Grants for groups helping improve the lives of Bedford children

Grants have been awarded to three children’s groups as part of a new funding project in Bedford.

The grants have been awarded by Bedford Giving, a group of businesses and residents to help improve the lives of children and young people in the town.

The Residents’ Panel Grant Making Programme is one of a number of initial projects by Bedford Giving. Others due later this year include a volunteer mentoring programme to help 13 to 15-year-olds raise their career aspirations and a campaign to improve access to work experience for young people.

The Residents’ Panel is made up of a group of parents of young children who have been recruited to make the funding decisions.

Bedford Giving director, Laura Pottinger, said: “Participatory grant making is about devolving decision-making to people in communities impacted by funding decisions.

“This is exactly what we have done with Bedford Giving, asking parents who live some of the issues we’re tackling, to make funding decisions to help create solutions to the challenges faced by families.”

The panel has awarded grants to:

> Chums – to develop content for younger children and their families to help support their mental health and wellbeing, via a new app.

> Faces – to increase availability of group support and one-to-one advice for families with children with additional needs and to develop and deliver new parenting support programmes specifically for fathers.

> Fun4YP – to provide after school and holiday activities for children under eight with additional needs and offer support groups and workshops.