WIREDGOV

Across Wales 56 organisations are celebrating a share of grants totalling £744,697 this month. Grants are made possible thanks to National Lottery players.

The Future Minds Project, run by Swansea Mind Abertawe, successfully applied for a grant of £99,777 to build on a successful pilot project working with young people aged 11 to 21 who have been identified as needing more emotional support. One of the young people who received support from Future Minds pilot told us:

“I could say anything with no judgement, which lifted a weight off my shoulders”

The project involves providing young people (in secondary school and community settings) with group workshops, information and some one-to-one support. Teachers, support workers and parents/carers will be trained to raise their awareness of mental health issues.

“This group has helped with stress and improved my work and friendships” another young participant added.

Paul Popham Fund, Renal Support Wales received two grants this month. They will spend the first grant of £99,175 over three years to expand the organisation’s current befriending and counselling service across South Wales, East Wales and parts of Mid Wales. The service trains kidney patients and their carers to become Volunteer Befrienders who will shape, design and deliver a service which provides advice, support and information to new kidney patients and their families, and those going through a change in circumstances. They will use their second grant of £9,700 to create a network of support to help patients address the issues that they face, including an online forum that can be accessed at any time. Joanne Popham, CEO, Paul Popham Fund, Renal Support Wales welcomed their grants saying:

“We are delighted to be receiving a grant from The National Lottery Community Fund to help us develop our Befriending and Counselling Service across South, East and parts of Mid Wales. This grant will give us the time, funds and resources to be able to deliver much needed support services to kidney patients. Diolch.”

Bridges Centre successfully applied for a £100,000 grant over two years. They will deliver the ‘Quest Busters’ project in Monmouthshire with MAGIC (Monmouthshire All Ability Group for Inclusive Communities). The project will provide local activities for children and young people aged 8 – 14 with additional needs in a safe space. The project will work with 150 children and young people to access positive, needs-led experiences in a supported community setting. 100 families will also benefit from training, and support. Mark Walton, Director at Bridges Centre, Monmouth said:

'We are delighted that we are able to provide these activities for our young people in Monmouthshire. Being able to access meaningful activities and enable positive experiences for young people with additional needs cannot be underestimated. Our families will benefit greatly from this project and the accessibility of safe spaces for their children to grow and flourish will not only promote wellbeing but also provide much needed respite for parent carers and sibling carers alike. The National Lottery Community Fund grant allows us to continue supporting these young people and the families across the county'.

You can read the full list of grants given out this month by following this link which will take you to a pdf. If you require the list in a different format please let me know by contacting us at wales@tnlcommunityfund.org.uk