COVENTRY’S Positive Youth Foundation has been awarded £300,000 by BBC Children in Need.
The substantial cash boost will help the city project help address the emotional wellbeing of 8-13-year-olds who have newly arrived to the UK, including refugee and asylum seeking children, alongside local disadvantaged children in the community.
Cormac Whelan, programmes manager of The Positive Youth Foundation, said: “This funding will make an enormous difference in enabling us to innovate our important work to make an impact on the emotional wellbeing of young people in need of support. The power of uniting young people in the community is truly remarkable, and we have seen first-hand the tangible impact it can make on young lives, both now, and in the future. Thank you, BBC Children in Need.”
The new funding has been awarded through BBC Children in Need’s impact programme, A Million & Me, focused on children’s mental health.
The impact programme aims to support children across the UK through this tricky transition phase in their lives. It has dedicated £10million over three years to support innovative initiatives that it says can make a real difference to the emotional wellbeing of children aged 8-13, before emerging challenges require clinical intervention.
Newly arrived children often experience stigma, isolation, behavioural problems, school exclusions and difficulty forming positive relationships, says BBC Children in Need.
The Positive Youth Foundation plan to use the funding to help these youngsters form a sense of identity and belonging in the local community, build confidence and support the development of friendships while they find their own voice through representation, social campaigns, and a youth summit event.
Paddy Sloan, project director for A Million & Me, said: “We are delighted to be supporting organisations like The Positive Youth Foundation who share our ambition to increase the numbers of children experiencing positive emotional wellbeing, encouraging empathy and resilience at home, among friends and in local communities. We look forward to seeing the impact this award makes on the mental wellbeing of children and young people locally.”
