A YOUTH project on the Worcestershire border has been given a funding boost worth almost half a million pounds.

Colwall Youth Project (CYP) has been awarded £452,022.59 by the National Lottery Reaching Communities Fund.

CYP was founded by Colwall Community Church, which also supported the move for CYP to become an independent charity once it had grown too large for the church volunteer leadership to manage.

The church continues to support the youth project, offering them ongoing accommodation while it searches for a permanent home.

READ MORE: Malvern businesses show support for Colwall Youth Project

CYP saw a huge increase in demand for its services during and after the pandemic, when young people’s mental health and wellbeing decreased to an all-time low and risk-taking behaviours rose to an all-time high.

The funding obtained will cover the core cost of staff salaries including creating a new full-time youth work position, two summer holiday support staff posts, the increase of a part-time youth worker role to full-time, the continuation of both the CEO salary and deputy director salary, administration, activities, and equipment.

'This project is so special'

The Lottery funding will enable the project, which says it is the only one of its kind in a 30-mile radius, to maintain its services for three years and to expand on its schools-based and outreach delivery.

This work includes one-to-one interventions, mental health support in partnership with the Counselling Learning and Development Trust, the empowerment programme and exclusion programme.

Such projects enable CYP to identify and provide early intervention to those that need it most and informative and preventative work to those considered hard to reach or who have difficulties engaging in positive activities such as support services.

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Colwall Youth Project’s chief executive Alice Hill said: “I was ecstatic to receive the call with the announcement of a successful application, but even more so to communicate this with our young people and families.

“This project is so special and supports so many young people across Herefordshire and Worcestershire. We are most grateful to the NLRCF.

“Since being appointed in 2019, I have enjoyed every minute of directing Colwall Youth Project.

“The dedication I see daily to supporting young people from my teams, partner agencies, trustees and the local community makes me incredibly proud of all those involved. CYP will continue its fantastic work and build on such a successful foundation for the future.”