Business in Maidenhead - Small Grants Fun:D Presentation Event

The Small Grants Fun:D recipients show off their giant cheques

Local projects, which benefit young people from across Berkshire, who have been awarded grants from Connexions Berkshire’s Small Grants Fun:D were presented with giant cheques on Wednesday 28th May at Connexions Berkshire’s Support Centre at Pacific House, Imperial Way, Reading, Berkshire RG2 0TF. The cheques, which total over £12,400, were presented to the successful organisations by David Cook, Connexions Berkshire’s Assistant Director - Delivery Support and Elisha Williams, Youth Participation Worker.

Small groups of between two and five young people, who are aged between thirteen and nineteen and are supported by a Berkshire based community or voluntary organisations, were able to apply for a grant of up to £1000 to fund a learning activity or project.

On 7th March a panel of four young people, from across Berkshire, chose the fourteen successful entries from the twenty four applications which were received.

Cred is a Reading based organisation which provides work experience and vocational studies for students who are not succeeding in mainstream school but still want to do well. The young people at Cred were awarded £500 to buy a table tennis table and some outdoor furniture.

The Reading branch of The Girls Brigade are going to produce a newsletter to promote what they do. The Girls Brigade were awarded £1,000.00 to buy a laptop, printer and scanner to produce the newsletter and hopefully encourage other young people in the community to join both the Girls and Boys Brigades.

Named after the former Arsenal and England footballer, Ian Wright, Wrightchoice Community Sport Association are a Reading based group who want to help disadvantage young people especially those from black and ethnic minority communities. Wrightchoice were awarded £1,000.00 to pay for young coaches to go on their FA Level 2 Coaching course.

Easthampstead Baptist Church’s REVERB Youth Café were awarded £1,000 to provide a non profit café for young people in the Crown Wood area of Bracknell. The money will also be used to buy computers, TV and a Nintendo Wii, which will benefit up to 30 young people.

Bracknell’s 1st Great Hollands Guides were awarded £990 to buy new tents and cooking equipment for future camping trips.

Heroes who are based in Holyport are a support group for young people who are home educated. Heroes were awarded £1,000 to host a three day Mini Film and Music Festival for up 30 young people, covering all aspects of music, including song writing and DJing, as well as film making and dance.

A group of young scout leaders from 12th Windsor Scout Group, who are completing their Duke of Edinburgh Award, were awarded £1,000 to fund training including; special needs, first aid and programme planning. They will also be using the funds to buy tents for future hiking trips.

Newbury teenager Josh Smith is organising Newbury Electric Proms in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support Nurses. The concert, which will involve eight local primary school choirs, a mini orchestra and a live band, will be held at Vodafone’s head office on 12th October. Josh was awarded £1,000 to help buy equipment for the event.

A group of 12 young people, from the Wokingham branch of the St Johns Ambulance
were awarded £500 which will be used to buy training equipment. This will be used to put into practice at events in and around Wokingham.

Camp Mohawk are a Wokingham based group who provide day facilities primarily for children with Autism and to families who need a break. They were awarded £986 to build a tree house.

A group of young people who are gaining experience in the BACYP vinvolved Playworker scheme at Waingels College were awarded £1000 to provide younger students with varied activities, such as cooking, drama and games at lunchtimes and after school.

A group of young people from Wokingham Baptist Church were awarded £555 to help fund young people’s visits to the Oakwood Activity Centre in Wales.

Elisha Williams said, “Connexions Berkshire is delighted to have helped so many young people in the local area benefit from such a range of diverse and exciting projects. Our presentation event gave all the recipients of grants from our Small Grants Fun:D a chance to meet each other and see how the money they have been awarded will be spent.”

To find out more about Connexions Berkshire visit www.connexions-berkshire.org.uk, call 0845 408 5001, email info@connexions-berkshire.org-uk or visit your local Connexions centre.