This in from Krissy at the Isle of Wight Community Fund, in her own words. Ed
Over £78,000 is being channelled into local projects by the Isle of Wight Community Fund (IWCF), benefiting some of the most vulnerable people on the Island
Twelve projects have been awarded grants by the IWCF which focus on youth initiatives and groups supporting disadvantaged Islanders.
£5,000 for Advocacy Trust
The Isle of Wight Advocacy Trust received £5,000 to set up an Independent Appropriate Adult Service for vulnerable young people who are arrested by the police.
It will help ensure they understand what is happening to them and protect their rights. While the CAB were awarded £2,000 to enable them to continue running their Freshwater outreach sessions for another year.
Boost for St John’s Club
A £5,000 grant to John’s Club will ensure its Saturday Club in Newport stays open for another year, providing support and fun for youngsters with disabilities and mental health problems.
A new social enterprise project set up and run by residents of the Foyer in Ryde received £5,000, providing them with work experience, training and employment opportunities.
STEPS First received £5,000
Support, education and advice is the focus of a new user led group STEPS First, which works with young women aged between 14 and 25, most of whom are mothers or pregnant.
It received a grant of £5,000.
Outdoor activity groups also awarded
Two groups who use outdoor activities, both on and off the water, to engage with disadvantaged and ‘at risk’ youngsters were also awarded funding. Both Challenge and Adventure and the Island Youth Water Activities Centre run projects which have been making a real difference to the lives of Islanders aged between 12 and 25 for a number of years.
Other groups to receive grants include the charity Frontline, the Isle of Wight Rural Community Council’s ‘Helping Hands’ programme, St Catherine’s School, Newclose County Cricket Ground and a project supporting a youth worker in Cowes.
Image: Christopher Isherwood under CC BY 2.0
