Gifted Women - £10,000
Gifted Women is working tirelessly, unlocking doors to employment for women overcoming multiple disadvantage. The grant of £10,000 will pay for a new employability programme for 13 women to spend time together to build confidence and employability skills. This will then lead onto their 1:1 employability support and work experience placements.
Hearts Together - £5,000
Hearts Together provides accommodation and support for patients, carers and relatives whilst they or their loved ones are undergoing treatment or receiving medical care. The grant of £5,000 paid for project, Supporting You, which offered counselling support to relatives during their stay with Hearts Together.
Dementia Friendly Parishes Around the Yealm - £1,000
Dementia Friendly Parishes Around the Yealm is a small local rural charity working in the five parishes of Wembury, Brixton Yealmpton, Newton Ferrers and Noss Mayo and Holbeton in the South Hams. Our small grant helped towards their Project Coordinator providing 1-1 family support for in excess of 40 families, remaining with them throughout their dementia journey.
Farms for City Children - £1,000
Farms for City Children works to address inequalities for young people by giving them access to nature and the countryside, and by providing a levelling-up education and wellbeing agenda that enables young people to grow and develop valuable transferable life skills, core values and to lead a healthier life. Our small grant paid for a group of disadvantaged Plymouth children to participate in a health and wellbeing farm residential experience.
Dartmoor Zoo - £4,500
Dartmoor Zoo is based on the outskirts of Plymouth. The grant of £4,500 will go towards their Connect and Thrive project. This much-needed project is centred on running 2 pilot programmes which will enable people who are struggling with mainstream processes, social disconnection/isolation and/or mental health issues to kickstart their recovery by gaining the confidence and skills to improve their overall wellbeing and life prospects.
Community Health in Lipson (CHIL) - £5,000
Community Health in Lipson is a user-led organisation, providing holistic support to people experiencing mental health issues across the City of Plymouth.
Becky Light at CHIL, said: "This is the most amazing news! Thank you so much from all at CHIL. This gift will make a big difference to our small charity and allow us to continue providing vital support for people experiencing mental health issues across the City of Plymouth. We're all delighted.”
Saltstone Caring - £15,000
Saltstone Caring is a charity which promotes the independence and physical and mental wellbeing of older, isolated or vulnerable people living in Kingsbridge, Salcombe or the surrounding area.
Pauline Greaves, Chair, Saltstone Caring, said: “Thank you so very much for your extremely generous donation of £15,000. This will make so much difference to a small local charity like ours. We have made inroads into raising our profile with Derriford and Mount Gould Hospitals and have just received a referral from Derriford. We have already started updating the Community Directory, which is no mean task, and will use part of your donation for printing this.”
Special Olympics Plymouth (SOPD) - £5,000
Special Olympics Plymouth & District (SOPD) is a branch of Special Olympics Great Britain (SOGB), providing sports opportunities for people with an Intellectual (Learning) Disability (ID).
Alan Stockdale, Chair, SOPD, said: “Our club is in a unique position to contribute to health and wellbeing and equality for people with ID, and their families. Sport is particularly important in promoting physical and emotional health, as many health problems are directly associated with inactivity.
“Sport provides a life-changing and inspirational opportunity for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Given the chance to compete at local, regional and national levels it highlights abilities, counteracts isolation, improves self-esteem and helps to build lasting relationships.”
Plymouth Parent Advocacy Project - £5,000
Plymouth Parent Advocacy Project provides help and support to parents with learning disabilities. Volunteers help with preparation for meetings and contact with the local authority, and advise on how to get additional support.
Kate Cowling, Parent Project Manager, said: "This money will go towards providing advocacy support for parents with a learning disability (or borderline learning disability) whose children are subject to child protection plans or legal proceedings within the family court.
“Advocates can help parents to understand professionals’ concerns while at the same time giving parents knowledge about their rights and responsibilities and confidence to state their needs.”
Tavistock League of Friends - £10,000
Tavistock League of Friends supports Tavistock Hospital by providing equipment, facilities and services not provided for from statutory funds.
Joy Harrison, Chair, Tavistock League of Friends, said: "I would like to thank you for your generous donation of £10,000. The League of Friends is committed to supporting the patients, staff and hospital in many aspects, and we are considering extensive fundraising for a new project to enhance and facilitate movement of beds on the upper floor. The money will be reinvested in the hospital which will result in a further improved environment.”
Drake Sailing - £2,000
Drake Sailing Club was formed in 1999 by a group of people with a shared interest to enable people with disabilities to experience sailing.
David Dodd, chair, Drake Sailing, said: "I would like to thank Livewell personally for the kind donation towards our funds. This will help to guarantee the future of our club and enable our members to continue sailing this summer season and coming seasons.”
Plymouth Foyer - £1,500
Foyer provide a safe place for young people to live, learn and make the transition to independent adulthood. Foyers offer a ‘something for something’ deal for young people who are in housing need, with personal development and other services that enable young people to reconnect with learning, increase their employability, improve their health and wellbeing and develop their leadership potential.
Martin Jackson, choice coordinator at Plymouth Foyer, said: “The Plymouth Foyer is very grateful and pleased to have received funding from Livewell. In the past the Foyer has had to either hire or borrow bikes when taking residents out cycling as part of our health and wellbeing programmes.
“This gift from Livewell means that we at last have the means to purchase three new bikes, some repair equipment and safety clothes.”
The Zone - £5,000
The Zone provides free and confidential support to young people on housing, sexual health and mental health, as well as financial confidence and counselling to young people who have been the victim of crime.
Lucy Green, direct services and sexual health project lead, said: “On behalf of the Zone I just want to say a very big thank you to Livewell for the generous donation of £5,000. As a charity we rely on donations of this nature to support the valuable work that we do with young people.
“We have spoken to staff and volunteers and they agree that a refurbishment of our existing waiting area would be best use of this money, as an average minimum 6,500 different young people a year access this space. Anything that we can do to improve the experience of accessing services for young people, especially those in crisis, cannot be a bad thing and is something we continually aim for.”