Buzz Action Foundation has been awarded £3,000 funding from Abri to support their youth café.
The café, which is held at the Bowman Centre in Amesbury, gives young, socially isolated people alternative opportunities for socialising and discharging physical energy. It is an inclusive open access project aimed at young people who live in Amesbury or who attend the Stonehenge School. The funding from Abri will support the ongoing costs to run the café.
Jonathan Russell, Lead Facilitator at Buzz Action Foundation CIO, said: “We applied to Abri's Community Fund because many of our users and some of our staff are tenants of Abri. We know that Abri are active in the area and have engaged with them many times over the last few years. Our activities rely heavily on the goodwill of volunteers and staff. We need to show them that we can match their good work with funding and resources for the work they do. This funding will ensure that our volunteers have the resources they need so their energies bear fruit in the community, which they can see and feel in a direct and meaningful way.”
The Community Fund is part of Abri’s commitment to empowering lives and creating thriving communities, making them better places to live. Abri is one of the south of England’s largest housing providers and has awarded over £40,000 from its Community Fund to support local organisations and projects since April 2021.
Applications are decided on by its customer panel – Thriving Communities – made up of customers and those living in its communities. The panel said: “The café provides a youth club to all young people, giving them somewhere to go that will be a fun and safe space, and helping to build their self-esteem. It helps address anti-social behaviour where young people feel they have been neglected. They are already well-known in the community, and have built relationships with many of the young people.”
Jonathan and the team are a key part of the community. He added: “We work with community groups and partners including Wiltshire Police, Wiltshire Council, the Local Youth Network, and the Army Welfare Service to keep abreast of what the current local needs and priorities are.
“Due to its rural nature, young people can feel cut off from wider society and have limited opportunities for socialising outside their immediate community. We aim to engage and direct people into using the spaces available in a positive way, and supply alternative opportunities for socialising and discharging physical energy. We help connect young people in a wider network of social activities through our varied programme of events and weekly youth clubs.
“We feel that our project is making a big difference on many levels to young people and their families who live in the Amesbury Area. We like that Abri place families in communities and we think our youth provision reflects the diversity of our young population, who have a broad range of cultures and backgrounds. The funding we received helps give us security in the medium term, which means we can plan, invest in training, and provide a rich range of positive activities for the young people in Amesbury.”
Other successful applications for Abri’s Community Fund include:
- Driven Forward, received £3,000 to support the ongoing sustainment of the community fridge in Clewer and Dedworth, and to help families and adults who are financially struggling to provide food for their families and the community.
- St Peters Community Centre, in Yeovil, received £3,000 to support their food pantry and set up toddler activity sessions.
- Coach4u received £1,500 to hold summer events for 100 children aged 5-11 in Mansbridge.
- Marvels and Meltdowns in Gosport, received £1,500, to improve health and safety measures in their new centre. They are a long-established group in Gosport supporting families of children on the autistic spectrum.
“We believe the best ideas often come from the people who know and lie in our communities. And we’re committed to supporting and investing in our communities. We’re proud of the difference our Community Fund makes, driving change, transforming our communities and providing opportunities. It’s what our Community Strategy and five-year £15m investment is all about – empowering communities, improving health and wellbeing, and providing employment opportunities,” says Cita Jagot, Communities & Involvement Manager at Abri.
Abri’s Community Fund opens for applications three times a year, and organisations can apply for up to £3,000 to support a project in one of Abri’s communities. The next application window opens on 1 December 2020 and closes on 9 February 2022.
You can find out more about Buzz Action Foundation and the café at www.buzzaction.org.
