Dorset charity invests over £100,000 into youth and community centre
Somerford will support hundreds of vulnerable children in the BCP area
The Talbot Village Trust has invested £115,000 into the education and mental wellbeing of 500 children in the BCP area.
Recipients of the funding is the Somerford Youth and Community Centre (SYCC) in Christchurch. They say the funding will have a “massive impact” on young people’s lives.
The SYCC relies on grants to continue operating so they are “incredibly grateful” for the funding, especially in such “difficult times”, amid the cost-of-living crisis.
Manager of the SYCC, Jae Harris said:
“Somerford is in an area that has money and wealth but we’re a small part of that area that hasn't got that luxury so to have a funder locally like to recognise that and supports us is a great asset”
The Talbot Village Trust recognised the “good work” the SYCC does. Nick Ashley-Cooper, Chairman of Talbot Village Trust said:
“It’s been our pleasure to support Somerford YCC with several projects in recent years. The team work hard to bring the young people in the community together.”
The community centre supports the local community by providing activities and services such as youth clubs, mental health support, and a community foodbank.
With the funding the SYCC has built a new training and wellbeing centre to provide one to one mentoring, training and wellbeing services to young people.
Mr Harris said:
“We needed a space away from the hustle and bustle in the main centre where we can undertake more therapeutic and in-depth work with young people in a more friendly environment.”
According to Mr Harris, many of the young people that visit the SYCC have are “low in confidence and have low self-esteem” so the facilities play a huge part in developing their social skills and enabling them to interact and communicate with one another.
They believe it's important to address mental health at an early age because young people go through so much change in their teens and adolescents.
He said:
“Our aim is to engage young people so that we can support them as effectively as possible, get them active, feeling part of the community and ultimately changing their mental outlook to better their futures.”
In addition to its own services, SYCC has been able provide a location for BCP Council’s ‘Alternative Provision’ programme to tutor children currently excluded from school.
Mr Ashley-Cooper said:
“In 2022, we identified the great need to join forces to tackle educational exclusion in south-east Dorset and the new building at SYCC is already having a huge impact on the wider community.”
Mr Harris added: “I had a text from a mum that said, ‘I've not seen him as happy as he is now in the last few months’ for us, that's worth a million pounds. It’s what it’s all about.”