New funding gives youth Time for fun
ELEVEN community projects in Stockport have received a slice of the £27,927 special projects funding from ‘R Time’ - a project for young people living in the town.
The funding aims to support young people to make decisions and take action in their communities, resulting in reduced anti-social behaviour. Football projects are one of the areas which will receive the funding, with St4ND and Stockport Homes using the money to set up football leagues.
The grant will also enable Stockport Youth Justice and Targeted Youth Support to offer more of the young people they support the opportunity to access their commissioned football programmes.
Councillor Amanda Peers said: “The projects that have been funded are borough-wide and cover a broad range of fun and engaging activities led by young people for young people.
“We wish all eleven projects every success and can’t wait to see the difference they make in their communities.”
A group of young people in Bridgehall and Cheadle Heath have identified the need for basketball sessions, allowing them the opportunity to learn new skills from a qualified coach.
Zestus Amateur boxing will be funding free boxing and fitness classes while The Cherry Tree Project will fund a Duke of Edinburgh Award, benefitting a further 30 young people in the Romiley community.
For Lancashire Hill Youth Group, the funding will help them establish and sustain cooking workshops to develop essential life skills, promote healthy eating, and reduce food poverty.
Green Thumbs will fund a project that engages and inspires the young people of Brinnington to get involved in gardening and growing their own food, with a friendly competition to spice things up.
Finally, Community Active Stockport will provide a taster programme of recreational sports activities, delivered over 12 weeks, including squash, table tennis, Boxercise, fitness, street dance and esports.
Lucy Harris, Assistant Head in charge of personal development at St Anne’s School, Heaton Chapel, spoke about how the funding her school received will benefit their pupils.
She said: “The funding will make such a difference to a group of our year ten boys. They will benefit from a ‘Future Ready’ programme, delivered by expert providers Pursuing Individual Excellence (PIE).
“The project will include completing personality tests and vision boards to help consider strengths and future goals, workshops with a local poet, a six-week social action project, digital skills development, and the opportunity to visit two workplaces and learn about careers in the creative digital sector, and construction.”
Beth Nunn, founder of PIE, added: “It is so important to allow young people to work on projects to support their communities.
“So, they develop vital life skills such as project management, teamwork and budgeting but also to help them realise the power of their work and actions.”
If you are interested in raising funds for your community, R Time will announce a further round of funding in December 2021.
For more information on the broader programmes, R Time offers, visit the R Time website.