Portglenone project awarded £13,387 from BBC Children in Need

BBC Children in Need has awarded a new grant of £13,387 to a project working with disadvantaged children and young people in Portglenone.
Ballymena project awarded £13,387 from BBC Children in NeedBallymena project awarded £13,387 from BBC Children in Need
Ballymena project awarded £13,387 from BBC Children in Need

Portglenone Enterprise Group will use the grant, over three years, to deliver a three week summer scheme to disadvantaged children and young people in the area.

The summer scheme will give the young people the opportunity to take part in various activities including team building, outdoor pursuits, arts, crafts, music, dance and drama. The activities will help to improve their physical and emotional health and wellbeing, encourage them to develop new skills and enable them to build friendships whilst reducing isolation over the summer holidays.

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

Nora O’Neill, Community Development Worker at Portglenone Enterprise Group said: “We’re delighted to have been awarded this new funding which means we are able to run our summer scheme for the next three years and provide fun and engaging opportunities for children and young people in our community.”

Fionnuala Walsh, National Head of Northern Ireland at BBC Children in Need said: “It’s always a real pleasure to award new grants to projects like Portglenone Enterprise Group in Ballymena, which demonstrates how our small grants programme makes a positive difference to children and young people’s lives. Both of our grant programmes are open to applications and I’d encourage anyone who is working with disadvantaged children and young people and looking for funding, to apply.”

BBC Children in Need’s Chief Executive, Simon Antrobus added: “Thanks to our generous supporters, our Small Grants programme can and does make a significant and lasting impact on young lives. Each project will go on to make a positive and lasting difference to the lives of disadvantaged children and young people in the heart of local communities up and down the UK, so thank you for making these grants possible.”

Across County Antrim, BBC Children in Need is currently funding 25 projects to a value of £1.2million.

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