Spring Grant Round 2015

As the first of our Grant Rounds this year, the Spring Grant Round had so many amazing applications. We are pleased to detail just some of the successful applicants below:

BARCA Youth Inclusion Project- £994.48

Barca Youth Inclusion Project is a youth crime prevention initiative. They support children through providing 1-2-1 support and activities to build self-esteem, develop skills and find alternative choices than offending. Cash for Kids provided funding to help them run a summer holidays project. The funds will be used to purchase equipment to support sports and healthy eating courses, cooking workshops, music workshops, film making and much more.

Willow Young Carers - £700

Willow Young Carers support children in Leeds who are looking after a family member who has a serious illness or a disability. Cash for Kids are supporting Willow Young Carers by granting funds for 2 activity days for young carers to enjoy. The activity days focus on improving the emotional wellbeing and confidence of the young children.

Beau Gosney - £2,776

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Beau is 4 years old and has Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome, global development delay, a heart defect, horse shoe kidney, visual impairment, hearing loss, slight autism, communication difficulties and is fed through a tube. Beau is a happy child and thrives to be independent, especially because he has four brothers and sisters to keep up with! Cash for Kids have agreed to purchase a specially adapted trailer-trike which will allow Beau to be pulled along on the back of his mum’s bike, but also has the option for Beau to control the trike by hand.

Leeds Children’s Charity - £998.63

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Leeds Children's Charity provide free residential breaks for disadvantaged and socially excluded children living in West Yorkshire. They support nearly 500 underprivileged children each year by providing a short break at the Leeds Children’s Holiday Centre. Cash for Kids are supporting them by purchasing essential items for their kitchen and games for the children during their stay.

Candlelighters Trust - £1,600

Candlelighters support children and young adults with cancer and their families. They have started running a sibling group which enables siblings of children who have cancer, or who have lost their fight against cancer to share their thoughts in a safe environment with other children who understand. Cash for Kids are proud to support these groups by providing funding to run the groups for 1 year.

The Conservation Volunteers - £432

The Conservation Volunteers support young carers living in Leeds who have significant responsibilities caring for family with disabilities. The Conservation Volunteers provide away-days for these children to allow them a sense of independence during the weekends and school holidays. These away-days help families who are fostering a child/children, and helps the whole family spend time together and bond. Cash for Kids are going to fund the centre hire for 4 days.

Buttercup Children’s Trust - £100

Buttercup Children’s Trust support children across West Yorkshire who may suffer from any form of illness or long term disability. Buttercup Children’s Trust are working with Faith who is 3 years old and has Segaway’s Syndrome, and her medication makes her very tired very easily. This leaves the family home-bound and her mother has specified that she does not have adequate/safe outdoor toys. Cash for Kids have purchased specialist toys for Faith’s garden.

Leeds Children’s Hospital Appeal - £548.80

The aim of Leeds Children’s Hospital Appeal is to make every child’s stay in hospital better and brighter. They would like funding to purchase two activity tables for the occupational therapy team/department. Assisting children to reach their optimum level of performance in self-care, leisure activities and educational tasks is vital. This is achieved using therapeutical techniques as sensory, play and upper limb assistance. Cash for Kids are funding specialist play equipment for the department to help children during their stay.

Hannah Donington, Paediatric Occupational Therapist said "This beautiful 5 year old girl sustained a head injury following a traffic accident. She needs lots of interesting sensory input in order to enjoy play activities. She enjoys looking towards toys that have light and is sometimes able to keep her eyes on the light if it is stimulating enough.

She also enjoys the opportunity to touch toys which give her an opportunity to explore a variety of textures. She is unable to access these types of experiences without the help of such special toys, they open up an opportunity for her to explore and discover a range of sensory experiences."

Rebecca* aged 3 and family - £224.14

Three of the children in the family are siblings, and their cousin lives with them also. Their cousin came to live with them when his mother died and his aunt is now his guardian. The 3 year old daughter currently sleeps in bed with her mother, as she does not have a bed of her own. Cash for Kids are funding a bunk bed to allow the youngest daughters to share a room. *Names have been changed to protect the family.

Care Leavers Social Group - £1,024.92

The Care Leavers Social Group has been set up to help young adults who leave care. They run a weekly group in a safe environment and their aim is to bridge the gap between leaving care to living independently. Providing the ongoing support will help young care leavers across Leeds to acquire the skills they need to apply themselves to education, employment and training. Cash for Kids have agreed to help continue funding to enable the groups to carry on, by purchasing art supplies, board games, sports equipment and much more.

Laila Milly Foundation - £420

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Laila Milly Foundation provides respite for children up to 5 years who have severe/complex health needs, moderate to severe disabilities or life-limiting conditions. They offer stay and play groups, free courses such as first aid, infant massage and yoga. A lot of the parents who attend the centre have expressed interest in Makaton Course. Cash for Kids have agreed to fund Makaton Courses. Having these skills will benefit these parents as Makaton is in some instances the only way to communicate and emergency situations often arise. Makaton is a language programme designed to provide a means of communication to individuals who cannot communicate efficiently by speaking.