Safeguarding Children Services, a charity working with vulnerable children across Merseyside is celebrating having received a grant worth £60,000 to support its core running costs and the salary of an administrator. The three year grant has been made by the Lloyds TSB Foundation for England and Wales through its community programme. Since the beginning of 2008 thirteen charities on Merseyside have received grants totalling more than £380,000.
The Birkenhead Fire Station on Exmouth Street in Wirral has been the home of Safeguarding Children Services (SCS) since it was founded in 2006. The charity works with vulnerable children and young people aged 5- 19 yrs to improve their life chances, through projects such as support for children that have suffered abuse; an advocacy programme speaking out for people growing up in care and a self-harm counselling and advice service. Former service users at the organisation are encouraged to undertake a BTEC qualification in Peer Education, allowing them to work with SCS in the future to help other young people coming in. Safeguarding Children Services works with over 150 young people each year, many of them referred from local schools, social services and the Primary Care Trust.
Funding from the Lloyds TSB Foundation will allow SCS to employ a full time administrator as well as covering the core costs of the organisation’s work helping disadvantaged young people to play a fuller role in the community.
Elaine Allison, CEO of Safeguarding Children Services, commented on the grant, “We find that funders usually want to see new projects or support a specific piece of work. This grant is really important for our organisation, because it provides stability for existing services and the important day to day work we offer here at SCS. The problems facing vulnerable children are not going to go away overnight and it is important that funders like the Lloyds TSB Foundation are able to support our work.”
Lloyds TSB Foundation grant manager, Michele Lester added, “There has always been a great tradition of community involvement across Merseyside and all of the charities supported by the Lloyds TSB Foundation this year illustrate how much is being achieved by the voluntary sector. Safeguarding Children Services has a record of accomplishing great changes in young people’s lives and the Foundation is delighted to fund their core work over the next three years.”
For more information about the work of SCS, please contact them on 0151 203 0777 or visit their website at www.safeguardchildrennw.org.uk
