Out & About posted on November 25, 2009 10:45
Following a successful application to the Suffolk Youth & Connexions Service, Out & About has been awarded a £5,000 grant to fund their ‘Get Involved’ project.
Disabled young people and volunteers from Out & About have shown a real desire to promote the work of Out & About as well as raising valuable funds for the charity so that more young people are able to enjoy everyday leisure activities.
Earlier this year a group of young people were instrumental in securing a year long partnership for Out & About with Sainsbury’s Warren Heath by taking part in a presentation to staff members. These same young people and others have gone on to volunteer their time to help at charity bag packs within the store and have recently presented their own Disability Awareness Workshop to members of Sainsbury’s colleague forum who were so impressed by the workshop that they have asked if the group could do further presentations in 2010.
The ‘Get Involved’ project will give young people and volunteers more opportunity to take an active part in the work of Out & About by involving them in a variety of fundraising and service activities such as volunteering at community fundraising events, contributing towards the design and content of Out & About’s newsletter and website, taking part in focus groups and sitting on interview panels. The young people will also be invited to develop and roll out their own fundraising ideas at their schools and in their own community.
Delyth Miles, Locality Manager from Youth & Connexions said in her supporting statement of the grant application “This project will enable disabled young people to have a range of volunteering experience which will provide them with opportunities to develop a range of skills not least mixing and communicating in a wider community. I am sure the project will enable disabled young people to improve their confidence, resilience and self-esteem. To involve disabled young people in the service delivery of Out & About will enable them to develop their individual personal and social skills and to benefit from working as part of a team”.