National Lottery awards £420,000 to help Black Country children rebound from lockdown anxiety
Children struggling to readjust to life after Covid-19 and life under lockdown will now get specialist care after a £421,180 grant from the National Lottery.
SinglePoint Plus in Oldbury, Dorothy Parkes Centre, Smethwick and Breathing Space Therapeutic Services at Baggeridge Country Park in South Staffordshire were awarded the money from The National Lottery Partnerships Fund.
The three organisations will deliver Rewire, a recovery project to support local children and families.
Rewire offers targeted and open access community services aimed at building community resilience to enhance the wellbeing of local people. Rewire includes child and adult counselling, family support services, peer support and youth clubs and therapeutic woodland activities.
SinglePoint manager Lisa Harrison has noticed how the pandemic and its consequences impacted local people in a variety of ways including increased anxiety and lower motivation to get involved in activities.
She said: "Thanks to National Lottery players, this grant will enable us as a partnership to increase support for local people and families in their recovery of the Covid-19 pandemic, which for many has left a significant imprint on their lives.
"We are delighted to be working in partnership to make a real difference”
Fellow SinglePoint manager Eve Loveridge added: "As an organisation we witness daily that the impact remains, is widespread and we will do all we can to support our community to recover and ‘Rewire’ lives in the aftermath of the pandemic. Thanks to National Lottery, this project will make a big difference to people’s lives."
Chief executive officer of the Dorothy Parkes Centre Robert Bruce believes face-to-face community events, like the Parkhill Road Jubilee street party he attended last week, are vital to improve people's mental health.
"We are excited at the prospect of working in partnership with other local providers. In these challenging times, we are stronger together.
"It is great that we can work in partnership with like-minded organisations and share the wealth of knowledge, skills, experience, and resources we have together to help support the young children and families within our local community."
Rebecca Mainstone, Breathing Space Therapeutic Services director is grateful to the National Lottery for the funding.
She said: "Breathing Space Therapeutic Services CIC feel privileged to be contributing to a new service that will aid the healing journey of children and families impacted socially and emotionally by the recent pandemic.
"We are excited to be working alongside SinglePoint and Dorothy Parkes Centre, and believe the partnership will lead to a holistic, wrap around service t hat ensures beneficiary need is met."
