Grants of up to £5,000 have been awarded to 12 community groups to deliver positive and engaging activities for children and young people in Knowsley.
A total of £50,625 has been allocated from the Council’s 2024/25 Youth Community Fund. Launched in 2022, the fund is a grant application programme which forms part of the Integrated Youth Service offer.
The main purpose of the fund is to provide a range of positive and engaging activities that meet the needs and wishes of children and young people across Knowsley. It is aimed at supporting new, start-up community-led projects to become, over time, self-sustaining, and to enhance the wider local offer.
Groups were able to apply for one grant of up to £5,000 within the grant funding application and successful projects will be required to commence within the financial year 2024/25.
Who will receive funding?
This latest round of funding has been allocated to:
Apollo Sports Club CIC’s Apollo Sports Creating Young Coaches – £5,000
Delivering a host of multi sports sessions for young people for free from ages 4-11 years at Volair Halewood in partnership with major sports organisations and Sport England. Delivering, funetics with England Athletics, Golf with Golf Foundation, Tennis with We do Tennis, Jagtag with Jacksonville Jaguars and Football with Apollo Sports JFC. Involving young people from Knowsley aged 14-19 in coaching and delivering sports sessions.
Journeys, Leaves and Seeds (JLS) Early Education Specialist C.I.C, JLS Wild Adventurers – £5,000
Provide weekly outdoor afterschool clubs in natural spaces in Knowsley with a focus initially in collaborating with Swanside Community Centre afterschool club and youth clubs. This project will utilise the natural outdoor environment to encourage children and young people to enjoy physical activity and develop new movement skills in a natural therapeutic spaces.
The Sensory Hive Ltd, Sensory Gym Stay and Play – £5,000
Use of the Sensory Gym by Knowsley’s children and young people. The project will run for 25 weeks from September to March. It will provide private, one-hour sensory gym session for 15 children and young people – each weekend (alternating between Saturdays and Sundays).
Knowsley Vale ABC, Boxing Against Crime – £4,940
Delivering a grassroots sport and 1:1 mentoring programme for young people aged 13-18 across Knowsley. The aim of the project is to tackle youth crime through providing a range of positive and engaging activities that meet the needs and wishes of local young people.
KABS (Kids Activities and Bootcamps), KABS Club – £4,480
KABS will be running sessions in Southdene Community Centre. These sessions will include sports such as football and cricket, arts and crafts, team building activities, resilience building, meditation, mindfulness, forest school and inflatable fun. These will run for three hours one night a week at Southdene Community Centre and three-hour outreach sessions twice a week.
Activate Body and Mind Community Activities CIC, Knockout Opportunities: Empowering Knowsley’s Youth Through Boxing – £4,990
The boxing programme will run once a week for 12 weeks for 30 young people. Participants will: Improve their physical fitness, strength, and coordination through structured boxing sessions. Access mental health support and understand/learn coping strategies to help manage stress, anxiety, and other mental health challenges. Gain essential life skills such as communication, problem solving, and decision-making. Develop their resilience, discipline, and focus, reducing the chances of engaging in risky behaviours or criminal activities, and from experience, also help children back into, or settle better into education Experience a supportive and inclusive environment where they feel valued and connected with their peers and mentors.
Towerhill ABC CIC, Multi Sport Fit Camp – £4,780
The camp is a new activity that provide tailored support and advice as well as providing healthy snacks and discussions around healthy food options. The project will support the development of our young people through supported activities and informal learning.
Southdene Community Association, Our Choice Project – £4,980
The programme will offer two, six-week courses in make-up artistry and two six-week courses in D-J ing. The courses will run in parallel and will culminate in a celebration event that will see the young DJ’s playing their music while the make-up artists will display their talents on local models in a “glow up “style show. Family and friends will be able to attend the shows. The new DJ’s will also be able to facilitate a silent inclusive disco for everyone as part of their learning experience.
Clockwork Studios Prescot CIC, Positive Motions: raising awareness of internet safety through gaming – £3,718
Our project is designed to engage young people in Prescot through themed gaming sessions that promote online safety, digital skills, and community building. By leveraging the widespread interest in gaming, we aim to create a safe, inclusive, and educational environment where participants can learn important life skills while enjoying activities they love.
Rebound Community Wellbeing CIC, Positive Pathways – £1,325
The project would provide 15 Wellbeing sessions for young people to benefit their physical and mental wellbeing. These would include Mindfulness, Yoga, Aromatherapy, Zumba etc.
Third Knowsley Scout Group, Taster Activities for Scouting – £3,066
Running a programme of ‘Taster Activities’ over the course of a year. The events will be open to all children aged 6-18. Each activity provides a snapshot of some of the activities that take place within Scouting, and links to Scout Association badges.
Volair Leisure Trust, Volair Youth Sports Programme – £3,346
The Volair Youth Sports Programme will be a 12-week project aimed at attracting young people aged 11-16 into activities that may not have been previously available or accessible. The overall aim will be to provide these young people with the opportunity to engage in healthy, active lifestyles with links to sustainable participation. This will be achieved by offering Boxing and BMXing sessions for young people at Volair’s Huyton and Kirkby Leisure sites.
Cllr David Lonergan, Knowsley’s Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, said: “These grants provide a wonderful opportunity to help get new projects up and running that will benefit our children and young people.
“It’s really exciting to see the wide range of engaging activities, chosen by our young people, which this funding will enable groups to deliver in our communities.”
A further funding round for the Short Breaks programme will be available in November 2024. Further details will be shared on Knowsley News once the application process open.