Cosgrove awarded £42,165 by BBC Children in Need

Cosgrove Care in Giffnock, East Renfrewshire, are delighted to announce that BBC Children in Need have awarded them a grant of £42,165 over three years. This grant will fund a summer creative activities programme called In My Hands and will continue to help change the lives of disadvantaged children and young people across the UK.

 

In My Hands is one of many projects in the UK who have received a grant in the first of four rounds made possible by the generous support of the public in 2008, which amounted to a record breaking Appeal Night total of £20,991,216! Cosgrove would like thank the thousands of donors, fundraisers and organisations who ‘did something different’ and contributed to the campaign!

 

In My Hands will give children with learning disabilities the opportunity to actively participate in the arts. Working with siblings, support workers, volunteers and members of the local community, children will be able to develop new creative skills and interests and to express themselves using non-verbal tools. Participants will produce a creative record of their acheivements which will culminate in an exhibition open to the public.

 

In the past Cosgrove has offered art groups in the form of after-school clubs, and these have always been hugely popular and successful. With the support of BBC Children in Need, Cosgrove will be able to develop a more cross-cutting and inclusive programme, and gain the experiences and skills needed to strength the delivery of their art activities in the longer term.

 

Walter Hecht, Cosgrove's Chief Executive, said "The joy and satisfaction children get from improving their skills and making new friends – especially in an environment where they can communicate in a non-verbal way that doesn’t leave them feeling frustrated or inadequate – is invaluable. Cosgrove believes that creativity and self-expression can develop the abilities to be imaginative and respond to the needs of others, along with increasing self-esteem and confidence."

 

"We also want others in the community to appreciate that children with learning disabilities can be resourceful, imaginative and able to convey through artistic mediums their own experiences."

 

David Ramsden, Chief Executive of BBC Children in Need, said “Our grants are made possible by the amazing generosity of the public. They make it possible for us to help such great projects as In My Hands continue to help change young lives for the better.”

 

Since November, the BBC charity has received thousands of applications for funding. These are rigorously assessed and considered in the months leading up to April by eight committees who pass on their recommendations to the Trustees of the charity.

 

All grants go to projects working with children and young people who may be affected by homelessness, neglect, abuse or poverty, or those who have encountered serious illness, disabilities and psychological disorders.