WIREDGOV

A brand new project helping disabled young people in York is soon to get off the ground after being awarded £283,076 from the Big Lottery Fund (BIG).

The three-year grant from BIG’s Reaching Communities Programme is supporting The Children's Society’s new ‘Reaching Out’ initiative run by the PACT project on George Street.

The new scheme will help young disabled people, including those with autism and profound disabilities, to take part in a range of volunteering opportunities, increasing their skills and confidence and preparing them for adulthood and employment.

A team of volunteers will be recruited and trained to support and mentor disabled people to recognise their own skills and talents. Individually tailored programmes will prepare each young person with the confidence, self-esteem and guidance to volunteer in local community projects such as elderly people's shopping schemes, Brownies, charity shops and museums.

Penny Nicholls, Director for Children and Young People at The Children’s Society, said: "We are very grateful to the Big Lottery Fund for their generous support of our PACT disability project in York.

“This grant will help disabled young people overcome discrimination and isolation by getting into volunteering and employment. Research shows that only one in ten young people with learning disabilities are in employment.

“This grant will help at least 100 disabled young people by pairing them with volunteers so that they acquire essential skills and qualifications. Project staff and volunteers in York will work together to raise the confidence, self esteem and aspirations of these disabled young people."

Caroline James, Big Lottery Fund Head of Region for Yorkshire & The Humber, said: “This great project will give young disabled people the confidence and opportunities to take on a range of volunteering roles. As well as helping out in the local community, volunteering will provide the young people with a stepping stone to further their skills and find future employment.”

Further Information

Big Lottery Fund Press Office: 020 7211 1888
Out of hours contact: 07867 500 572
Public Enquiries Line: 08454 102030
Textphone: 0845 6021 659

Full details of the Big Lottery Fund programmes and grant awards are available on the website: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk

Notes to Editors

• Under Reaching Communities, the Big Lottery Fund awards grants between £10,000 and £500,000 to projects that offer people better life chances, build stronger communities, develop improved rural and urban environments and improve health and well being.
• The Big Lottery Fund (BIG), the largest distributor of National Lottery good cause funding, is responsible for giving out half the money raised for good causes by the National Lottery.
• BIG is committed to bringing real improvements to communities and the lives of people most in need and has been rolling out grants to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK since June 2004. The Fund was formally established by Parliament on 1 December 2006.
• Since the National Lottery began in 1994, 28p from every pound spent by the public has gone to good causes. As a result, over £22 billion has now been raised and more than 300,500 grants awarded across arts, sport, heritage, charities, health, education and the environment.