Reducing Inequalities

BCT will continue to expand their work within some of the most deprived areas in the Borough, such as Billingham South and the Clarences to provide additional capacity where there are identified needs.  BCT aim to trial new ways of working to engage children and young people through sporting activities, physical activity sessions, primary after school clubs and traditional youth clubs.  BCT’s core aims are to improve children and young people’s confidence, motivation, resilience and aspirations so that they achieve in school and in life. This project will enable BCT to work in areas such as the Clarences where there are extreme challenges within the local area and where such services for children and young people are very limited.

This project will provide access to an advocacy service for disadvantaged and hard to engage groups in Stockton, providing an effective advocate for groups whose behaviour is often seen but whose voice is rarely heard. The focus will be on reducing barriers to individuals accessing effective health services in the Central Stockton Ward, aimed at those participating in high-risk behaviours and substance users, whether currently engaged with commissioned services or not. The project would support these groups with access to a member of staff for 7 hours per week for 42 weeks over the course of one year (including some evenings and weekends).

Refugee Futures will employ a part-time support worker for 2 days a week to work alongside the Development Manager who has piloted a project to provide tailored, high-quality volunteering opportunities for refugees and asylum seekers. As a result, they will develop skills and confidence enabling them to be better equipped to gain employment in the future helping them integrate, become more independent and healthier.

PCP will target residents of the disadvantaged Stockton Town Centre Ward, reaching the most deprived and underrepresented groups such as unpaid carers, BAME and asylum seekers and refugees. PCP will help improve the health and wellbeing of residents by providing group sessions which will be tailored to meet the requirements each group. These will concentrate on the health outcomes highlighted in the Framework which have been exacerbated by the pandemic and cost-of-living crisis and will include: cooking on a budget, physical activities on a budget, stress management, mindfulness and healthy eating.

Moneywise will appoint a part time Volunteer Support Officer (VSO) who will recruit, train and support volunteers to open collection points across the Stockton Borough. This will enable Tees Credit Union to move into new geographical areas, as well as developing pre-existing areas, ensuring residents are able to access TCU services in their local community. Volunteers will be trained in promoting local community collection points, enabling the initiative to continue in the longer term.

This funding will pay for a part-time support worker to engage with the community through gardening in the disadvantaged ‘Clarences’ area, over a 12-month period as part of their vision of feeding and training the community. People will have the opportunity and the support needed to take on a small allotment, or growing box, with a key focus being on well-being, advice, guidance and training as well as access to our long-standing successful work club. Excess produce from the project will be provided free of any charge to local community pantries and foodbanks etc.

‘We are TS18’ is a series of dance sessions designed for cohorts of 15 young people from the disadvantaged TS18 postcode. The lottery funding will enable Arc to offer their sessions to more young people from deprived backgrounds. The groups will take part in regular dance sessions with artists Urban Kaos at ARC Stockton. Each session includes snacks and a nutritious meal, alongside physical dance activity. At the end of each six-week block, friends and family are invited to come and see what the young people have created to celebrate their achievements.

Sprouts are expanding their capacity via a new site at Victoria Park, Thornaby.  The funding will contribute to a café and training kitchen utilising surplus food and veg from their community garden, addressing health inequalities and showing people how to eat well to stay well. They will also be running the community shop from a building on the site, and in addition to food, this will have the space to take donations of clothes, shoes, toys, kitchen equipment, bedding etc .

SDAIS will employ a part time Home Adviser who would provide welfare advice to people who are unable to access their service through any other channels. Advice will focus on income maximisation and the prevention of poverty, as well as developing future external links of support and advice for the individual.

Nite Light currently run a free market stall on Stockton High Street one day per month, providing free food, a hot meal, clothing, hygiene essentials and small household items to those in need. As well as providing the basic essentials, they offer emotional support and referrals to other organisations for further support. Lottery funding will allow Nite Light to run an additional stall each month.

CFM Counselling will offer trauma counselling to benefit recipients, and will use the services of an interpreter to support those who can’t speak English, including the use of sign language. They will also offer high quality counselling training to anyone working directly with people in need.