The Lloyds TSB Foundation for England and Wales has awarded grants totalling £140,000 to four Birmingham based charities.
The grants come at a critical time for charities, as Birmingham City Council is set to cut £212 million from its budget over the next financial year. This includes a £21.5 million cut to the children’s services budget, which will have a huge impact on young people in the region, at a time when Britain has the largest number of young people not in employment, training or education (NEET) in Western Europe.
One charity to receive funding, Sound It Out, works closely with this disadvantaged group, running an array of music workshops, training and performances giving participants the chance to work alongside professional musicians. The organisation works throughout the West Midlands with young NEET people, refugees and asylum seekers and those from deprived areas. The charity received a two year grant of £50,000 which will help develop a peer mentoring scheme for young people, providing one-to-one advice, support and expertise.
Matthew Daniels is the Chief Executive Officer at Sound It Out, he says: “If a young person feels let down by the education system, or has never been shown positive attention or encouragement, the chance to be creative and learn new transferable skills can have a remarkable effect and drastically improve their self esteem and confidence. The youth programmes being funded by the Lloyds TSB Foundation will enable us to go one step further and give young people the chance to build really positive relationships, take on new challenges and open the door to opportunities they never would have encountered before. For some, the engagement will be a truly life changing experience.”
Peter Cunnison is the West Midlands Grant Manager at Lloyds TSB Foundation for England and Wales, he says: “The huge cuts being made by the council will have an immense impact on the charity sector in Birmingham. Over the last three years the Foundation has invested £1.5 million in Birmingham, including £220,300 to charities working with children and young people. In this, our 25th anniversary year, we are committed to investing in charities throughout Birmingham that are making a real impact in the lives of disadvantaged people.”
The other charities receiving funding are:
• Headline Media uses media training as a way of improving skills and confidence, reducing isolation and engaging local people, including the young unemployed, within the community. The charity runs a number of services including a community radio station, a free monthly newspaper, radio training and school education projects. The charity’s £30,000 two year grant will help fund the salary of the Manager who will be responsible for delivering a community radio training project.
• Little Hearts Matter offers information and advice to children suffering with heart conditions and their families. The charity received a three year grant of £35,000 which will help fund the salary of a part time Youth Worker who will run a Youth Council as well as a website and events aimed at young people with the condition, providing them with support and a chance to meet with other young people suffering from heart conditions.
• Home-Start Northfield works with approximately 100 families a year offering one-to-one support, advice and friendship to parents with young children. Many of the people that use the service suffer with problems such as post natal depression, isolation or debt. The charity will receive a grant of £25,000 over two years to help fund the salaries of its Senior Coordinator and two Family Coordinators.
