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Press Releases
91Èȱ¬ Children in Need delivers nearly £17million worth of grants
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91Èȱ¬ Children in Need is distributing nearly £17million worth of grants this week which will help make a positive difference to the lives of disadvantaged children and young people around the UK.
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This August 2007 grant allocation is the second and final round of grants which will be made by the charity this year thanks to a current 2006 Appeal total of £32,434,944.
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The appeal had an auspicious start last November, when it was declared that the British public had raised a record-breaking £18.3m at the end of the 91Èȱ¬ One telethon.
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In the nine months since appeal night, donations from fundraisers, schools and businesses around the UK have continued to accumulate and the final appeal total looks likely to top £33m.
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The amazing achievements of the charity's supporters are too numerous to mention but a special thank you belongs to Graeme Chapman and the Kingfield Heath team in Sheffield who raised £67,559 for the 2006 Appeal. This takes his total contribution over two decades of fundraising for 91Èȱ¬ Children in Need to over £500,000.
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And the charity's many corporate partners including Boots, HSBC, BT, Asda, Lakeland, Fonebak and CostCo helped raised over £3m worth of additional funding for children and young people across the UK through their staff fundraising efforts and a fantastic range of Pudsey products.
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Since March, the 91Èȱ¬ charity has been assessing and processing thousands of applications from projects around the UK in order to distribute these funds.
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The 553 projects selected all work with youngsters who are affected by homelessness, neglect, abuse or poverty, or have encountered serious illness, disabilities and psychological disorders.
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The average amount awarded to a project this August was £30,620 but the grants range widely from the £200 paying for bean bags and toys in a Lincolnshire playgroup for children with mental health problems, all the way up to the two-year grant of £1,750,000 given to the Frank Buttle Trust.
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Over the course of a long partnership with 91Èȱ¬ Children in Need, the Frank Buttle Trust have used their expertise to provide smaller welfare grants to individual children. These grants pay for basic essentials such as clothing, beds, bedding, washing machines and cookers or contribute to the costs of equipment which helps improve the child's quality of life.
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Any organisations considering applying for funding this November should visit bbc.co.uk/pudsey for details.
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91Èȱ¬ Children in Need staff are based around the country and are able to offer advice on eligibility and the application process. There will also be funding seminars and advice and information sessions taking place around the UK before November's application deadline.
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Fundraising packs and details of Pudsey goodies for the 2007 Appeal will be available at bbc.co.uk/pudsey from September and fundraising events and fantastic schemes are already well underway.
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A movie-themed fundraising week, featuring special Harry Potter guest stars, is currently taking over Clarks Village in Somerset, while the Metropolitan Police Special Escort Group are currently armed with cameras as they gather an album of famous faces posing with Pudsey to auction off for 91Èȱ¬ Children in Need.
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Notes to Editors
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So far this year, £32,898,496 has been allocated to 1,350 different projects in the UK.
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91Èȱ¬ Children in Need is a registered charity, number 802052.
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The 2007 91Èȱ¬ Children in Need Appeal will take place on Friday 16 November 2007.
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For a full list of August grants, by region, please visit bbc.co.uk/pudsey.
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Northern Ireland
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A total of £1,233,369 is being distributed to 89 projects including a grant of £73,507 to Zest in Londonderry. This organisation provides counselling and support to young people who self harm or attempt suicide. There has been a high incidence of suicide and attempted suicide among young people in Derry recently and this local project is a model of good practice and is piloting a national self harm register to collate and distribute statistical information. A grant of £66,000 has also been awarded to the Cedar Foundation in Belfast. This will fund a full-time youth officer over three years to develop their Youth Matters Service in the Southern Board. This service aims to empower young people with physical disabilities by enabling them to sample a range of arts, sports and exchange programmes which assist in the transition to more independent living by helping participants develop new interests and friendships.
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Scotland
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A total of £1,623,603 is being distributed to 90 projects including the Lighthouse Foundation in Kilmarnock. A grant of £74,097 will fund a counsellor for two years to help children and young people who are affected by parental drug misuse. A two-year grant of £20,000 has also been awarded to Circles Around Dundee. This grant will help fund their Dreamtime project which works within local schools or groups to support young people with learning disabilities and autism by creating "circles of friends" which increase peer awareness and result in blossoming friendships and a fuller inclusive life for all.
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Wales
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A total of £1,176,206 is going to 51 projects in Wales, including the Children's Rights Charity Tros Gynnal Hawliau Plant. A three-year grant of £108,414 will fund a full-time specialist advocate to support young people in Anglesey with communication and language difficulties, ensuring that they have a more streamlined access to services and that their opinions, wishes and feelings are considered in the decisions that affect their lives. A grant of £29,195 also goes to the Elite Supported Employment Agency in Pontyclun. This will continue to fund the costs of a training programme which every year helps up to 50 young people with learning difficulties secure paid employment.
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North West England
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A total of £1,417,500 to 39 different projects in the region, including a grant of £76,706 to South Ribble Key in Leyland, Lancashire, to fund key work with young homeless people or those with housing problems. The charity offers emergency packs with basic essentials like toiletries and a sleeping bag, bathroom and laundry facilities, as well as advice, counselling, and access to training and support. Young people can drop in without an appointment, be honest about the problems they are facing and develop future plans in a secure environment. This three-year grant will help fund a support worker and service manager in their work with children and young people up to the age of 18.
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North East England
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A total of 1,246,310 to 25 different projects including NEPACS in Durham. A three-year grant of £37,500 will help fund two part-time youth workers to support teenagers visiting parents in Lower Newton and Durham prisons. The stigma attached to having a parent in prison can lead to the young people affected feeling isolated or marginalised and the family break-up can lead to financial stresses and even the need to move home or go into care. The youth workers will be based in a special room, where they will offer support, understanding and be available to listen to any concerns. The room will also provide a relaxed environment where the young people can meet and share their experiences with others in the same situation.
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Midlands and East England
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A total of £1,972,140 to 65 projects including Nottinghamshire Women's Aid, who provide safe, secure refuge accommodation for women and children affected by domestic abuse. A three-year grant of £47,026 will fund a part-time children's worker to provide practical help (such as securing a school place or ensuring any health needs are met) and important emotional and behavioural support in one-to-one and group sessions. The most important thing the worker will do is to help create a safe environment where they can build a trusting and positive relationship with the children.
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London and South East England
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A total of £3,361,253 to 105 projects including Be Totally You, a performing arts project working with young people in Lewisham who experience high levels of both social and educational exclusion. A three-year grant of £90,000 will deliver Open College Network-accredited training and a mentoring programme which draws upon the local experience of young people formerly involved in street and gang culture. The project is designed to equip and empower these young people with social skills, training and work ethics to help raise their aspirations for the future and to reduce the risk of anti-social behaviour and involvement in gangs, violence, drugs and alcohol abuse. In time, they will be given the opportunity to become mentors to other young people.
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South and West England
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A total of £1,488,025 to 58 projects including the Dorset ME Support Group. Children with ME, or chronic fatigue syndrome, are disadvantaged both because of their illness but also because lack of contact with their peer group can lead to depression, lack of self-esteem and confidence. A three-year grant of £42,886 will fund an outreach worker to provide support and advocacy for children and young people with this debilitating illness.
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UK-wide
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And 31 grants totalling £3,414,240 have also been allocated to projects whose work covers more than one region within the UK and some additional funds from the 2006 Appeal will be distributed later. One such project is beat in Norwich, who provide specialist support for young people with eating disorders. A three-year grant of £85,336 will help towards the staffing costs of their Youthline telephone helpline, email and message board service. And, as the 91Èȱ¬'s Family Wanted campaign continues to draw attention to the thousands of children waiting to be adopted or fostered in the UK, three pertinent charities are receiving 91Èȱ¬ Children in Need funding this August. Adoption UK in Banbury, Oxfordshire, will receive £137,030 to fund a programme which will work to reduce the effects of trauma in adopted children and help them form secure attachments. BAAF (the British Association for Adoption and Fostering) will receive £20,000 to make short films for children who have experienced difficulties finding adoptive parents, and a one-year grant of £42,000 to the Fostering Network in Glasgow will fund a project worker working directly with children and young people in foster care in Scotland.
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AG2
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