support of a 'teenage team' of specialist workers. | £46,777 |
| South Wonston Skate Park Group | Winchester | This group will develop and open a skateboarding park for young people. | £25,000 |
| Hampshire, Isle of Wight and Channel Islands Association for Deaf People Limited | Hampshire, Isle of Wight | This three-year project will provide support for the transition from school to college and/or training and employment for deaf and hard of hearing young people. Areas covered will include CV writing, interview techniques and teambuilding skills. | £116,414 |
| Sandown Carnival Association | Isle of Wight | The project will enable young people to experience street arts such as dance, mime, carnival performance and costume design. It will work in collaboration with the Island Arts Unit, youth centres and community groups. | £92,760 |
| Loop Dance Company | Kent | This two-year project will provide disadvantaged young people with access to contemporary dance workshops. Some of the older young people will become peer mentors and teach the younger people. | £132,960 |
| Pepenbury | Kent | This three year project aims to provide specific training and support programmes and where appropriate supported employment opportunities for young people with learning disabilities. Activities will provide young people with the experience, skills and confidence necessary to enter employment and act independently from their carers. | £87,000 |
| Milton Keynes Gallery | Milton Keynes | This project will build relations between Milton Keynes Gallery and young people in the area to create films exploring young people's identity within Milton Keynes and the concept of contemporary art. | £143,145 |
| Reading Refocus | Reading | Reading Refocus will hold workshops to explore community and culture with socially excluded young people from a black or minority ethnic background. The groups will then share their work by exhibiting or performing at an event. | £16,900 |
| The Source | Rushmoor | This project is to employ a staff member to develop and expand The Source Café, a place for young people to socialise in a safe environment and gain access to advice and support as well as engaging in a range of activities. | £150,000 |
| YWCA England & Wales | Sevenoaks, Tonbridge and Malling, Tunbridge Wells | This is a project for young women to produce DVDs on themes of personal safety such as street safety, domestic violence and drug and alcohol awareness. It will aim to raise women's awareness about safety issues and enable them to make positive changes in their lives to ensure the safety of themselves and others. | £62,740 |
| The Asian Health Agency | Slough | This is a project to provide specialist support to young Asians with disabilities. Activities will range from life skills development, healthy living, arts and crafts, sports and social engagement. | £144,360 |
| The National Autistic Society | Surrey | The Society will set up four youth clubs for 11-19 year olds with Asperger Syndrome in Guildford, Reigate, Woking and Worcester Park. | £148,338 |
| Woking YMCA | Surrey | This three-year project will offer a drop in centre for disadvantaged young people in the Woking area, including a recording studio, Internet café and a performance area. | £33,336 |
Further information
Big Lottery Fund Press Office: 020 7211 1888
Out of hours contact: 07867 500 572
Public Enquiries Line: 08454 102030
Textphone: 0845 6021 659
Full details of the Big Lottery Fund programmes and grant awards are available on the website: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk
Notes to Editors
- The Young People’s Fund in England was launched in September 2004. Funding from the Young People’s Fund open grants programme in England can be accessed through three specific strands: £10 million for applications from individuals, £40 million in grants to voluntary organisations/ partnerships, £27.6 million will go to national organisations for large projects.
- The Big Lottery Fund's Board has agreed to allocate a further £100m to the extension of the Young People's Fund programme in England. The money will be allocated in 2006 following a paper to the Big Lottery Fund’s Board that develops the possible options for the extension. These options will be developed to reflect the learning from our current programmes and to compliment the messages of the DfES Youth Green Paper that is to be published soon.
- The Young People’s Fund aims to put young people at the centre of creating, planning and delivering projects to achieve the following:
- Being healthy: enjoying good physical and mental health and living a healthy lifestyle
- Staying safe: being protected from harm and neglect and growing up able to look after themselves
- Enjoying and achieving getting the most out of life and developing the skills for adulthood
- Making a positive contribution: to the community and society and not offending or behaving anti-socially
- Economic wellbeing: overcoming disadvantages to achieve their full potential in life.
- The success criteria for this programme include young people’s involvement at every stage of the project from start to finish and the project delivering on at least, two of the five Young People’s Fund programme aims. To be considered applicants will need to demonstrate how they intend to achieve both of these objectives.
- Big Lottery Fund is the joint operating name of the New Opportunities Fund and the National Lottery Charities Board (which made grants under the name of the Community Fund). The Big Lottery Fund, launched on 1 June 2004, is distributing half of all National Lottery good cause funding across the UK.
- The Big Lottery Fund is building on the experience and best practice of the merged bodies to simplify funding in those areas where they overlap and to ensure Lottery funding provides the best possible value for money. To date, the two merged Funds have committed more than £6 billion to initiatives with national, regional and local partners from the public, voluntary, charity and private sectors, with a particular focus on disadvantage.
Tags