News / Joy as Disability Shetland secures funding
THE FUTURE of Disability Shetland’s children’s clubs has been secured for the next three years thanks to a grant of almost £100,000 from the BBC Children in Need initiative.
The news has been received with joy and a big sigh of relief by those running the charity, whose well-documented struggle to secure grant funding for its activities has resulted in vociferous support from the local community.
A remarkable £50,000 has been raised by the Shetland public over the last two years to help keep the service going.
Now, with the award of £99,722 over three years, Disability Shetland can look into the future with renewed confidence – although the charity isn’t out of the woods yet.
Team leader Stephanie Bain said the community support has helped the charity to keep going for the last 18 months.
“I would like to publicly thank BBC Children in Need and the community,” she said, “because Children in Need has recognised the support we have got from the community and that helped our bid.
“We can’t do anything new with this money, but it will keep the bairns’ clubs running for another three years.”
Activities benefiting from the grant allocation include the charity’s Saturday and Sunday clubs held at many locations across the isles as well as the youth club for teenagers at Islesburgh in Lerwick.
The clubs, which are run by volunteers, are designed to help disabled children feel less isolated in their island location, improve their social and communication skills and make them feel more confident and active.
But Bain added that funding and donations still need to keep coming into the charity.
“I don’t want to put folk off thinking we’ve got money now,” she said. “That’s not the case at all.”
Meanwhile, local support continues to be strong for the charity. The Whalsay Gala has pledged to donate any surplus from a week of activities, while a motorcycle parade in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support and Disability Shetland is being held in Lerwick on Sunday.
Every year well in excess of £20,000 is raised locally during the BBC Children in Need appeal broadcast live from the corporation’s local Pitt Lane studio.
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