The first winners of the Equilibrium Foundation Grant Awards have been announced. The six winning charitable organisations in the North West will receive a share of £60,000.
The awards, launched in April of this year, provide annual funding to smaller, lesser-known charities in the North West of England. Introduced by The Equilibrium Foundation, the charitable giving arm of Cheshire-based Equilibrium Financial Planning, the awards centre around a different theme each year.
With 34% of children in the North West living in poverty, an increase of 5% since 2015, and the cost of living crisis worsening the situation for many, the inaugural awards invited applications from not-for-profit organisations working to alleviate child poverty in the region.
The six winning organisations are:
Manchester-based Norbook Youth Club, which provides young people between the ages of 6 to 18 with weekly sessions in a secure environment. Established in the community within Northern Moor, Wythenshawe for over 60 years, the grant will be channelled towards enhancing the centre’s kitchen facilities to aid healthy cooking classes and improve accessibility for individuals with disabilities.
Home-Start, which has built a community network of trained volunteers and experts around Trafford, Salford, and Wigan to support young families with children during challenging times. The grant will provide targeted aid for local families facing poverty and debt. It will also sustain a part-time position dedicated to organising and distributing essential items.
Awarded for their work to tackle hygiene poverty is Bare Necessities – a toiletry bank based in South Manchester that collects and distributes products to a network of charities. The funding from The Equilibrium Foundation will support its Give a Smile and Give a Wash initiatives, which provide toothbrushes, toothpaste, and laundry detergents to those in need and play a pivotal role in bolstering the self-esteem and wellbeing of children and their families.
The Bolton Toy Library, which is dedicated to improving outcomes for children, young people, and vulnerable adults by providing therapeutic play and specialised resources. The grant will be used to appoint a diversity support worker who will focus on assisting non-native English-speaking families out of poverty.
Prevent 2 Protect, an organisation that aims to tackle safeguarding issues for young people through educational workshops. The charity’s primary focus is its Gang for Life? project which combines physical and mental wellbeing and anti-gang educational sessions. Utilising the experiences of ex-gang members who have changed their lives around, the funding will allow them to expand the reach and frequency of the workshops.
The final winner is the Swinton Lions Community Sports Foundation, which promotes healthy lifestyles and sports engagement as a method for personal empowerment. With the support of this grant, the club will develop innovative programmes that cater to those aged 7 to 18 across four targeted community hubs in Manchester.
Sarah Warburton, Chairperson of the Equilibrium Foundation, said: “We created the Equilibrium Foundation Grant Awards to show our appreciation for the local charities that provide vital support to those who need it most, and it was incredible to receive such a high volume of applications in our first year.
“Although our judging panel had an extremely difficult job in selecting just six organisations, we take immense pride in announcing this year’s winners, each of whom makes an outstanding contribution to tackling issues affecting children and young people in the local community.
“We look forward to following their journey as they implement new programmes and resources, and we can’t wait to see the difference the money will make in shaping the lives of those in the region.”
Since its formation in 2010, The Equilibrium Foundation has given almost £1m to good causes, with an aim to raise £4m by 2028.
