Northern Rock Foundation

HOMELESS and vulnerable young adults in Barrow-in-Furness have been given a lifeline through two grants from Northern Rock Foundation.

HOMELESS and vulnerable young adults in Barrow-in-Furness have been given a lifeline through two grants from Northern Rock Foundation.

Signal Films, which produces films for cinema, broadcast and the commercial sector and specialist creative and digital media training and Project John, a voluntary supporting housing project for young people aged 16-25, received almost £150,000 between them in the Foundation’s latest round of grant awards.

Keen to use their skills to grab the attention of some of the most ‘hard to reach’ young people in Barrow; those who regularly truant from school, misuse alcohol and drugs or are at risk of offending, Signal Films applied to Northern Rock Foundation and was awarded £46,000 over the next two years.

Signal Films Director Kerry Kolbe said: “This funding will allow us to do some intensive work, in partnership with youth support services, to get young people on the very outskirts of education and not keen on any kind of community involvement excited and stimulated through creative activities, while also gaining useful ICT skills.”

“Being able to work with much smaller, focused groups in the way this funding allows, means participants have one-to-one support in learning how to work and communicate together and how to be a committed and confident team member, which we hope translates into other areas of their lives.”

Each young person will learn to work in a small group and be individually monitored. The project will end in the production of a high quality film to be shown at an event in the new Creative Studios and the participants will be offered the opportunity to gain qualifications through the course.

Project John offers young homeless people, safe, supported accommodation and they are allocated a support worker to help ensure they can sustain their tenancy and live independently.

The Foundation awarded the charity a grant of £97,690 over four years in support of its work helping homeless young people and their children.

Project manager Nicola Kell said: “Our area has a high percentage of homeless and vulnerable young people. The money from Northern Rock Foundation will enable us to give them the opportunity to improve their life skills and make the transition into independent living.”

“The skills and knowledge they will gain will give them the foundations to sustain a successful tenancy and live a positive and stable future.”

Penny Wilkinson, Chief Executive of Northern Rock Foundation, said: “It’s desperately worrying how many young people slip through the net and find themselves without a decent education or support network.”

“We’re very pleased to be able to help these two very different organisations support the young people of Barrow.”

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