The Cheffins Community Fund panel, which operates under the Cambridgeshire Community Foundation umbrella, recently had their annual discussion regarding grants and have agreed to donate to the following 3 great causes.
Accuro - £2,500
Accuro's primary objective and vision is to eliminate the social isolation of people with disabilities within their local communities in West Essex, by enhancing their confidence to cross bridges into a wider world whilst also supporting their families and carers through respite. Cheffins have granted £2,500 which will go towards the cost of running a Saturday play club for children with disabilities in Saffron Walden. The play club is a four hour club in Saffron Walden for children and young people with a disability aged from 8 to 19 years and runs during term time. Project activities are chosen by the children and young people in a democratic way each half term and include arts and crafts, sports activities, cooking and baking, horse riding, swimming and visits to local parks and recreation spaces.
New Meaning Foundation - £3,000
New Meaning Foundation's strapline is "Building strengths, building futures, building lives". They do this through patient person-centred delivery of vocational and educational training for young people and adults aged 14+. Many of their learners are not "school shaped", have suffered disadvantage and been marginalised by society. They enable them to develop positive life, work habits, and adopt new behaviours and attitudes. They lead them to achieve qualifications, find greater fulfilment and earn a living through a meaningful occupation. They work with individuals that have experienced homelessness, drug addition, disengagement from school, young offenders, special needs education and refugees.
Cheffins have granted £3,000 which will help to fund catering equipment for delivery for the Table Community Cafe - a social enterprise and community cafe and training scheme which will open and run from autumn 2023. The Table Cafe will provide work experience opportunities to 15 adults (aged19+). The aim is to then move the adults into paid employment within 3-12 months. In addition the cafe will provide an affordable and social community amenity and food delivery service in deprived East Chesterton, North Cambridge, where such services are lacking.
Wysing Arts Centre - £2,600
Wysing Arts Centre purpose is to cultivate the freewheeling imagination and promote, assist and improve the education of the public in the arts, craft and craftsmanship. Wysing's Creative Young Council will co-programme and co-run a free Youth Festival for their peers - local young people aged 14-18 living in rural Cambridgeshire. The Youth Festival is a key way for Wysing to engage and build relationships with marginalized young people, providing them with longer-term creative opportunity. The one day festival will help young people to participate in 6 free artist led workshops, giving them the opportunity to meet others and feel less isolated through being offered exciting youth-led activities in their rural locations. All council members are local children living in rural communities. Over half have lived experiences neurodivergence, learning difficulties and special educational needs - which is the target audience for the festival. Cheffins have granted £2,600 towards the operational costs of the festival.