Grant Awarded

Outcome

Elizabeth Fitzroy Support in Fakenham a day care and support service for people with severe learning and physical disabilities, received a grant of £1,900 in to furnish and equip an unused room at the Day Centre for use as a library by its 50 members.

The library is now operational and contains over 200 books, several audio books and DVDs.  The room is used for at least four library sessions each week, poetry readings once a week and as a calm space for members.

Filby Youth Club in Gt Yarmouth was established recently to address the lack of services and activities for local young people.  Grants totalling £800 covered venue hire for a whole year and provided indoor and outdoor leisure equipment for club members to use. 

Club membership has grown to almost 30 regular members from Filby and the surrounding villages.  Club members recently took part in a regional sports tournament, where they won all the events in which they competed.  The club has already achieved self sustainability, as membership fees for this year will cover the cost of venue hire for the next year.

Cruse Bereavement Care in Norwich provides individual free counselling by trained volunteers for bereaved adults and children in Norfolk as well as a telephone helpline and support groups.  A grant of £2000 allowed the organisation to pay for core costs and expand the children’s counselling service. 

Cruse was able to train three new child counsellors, reducing waiting time to within 48 hours of the initial enquiry.  The grant also allowed the launch of a weekend drop in support group aimed at young people.  The waiting list for bereavement counselling has also been significantly reduced.

Out and About in King’s Lynn enables disabled children to take part in mainstream leisure activities with support from local young people.  This also serves to provide a better understanding of the needs of disabled people.  A grant of £1250 provided the funds for recruitment and training of 15 volunteers to further their work and help break down barriers.

A multi media recruitment campaign began immediately after the grant was received.  New volunteers were recruited and trained within the first few months.  Recruits also received additional training including child protection and dealing with autism and epilepsy, enabling the organisation to reach a greater number of young people with disabilities.

Norfolk ACRO received a grant of £675 for 50 foundation stage online Food Safety Courses for former offenders and those at risk of offending.  This project assists former offenders in acquiring life skills and training towards employment, in order to break the cycle of re-offending.

The course proved so successful, it was introduced to other venues across Norfolk.  The accreditation has assisted these former offenders to find work.

Litcham Youth Project in Breckland provides arts and crafts, leisure and sporting activities and advice and support to the young people of Litcham and the surrounding villages.  A grant for £891 funded venue hire for the year and a pool table for members.

The Youth Project is now thriving; new members join every week and positive social networks are forming.  Various community fundraising events co-ordinated by Youth Project members have raised sufficient funds to cover venue hire for another year and provide two group excursions.

Sprowston Day Centre received a grant of £1,500 for ambulance transport for older people with disabilities to attend a weekly lunch and social club.  The club meets three times a week and serves 120 members weekly.

Regular attendance for older people with disabilities has been maintained.  For some of these individuals, the lunch club is their only opportunity to leave their homes and socialise.  Members enjoy entertainment, mobility exercises and a yearly outing, reducing their feelings of isolation and exclusion.