We’re set to extend our life-changing work with young people, thanks to funding from the National Lottery
We’ll receive nearly half a million pounds of UK National Lottery money through the Big Lottery Fund for good causes over the next five years.
It will be used to fund a combination of our existing work across the country with young people aged 14 to 25 and build capacity to develop that support.
Beth Bottrill, our Fundraising Director, said: “We’re thrilled to have been successful with this application and look forward to working closely with the Big Lottery Fund to improve our work with young people.”
Future opportunities
“The grant will enable us to develop a co-ordinated programme that assesses the needs of each young person and tailor a comprehensive, age specific support package.”
Beth added: “The emotional resilience, confidence, skills, independence and support network that young people will gain from this will equip them with the tools to successfully move forward with their lives and be ready for future opportunities and challenges. These lifelong resources will help reduce the risk of future problems and tackle the disadvantage that young people affected by meningitis often face.”
Tribute to Alex
The project will be known as ‘Believe and Achieve’ in tribute to Alex Williams, our founding Young Ambassador who sadly died in 2012. ‘Believe and Achieve’ was his motto in life and became the motto for the Young Ambassador Programme. Alex remains an inspiration to the charity’s Young Ambassadors who knew him and who will be involved in this project.
It will focus on three key areas:
- Get ready: A skills-based programme that will help young people prepare for education, employment and a successful future
- Get stronger: Peer support and counselling to help address the debilitating and often less visible after-effects of meningitis, such as social isolation, poor self-esteem and depression and face the future with increased confidence and optimism
- Get together: Building a united, mutually supportive community of young people affected by meningitis – through online engagement, residential weekends and the Young Ambassador programme – inspiring each other to lead more healthy, active and fulfilled lives
Recognition award
We’ll also establish a recognition award for young people as part of the programme, which will complement our existing work funded by BBC Children in Need and St. James’s Place Foundation.
James Harcourt, England Grant Making Director, Big Lottery Fund said: “We are proud to celebrate projects that make a difference to people and the communities they live in. It is great to think that National Lottery players have now raised £36 billion for Good Causes and it’s when you hear about projects like these that you realise the incredible impact that funding has had across England. Whether the grant is for £500, or £500,000, our funding is used to run amazing projects led by local people. It really is life changing.”
