Lottery grants guide Yorks youth towards a brighter future

Area:

Yorkshire and the Humber

Programme:

Reaching Communities

Release date:

31 1 2012

Children and young people in Yorkshire are to be guided towards a brighter future, with a little help from some National Lottery good cause funding.

Two youth projects are among the six groups in the region sharing over £1.5 million today from the Big Lottery Fund’s Reaching Communities programme, which aims to help those most in need and build stronger communities.

ESCAYP has been awarded just under £490,000 to offer free counselling and therapeutic play to children and young people in West Yorkshire. The sessions will deal with a range of issues including abuse, bereavement, bullying, difficult behaviour, self-harm and illness. Funding will enable the group to provide more counselling time and offer a new fast track service.

The young people will also be encouraged to increase their communication skills through participating in peer support groups that complement their counselling. As they progress they will be encouraged to volunteer locally to develop responsibility and social integration. 153 young people aged 3 - 21 will benefit from the project, which will be on a one-to-one, non-compulsory basis and confidential.

Jackie Bould, Founder and Acting Directorof ESCAYP said: "ESCAYP aims to play a vital role in supportingchildren and young peopleat a crucial time in their lives. We believe this support needs to be speedy and not months down the line when they may have found other ways of coping. Sometimes these ways can involve harm to themselves, their friends or their community. With the National Lottery funding we can move a long way towards our aim of offeringcounselling or therapeutic play with a counsellor within three weeks of receiving a referral.”

Wakefield and District Play Forum has received just over £194,000 to increase access to free, outdoor play for children aged 5-15 years old from low income families in Featherstone. Five sites have been chosen that are close to the children's homes and on the route home from school. 20 to 50 children and young people will attend each session, which are led by the needs and interest of children to help them feel more empowered.

The project will also provide volunteer placements for students from Leeds Metropolitan University, who will carry out similar roles to the project’s play workers. 250 children and young people will benefit from the project, which will help them develop greater social skills and respect for others and their environment.

Wilma Horobin, senior coordinator and administrator for Wakefield and District Play Forum, said: “Wakefield and District Play Forum have tried since 2008 to bring much needed mobile play services to Featherstone. Our Come and Play project has eventually reached the community, paving the way for stronger community links and as a vehicle to bridge generation gaps. The children will at last have activities to distract them from anti-social behaviour.”   

Vanessa White, Big Lottery Fund’s Head of the Yorkshire and Humber region, said: “What a great start to the new year for these vital projectsand the communities within which they serve. The important work they do will go a long way towards helping children and young people in Yorkshire face a happier year ahead and a far more positive future.”

A full list of Yorkshire and the Humber projects receiving funding today:

Further Information

Big Lottery Fund Press Office: 020 7211 1888
Out of hours media contact: 07867 500 572
Full details of the Big Lottery Fund programmes and grant awards are available on the website: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk
Ask BIG a question here: https://ask.biglotteryfund.org.uk
Follow BIG on Twitter: www.twitter.com/BigLotteryFund #BIGlf
Find BIG on facebook: www.facebook.com/BigLotteryFund

Notes to Editors

• The Big Lottery Fund (BIG), the largest distributor of National Lottery good cause funding, is responsible for giving out 46% of the money raised for good causes by the National Lottery.
• BIG is committed to bringing real improvements to communities and the lives of people most in need and has been rolling out grants to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK. Since June 2004 BIG has awarded over £4.4bn.
• The Fund was formally established by Parliament on 1 December 2006.
• Since the National Lottery began in 1994, 28p from every pound spent by the public has gone to good causes. As a result, over £27 billion has now been raised and more than 330,000 grants awarded across arts, sport, heritage, charities, health, education and the environment.

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