Exeter project awarded £29,970 from BBC Children in Need

BBC Children in Need has announced that it has awarded a new grant totalling £29,970 to a local project working with disadvantaged children and young people in Exeter. 

The new funding award - made possible following BBC Children in Need’s 2019 Appeal in November - will support the delivery of vital services to young people in the area and means that the charity now has more than £219,000 invested locally. 

Youth Arts and Health Trust has been awarded a three-year grant of £29,970 to provide arts therapy sessions for children and young people experiencing anxiety and depression. Funding will help to reduce anxiety and low mood in a safe and non-judgemental space, where participants can set their own goals, engage in activities and talk openly and honestly.

Laura Blatherwick, Charity Director of the Youth Arts and Health Trust commented: “This funding is so important to us as a charity and to the local community – it means we can support young people in the area and provide a high-quality service with our qualified and registered arts therapists.  Arts therapy offers young people the opportunity to be creative as well as talk, so they can identify, explore and begin to overcome difficulties they face."

Speaking of the new grant Elizabeth Myers, Head of Impact (South and North) at BBC Children in Need, said: “It’s always a real pleasure to award new grants to projects like Youth Arts and Health Trust especially in these difficult times. At BBC Children in Need we are dedicated to making a positive difference to the lives of children and young people in local communities – it’s projects like this that continue to demonstrate how funding benefits young people, and gives them the extra support they need to build a brighter future.”

Simon Antrobus, Chief Executive of BBC Children in Need, said: “At a time when children and young people need our support more than ever, I am incredibly proud to be awarding funding which will go on to positively impact their lives.  These grants were only made possible thanks to our remarkable supporters, so a big thank you to everyone who supported us in 2019.”

Following The Big Night In appeal in April which brought BBC Children in Need and Comic Relief together for the first time, BBC Children in Need launched a number of dedicated funding programmes to support local charities across the UK who are providing essential help to children and young people during the current crisis.  BBC Children in Need is committed to supporting disadvantaged children and young people who are facing additional challenges as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and further funding opportunities will be announced in due course.