MELKSHAM Area Board awarded two grants to local initiatives at their meeting this month.
A total of £1,294.20 was awarded at the meeting held on Wednesday 5th June from the area board’s Community Area Grants scheme and the Community Youth Grants scheme.
£300 was awarded to Contact the Elderly, to help towards the cost of organising a boat trip along a canal.
Their application said, “Contact the Elderly is a charity for older people who are socially excluded as they are unable to leave the house without help. This means they spend lots of time alone and isolated.
“There is a monthly tea party organised by Martin Elson, where a group of volunteers pick up a group of elderly people and take them to a volunteer’s home who has organised an afternoon tea for them. It is a time for socialisation, chat and company.
“We would like to organise a boat trip for the elderly people and volunteers on the canal to show appreciation for the good work the group of volunteers are doing and a chance for the older people to experience something different, which they would not be able to do on a day-to-day basis.”
Youth Adventure Trust was awarded £994.20 to assist six vulnerable young people from Melksham Oak School to take part in three activity days in Melksham youth centre, Savernake Forest in Marlborough and Brokerswood in Westbury.
Their application said, “The Youth Adventure Trust gives vulnerable and disadvantaged young people aged 11-14 from Wiltshire and Swindon the opportunity to transform their lives by giving them access to adventure experiences which challenge them and enable them to learn in an outdoor environment.
“The programme lasts three academic years and allows these young people to experience success, learn to go beyond their own expectations and grow in confidence through a combination of three residential outdoor adventure camps, one Explore Day, three Activity Days and four Pathway Days.”
