14 Island charities and good causes have received a share of £22,000 in the latest round of grant awards from the WightAID Foundation.
It means that since it was founded in 2016, WightAID has now distributed over £400,000 to around 150 deserving local groups and organisations.
The latest round of awards range from £8,000 for Wootton-based Care in the Garden for the purchase and installation of a new polytunnel to £100 for Citizens Advice IW to help meet the cost of a new laptop and a mental health training app.
Geoff Underwood, WightAid founder, said:
“We are delighted that these latest awards will bring assistance to such a wide range of local organisations all doing their bit to make life on the Isle of Wight better for everyone.
“It also speaks volumes for the generosity of so many local businesses who continue to provide us with the donations to pass on to these groups in support of their wonderful work.
“Our supporters can take great pride in helping us pass the £400,000 milestone. It is a huge amount of money which has made – and continues to make – such a positive impact.”
Some of the recipients have spoken of their joy at receiving funding.
Mish Whitmore, Apollo Youth Theatre Co-ordinator said:
“The Apollo Youth Theatre group are over the moon with the support WightAid have given us. We will be using the funds for technical workshop sessions with our young people – giving them new skills as well as helping us with the preparations with our Christmas production “The Devil’s Mirror” in December.”
West Wight Timebank co-ordinator Sally Gaeta said:
“We are delighted to have received such welcome support for our community allotment.
“The project grows fruit and vegetables that support members and our fellow community members here in the West Wight, for example the produce goes to our weekly Community Market, into jams and pickles for our well-being boxes, and into food parcels for families who are struggling.”
The full list of recipients is:
- Ability Dogs 4 Young People – £500 towards dog training for their ‘Coming out of Covid’ project
- Kae’s Trust CIC – £500 for various promotional materials highlighting the support offered to parents, carers and friends who are suffering from eating disorders.
- Ryde Rowing Club – £400 towards a new set of oars.
- Men Only Men’s Mental Health Project – £489.69 for printing, advertising and a new website for the project which is a peer-led group offering men varied support for mental health challenges they face.
- Godshill Play Park – £1,500 towards a log swing addition to their disabled friendly playpark and sensory garden.
- Jigsaw Family Support – £2,500 helping meet the cost of days out for children whose parents have gone through a relationship breakdown.
- Isle Access – £1,000 towards the cost of second-hand mountain bikes for the group’s Cycling for Wellbeing Project.
- Apollo Theatre – £500 support for their youth group and assistance towards the cost of costumes, props and marketing for the Christmas show.
- Cowes Cricket Club – £500 towards the cost of a new electronic scoreboard to be used in league, friendly and youth cricket.
- Medina Marching Band – £5,500 towards weekly learn-to-play days and training and covering new instrument, uniforms, advertising, facility hire and other running costs.
- Wight Dash – £490 towards art supplies for their Kick Start Art project for women who are experiencing difficult times in their lives.
- West Wight Timebank – £500 towards the cost of delivering compost to the community project whose work includes running an allotment where produce for well-being boxes is grown.
You can find out how to contribute to WightAID and how to apply for funding by visiting https://www.wightaid.org/.
