Support for Children in Need tonight is vital...look how it helped us!
Tonight sees the annual Children in Need Appeal Show hit the screens, which has seen over £600million raised since 1980, helping to change the lives of disadvantaged children and young people across the UK.
One recent grateful recipient of a grant award was Sky Blues in the Community, who received £95,214 to deliver holiday activities to children and young people from a number of areas in Coventry for the next three years.
The ‘On the Ball’ project launched in October half term, with over 110 children taking part throughout the week in free multi-sport sessions at community venues in Willenhall, Radford, Foleshill, Hillfields and at the Goals Soccer Centre.
The On the Ball project aims to encourage 8 to 19 year olds to take part in sports activities in priority areas across the city during school holiday periods, providing positive activities for young people, as well as contributing to improved physical activity and health. As the project develops, the community team will promote leadership and volunteering amongst some of the older participants in the project.
Joint Head of Community Guy Rippon said “We were delighted to be awarded the grant from Children in Need, as we believe we will be able to reach hundreds of children from difficult backgrounds and provide something positive for them to become a part of over the next three years.
“We also want to look at capacity building in the communities in which we work by promoting leadership amongst the young people and other local volunteers, which helps develop confidence and self-esteem. Ultimately the programme is wider than just providing sport activities during the holiday and we really want to impact on improving the lives of the young people and contribute to wider community cohesion in these target areas.”
Sky Blues in the Community will be working with a number of local organisations to make the project a success, including West Midlands Police, Coventry City Council, the Integrated Youth Service, Positive Youth Foundation and Coventry Sports Foundation.
The community team will be offering sport sessions during the Christmas holidays in Radford, Willenhall, Goals Soccer Centre, Foleshill and Hillfields from 2nd to 4th January. All activities are free and there is no need to book.
For further information please contact Craig White on 02476 786349 or email Sbitc@ccfc.co.uk.