Project gets BBC Children in Need grant

The grant has been allocated through the charity’s Main Grants Programme.

The new funding will enable the project to provide services to young people in the area and means that the charity now has more than £753,000 invested across County Armagh. This is the first funding allocation of the year, with additional funding to be allocated to projects across the UK throughout 2019.

Laurencetown Lenaderg and Tullyish Community Association has been awarded £49,590, over three years, to deliver a programme of weekly activity sessions for children and young people with autism. The sessions will focus on sport and exercise, independent living skills, mental health and the arts which will help to develop the young people’s confidence and self-esteem, develop key life skills and enable them to reach their potential.

Claire Patience, Community Development Manager at Laurencetown Lenaderg and Tullyish Community Association said: “With this funding from BBC Children in Need we’ll be able to make a difference to young people in our area that need our help most.”

Speaking of the new grant, Fionnuala Walsh, National Head of Northern Ireland at BBC Children in Need said: “We’re delighted to be awarding our first grants for 2019 to projects like Laurencetown Lenaderg & Tullylish Community Association. The competition for BBC Children in Need funding is always high and these organisations demonstrated in their applications the tangible impact that they will make to disadvantaged children and young people. We welcome applications from organisations working with children and young people and encourage people to get in touch if they’d like more information.”

BBC Children in Need’s Chief Executive, Simon Antrobus added: “As always, thanks must go to our generous supporters and fundraisers - we are only able to make these much needed awards because of them. Each project will go on to make a positive impact on the lives of disadvantaged children and young people in communities across the UK who really do need our help, so thank you for making these grants possible.”

Across County Armagh, BBC Children in Need is currently funding 13 projects to a value of more than £753,202.

BBC Children in Need awards grants at six points during the year and funds two types of grants, both of which are open to new or existing applicants. A Main Grants Programme is for grants over £10,000 per year to support projects for up to three years. Meanwhile, our Small Grants Programme supports projects for up to three years, and includes grants up to and including £10,000 per year. Both of these programmes are currently open to applications.

Alongside the Main and Small Grants Programmes, BBC Children in Need have re-opened Curiosity - a partnership with Wellcome - which awards grants to organisations using inspiring science activities to create change for disadvantaged children and young people. The deadline for applications is 12 April 2019; more information on Curiosity and how to apply is available on BBC Children in Need’s website.

BBC Children in Need relies on the generosity and creativity of the thousands of supporters and fundraisers who raise millions of pounds for the charity every year. To date the UK public has raised over £1 billion for children and young people facing disadvantage across the UK.