St Winefride’s Playgroup gets £1,000 funding boost
Ambitious plans to improve its outdoor play areas
A PLAYGROUP’S plan to provide an exciting new climbing frame for its pupils is the first cause in the region to benefit from a new funding scheme targeting youth projects for under 18s.
St Winefride’s Playgroup, in Shepshed, will receive £1,000 from Persimmon Homes North Midlands’ Building Futures initiative, launched in partnership with Team GB, the British Olympic Association.
The Ofsted-registered playgroup is a charity, funded by parents and carers, and has ambitious plans to improve the outdoor play areas for the children aged between two and four.
Rebecca Summers, who applied for the funds on behalf of the playgroup, said: “We would love to renew the out outdoor learning space giving children more access to activities in sports, adventure and keep active programmes.
“Thanks to the Building Futures donation form the team at Persimmon North Midlands we will be able to purchase a new climbing equipment for our children to learn new skills and to keep them active.”
Nadine O’Dowd, sales director for Persimmon Homes North Midlands, based in Leicester, said: “We are delighted that our contribution will increase opportunities for the children to enjoy their time outdoors and that the new climbing frame they are planning will give them more room to explore play and movement.”
Building Futures is delivered through the Persimmon Charitable Foundation in partnership with Team GB, the British Olympic Association, and the company enlisted the help of World Championship silver medallist and Tokyo Olympic Games and Team GB hopeful Laviai Nielsen (Track and Field) to launch the scheme.
A total of 128 grants of £1,000 will be awarded across Persimmon’s 32 regional businesses to improve local facilities and the delivery of vital community projects.
Three initiatives will go on to win £100,000 each through a national online public vote. The winners will be named at a gala dinner for finalists in October.
In each sector – education and arts, health and sport – as well as the £100,000 first prize, there will be a £50,000 second prize and a £20,000 third prize, while a further 87 shortlisted projects will each receive £5,000.