Three organisations in the south have been awarded community funding by Abri.
Saturday Kids Zone for Deaf Children have been awarded £2,000 of funding to support the re-starting of their clubs after they stopped due to operating difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The free Kids Zone exists for deaf children and their families to combat the isolation and loneliness that deaf children and families can experience by creating and sustaining a new deaf community. Families are brough together to socialise, build friendships and networks, and share advice and support.
Lindsey Piasco, founder and chair-person said: “We are the only deaf club servicing Portsmouth and the surrounding areas and it is extremely important that deaf children and their families belong to a community as many deaf children have never met another deaf child. Thankfully, I am now in a position to be able to open the doors once again, much to members’ huge excitement, as well as my own!”
To find out more about Saturday Kids Zone for Deaf Children, e-mail Lindsey Piasco on SaturdayKidsZone@hotmail.com or visit the Facebook page here. Please bear in mind that Lindsey is herself deaf, and prefers contact by e-mail where possible.
Friends of In Touch were awarded £1,500 of community funding from Abri for their various youth groups, which help young people from ages 5 to 35 from the Y-Zone Youth Centre, Eastleigh, including:
- JYG (Junior Youth Group) running Tuesdays during term-time from 4:30pm-6:30pm.
- NGS (Next Generations Socialisation) running Tuesdays during term-time from 6:30pm-8:30pm.
- YAWA (Young Adults With Autism) running fortnightly on Wednesdays from 7pm-9pm.
Activities also take place during the summer school holidays with summer programmes, family picnics and days out, and occasionally at Easter and Christmas.
Those who take part are supported through individual and group work interventions, to enable anxious or socially vulnerable children and young people to feel more engaged with mainstream education and social activity and help them develop their self-confidence, self-esteem and coping skills. The groups facilitate social inclusion by promoting emotional well-being and positive mental health among participants.
Claire Stokes, fundraising officer for In Touch said: “The young people that use the centre are always consulted about what activities they want to do and the service is led by them. We have a waiting list of young people wanting to join the sessions and there is never a shortage of attendees! We’re confident therefore, that the funding received from Abri will help us support even more vulnerable young people.”
To find out more about the youth groups, complete the contact form on the Friends of In Touch website at www.friendsofintouch.org.uk/contact-us.
Over The Wall Children’s Charity have been awarded £2,718 for their “South Health Challenge and Siblings Camp 2024”, set up for children living with serious illness and disabilities, and their families. The free camp, in Dorset, aims to provide every child access to transformational programmes.
Promoted as one of their “Serious Fun Camps”, Over The Wall hope that attendees will explore and realise their potential, discover new talents, interests and skills. It’ll also support children to find new ways of coping with challenges, make new friends and develop their social skills, all in a fun, safe and inclusive environment. The camp is scheduled to take place from 8 to 12 April 2024 (inclusive) at Bryanston School in Dorset and transport to the camp can be provided from central locations.
Over The Wall adapt to the needs of the children they aim to support, so for those physically unable to attend a camp location they can still experience the magic of an Over The Wall camp from the comfort of their own home, and with their families, through the innovative, inclusive and engaging online programme ‘Camp in the Cloud’.
Olivia Munday from Over The Wall said: “We always make the camps as inclusive and as fun as possible for the children and families who are living with serious illness. We work closely with them to make sure we can safely meet the medical needs of each child whilst at camp, providing “home-from-home" care, as well as responding to any emergencies.
We know that siblings are also affected as the home is focused on the medical needs of their brother or sister and in fact, over 92% of the siblings we support have caring responsibilities, and for families overall, it is getting harder to go on holiday or arrange breaks due to the rising cost of living. Therefore, our mischievous and magical environment is a place that strives to de-medicalise camp for seriously ill children so that they can simply be that – children.”
To find out more about Over The Wall and the South Health Challenge and Siblings Camp 2024, e-mail Olivia.munday@otw.co.uk or visit www.otw.org.uk.
The community fund is part of Abri’s commitment to empowering lives and creating thriving communities, making them better places to live. Abri has awarded nearly £90,000 from its community fund to support local organisations and projects between April 2022-March 2023. Cita Jagot, Abri’s Communities & Involvement Manager said: “More organisations across Abri’s geography are being supported than ever before as part of Abri’s new regional approach to delivering services. By splitting its operating areas into three, Abri will ensure its colleagues are even more visible, accountable and empowered to meet the specific needs of their customers and diverse communities.”
Applications are agreed on by an Abri resident panel made up of customers and those living in its communities. Shanie Clarke, an Abri customer and panel member, said: “I’m really excited that we have the opportunity to support these three projects as they continue to grow and have such a positive impact on our communities in the south of England. Each project is really responding to a local need.”
Other successful applications from this round of Abri’s community fund include:
- £1,694 for Dorset Bushcraft for their “Creative Chaos!” workshops in Weymouth.
- £3,000 for Home-Start Bracknell Forest’s "Empowering Hearts and Homes" project.
Abri’s community fund opens for applications four times a year, and organisations can apply for up to £3,000 to support a project in one of Abri’s communities. The next application window is open now and applications can be made up to and including 31 January 2024.
Projects with a cost-of-living focus will be prioritised. Application forms, and window dates are available here.