91Èȱ¬ Children in Need 2008
Where the money goes
For details of projects funded in your area during 2007 please go to bbc.co.uk/pudsey.
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Examples of case studies available
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Mousetrap Project, London (awarded £13,415.00, for a three-year grant) – Rosie Fish's story
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The Mousetrap Foundation's Envision allows children who are visually impaired to engage with the best of London's theatre and experience the magic in front of and behind the stage through specially designed workshops, a behind-the-scenes tour and audio material.
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Rosie is 18 and totally blind. Because of Envision, Rosie was able to experience going to the West End's Billy Elliot.
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Leading up to the performance, Rosie was taken backstage where she was able to feel and touch all of the props including the dancer's costumes, the policeman's shield and even Billy's bedroom.
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Afterwards, Rosie listened to an audio description of the performance and was led through each set so she could understand what was being described to her on the stage first-hand.
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When the curtain went down, Rosie's delight was overwhelming and her mother said she "came away feeling she could achieve anything!"
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Since the show, Rosie's confidence has grown and she has even been inspired to start tap and ballet classes.
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Polperro Pre-school Playgroup
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Last year, 2.8 million children were living in poverty and deprived situations in the UK. Because of this these children often felt secluded, lonely and as though they didn't have any friends or someone to turn too.
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That's why 91Èȱ¬ Children in Need funds programmes like the Polperro Pre-School Playgroup. The playgroup offers children aged two, who are not yet supported by the Government and whose parents cannot afford to send them to playschool, the chance to come, interact with others and have fun.
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The playgroup has one of the only playgrounds in the area so, for most of the children who attend Polperro, this is the only time they have to play on a swing set or slide.
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It is a positive learning environment, where these children are taught their ABCs, join in sing-a-long songs and interact with other children, enhancing their verbal skills and making it easier for them to adjust into a classroom when they are old enough to attend school.
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At the playgroup, all of the little children have the opportunity to make friends, learn and, most importantly, feel happy and accepted in a warm, friendly environment.
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Northern Ireland
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Fox Park Resident's Association in County Tyrone is based five miles outside of Omagh town.
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Fox Park is a rural area where local public transport ceases at 5.00pm, increasing the social isolation
for the families living in the area.
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The project is working to build on community relations, where
there are limited structured hobbies outside of school, and is creating opportunities for children and
young people to take part in physical activities, develop friendships, reduce rural isolation and
develop their social skills.
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A one-year grant of £1,021 pays for a fun day, a family outing, a
mother-and-toddler group and youth club costs.
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Scotland
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A grant of £43,370 was awarded to ANCHO – a Community Link project based in Irvine, Ayrshire.
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The organisation provides a support service to the local community which has very few facilities
and high unemployment.
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The project provides a youth information drop-in centre where young
people can go to use IT facilities, get help with homework and study and have a safe place to meet
and relax.
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ANCHO also offers the local young people positive encouragement to progress into
further education or work experience.
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This two-year grant is funding the salary of a full-time
youth co-ordinator plus a contribution towards equipment costs in the first year.
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Wales
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Digartef Ynys Mon is based in Holyhead on the island of Anglesey. Digartef (Welsh for "91Èȱ¬less")
is establishing a new service in Anglesey based on the well-tried Nightstop model.
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Nightstop
Ynys Mon provides emergency accommodation to single, homeless
young people aged 16 to 18, on a one-night at a time basis in the homes of approved volunteers.
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Young people
have exclusive use of a bedroom, are provided with an evening meal and given the chance to be
in a safe environment with people who are prepared to listen if required.
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Young people are then
referred back to an agency that will help with longer term solutions or back to Nightstop for another
night if necessary.
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The grant of £68,753 is funding the co-ordinator of the scheme and project
costs.
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North West England
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J-U-M-P – Jacobs Unique Memory Pot. The project aims to capture achievements that can
enable a child to deal more positively with illness or disability.
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Based in the Warrington area, a
grant of £22,500 over three years helps provide access to video and digital equipment which
enables children and young people who are affected by terminal illness or disability to record
memories and share these with their families.
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This could range from a disabled child taking part in
recreational or educational activity, to a child who has limited time to live being able to share some
positive experiences with their family, such as a day trip or a special birthday party.
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North East England
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Escape Intervention Services in South Tyneside is a project that provides counselling and
emotional support to children and young people in the area who do not receive support through
Government insurance.
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Many of the young people are experiencing depression as a result of family
breakdown, use of alcohol, bereavement and abuse.
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Escape works on an outreach basis in
community venues. It also works with other organisations to offer therapeutic interventions
in the areas of anger management, confidence building, complementary therapies, residentials and
counselling.
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91Èȱ¬ Children in Need has awarded a three-year grant of £86,688 which funds a
project development worker and core costs.
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Midlands and East England
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Taste for Adventure centre is based in Herefordshire in the West Midlands.
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The centre provides
fully accessible indoor and outdoor play opportunities and adventure activities for disadvantaged
children and young people, including those with disabilities and those from deprived, inner
city areas, who have limited play opportunities.
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The 91Èȱ¬ Children in Need grant of £44,688 funds a
special needs instructor for three years and enables the organisation to purchase acoustic
percussion instruments.
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London and South East England
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The Manor Gardens Welfare Trust received £45,485 over three years to provide a package of
learning workshops to disadvantaged young people in Islington, aged 10 to 18.
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The project works
with 30 young people each year who are disadvantaged due to homelessness, or drug or
mental health problems.
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It teaches them essential life skills such as healthy cooking, food
hygiene, keeping fit, budgeting and stress management.
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The 91Èȱ¬ Children in Need
funding goes towards salary costs for the existing full-time community kitchens project co-ordinator, sessional staff and some associated project costs.
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South West England
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A three-year grant was awarded to Torridge Voluntary Services to run new drop-in centres in
Bideford, Ilfracombe and Barnstaple in North Devon and to extend respite provision to help cope
with the increasing number of young carers who need their support.
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£94,940 provides two
respite activity days (2 x eight-hours) per month, one for the under-10s and one for the over-10s.
These respite breaks include an outdoor activity day or a visit to a theme park.
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Approximately
25 young carers attend each respite activity and 15 young carers attend each
drop-in session. Often these are the only breaks these children have from the pressure of looking after an ill or disabled relative.
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