6 local community groups have benefited from the latest round of grant funding from WightAID.
The total amount donated in May alone has exceeded £10,000, bringing this year’s total so far to over £40,000.
The groups to benefit in May include:
• Suicide Prevention & Intervention IOW seek to save lives across our Island. Their team specialise in prevention, intervention, education and training to minimise the risk of individuals taking their own lives. They work within a multi agency team to ensure different specialist work together in times of crisis, offering also a 48 hour follow up to those who have had contact with the front line team. This team has been granted £3,151 to purchase vital equipment required when attending a search and rescue, such as a thermal imaging camera, torches, a radio system and an iPad to maintain communications.
• Brading Community Partnership provide a community hub which is open 5 days a week, catering for all ages and abilities. They run different social and support groups as well as providing a successful youth club. Their grant for £500 will go towards a projector and screen which is required as part of running the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme, as well as being accessible to other groups in which use the facilities.
• Break the Cycle provide a Mind the Gap course on the IOW for victims of violent and abusive relationships which provide post relationship esteem and confidence building. They have been granted £3,082 to cover the costs of the next 12 module course which is free for participants.
• Jigsaw Family Support are a contact centre who provide temporary support for families following difficult separations. They offer a safe and relaxed environment for supervised and supported child contact arrangements. They have been granted £2,500 towards their upcoming managing separation workshops which entitle early intervention for parents and their families to reduce conflict, and ensure effective communication is in place to reduce the impact on the children.
• Wight Diamonds Marching Band were founded in 2000, they form a community band who have been granted £500 towards van hire to allow them to attend the Kingston Borough Bands in May 2020. This is a non-competitive tattoo where a number of bands demonstrate their marching and playing skills to each other and to an audience open to members of the public. This event allows the band members to enjoy a new experience, gain new skills and build friendships with others who have similar interests to their own. WightAID Trustees also made the decision to grant the band their ferry travel which is required for the event.
• Friends of St Thomas’ Association (FOSTA) have been granted £500 towards a Weather Station and Software. This shall be linked to the schools computers and website in which will enhance the children’s experiences and skills towards the geography and science curriculum.
Since September 2016, WightAID has granted a staggering £268,681 through 117 grants to local organisations.
For more information about how you can support WightAID, or how to apply for a grant, visit www.wightaid.org or call 01983 555915.
Wight Aid do a fantastic job supporting island charities – our charity, the Isle of Wight Association for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus received a grant for a family day to mark our 50th anniversary this year. It made all the difference to our event.