Young people’s charity Scarf New Forest has received a funding boost thanks to a £2,000 donation from the Churchill Foundation, the charitable arm of Ringwood housebuilder Churchill Living.
The family-led charity, which supports young people and their families across the New Forest, received the donation through the Churchill Foundation’s Small Grants programme, which provides an opportunity for Colleagues from across the Churchill Group to nominate causes that mean a lot to them for one-off grants of up to £2,000.
Scarf (Supporting Children with Additional Needs, Relatives and Friends) supports children and young people up to the age of 25 with a range of disabilities and additional needs, such as Down's Syndrome, autism and cerebral palsy. The charity organises regular term time clubs as well as holiday activities, creating an inclusive and welcoming environment in which disabled children and their siblings feel comfortable and able to participate in a wide range of activities, and where adults and carers can enjoy meeting others in similar situations to themselves.
The charity was put forward by Churchill’s Senior Architect Kieron Stott, whose family has a close connection with the work it does. On 14th May Scarf Trustee Paula Williams joined Kieron and Churchill Foundation Manager Annie Frederick for a special cheque presentation at Scarf’s weekly youth club session in Tiptoe.
Paula said: “We are delighted to have received this donation which will help ensure that we can continue offering vital support to those who need it. The money will pay for new equipment and venue hire to facilitate our busy programme of weekly activities, including our youth club, multi-sports club and drama club. It will also help us to keep providing the range of outdoor holiday activities which are so beneficial for the young people and families we work with.”
Annie added: “We believe strongly in giving something back to the communities where we work through the Churchill Foundation, and we’re delighted to be able to award this donation to Scarf to support the excellent work they do. Our Small Grants programme is specifically aimed at helping small community-based charities like this that mean a lot to our Colleagues, and for whom the extra funding can make a real difference.”