YOUNGSTERS have given a big thumbs up to National Lottery funding that will ensure youth clubs can keep running in Warwick for another five years.
A National Lottery Reaching Community grant of £326,000 has been awarded to The Gap Youth charity – the youth arm of The Gap – to continue to run four junior youth clubs and three senior youth clubs at five community centres in Warwick until the end of August 2027.
And the charity is recruiting a new part-time youth worker to meet demand.
The funding will help The Gap Youth, currently the only provider of low cost youth clubs in Warwick, continue to run activities that support young people’s development.
The sessions will help them make friendships, develop increased resilience, self-confidence, and important life skills.
Activities include sports and team games, arts and crafts, cooking, and outdoor ‘bushcraft’ skills such as building shelters and roasting marshmallows over a campfire.
The National Lottery is the largest funder of community activity in the UK and National Lottery players raise more than £30million a week for good causes. The Community Fund distributes a share of this to projects that support people and their communities to prosper and thrive.
The Gap estimates it has helped more than 3,000 young people – the equivalent of 100 school classes of children – since it was set up in 1999 to support disaffected youths gathering at The Chantry shops with nowhere to go. Thanks to this funding it hopes to help at least another 600 Warwick children in the next five years.
To help them achieve this goal, The Gap Youth is recruiting a new part-time youth worker. Anyone passionate about making a positive difference in children’s lives, with experience of working with young people is invited to apply.
Youth Development Manager Jane Lisle-Holmes said: “This is fantastic news for the young people of Warwick. Thanks to National Lottery players this grant means their much-loved youth clubs, trips, activities, and camps can continue. We’re delighted to offer affordable out-of-school activities that are fun and engaging and this money will make a big difference in the young people’s lives by helping them develop into well-rounded adults and fulfil their aspirations.
“We’re also looking for someone new to join our friendly team of youth workers, so if you love working with young people, please get in touch.”
For more information about working with The Gap Youth team and an application pack contact Jane Lisle-Holmes at [email protected] or call 01926 494200.
