Our Charitable Foundation

AFC Fylde Community Foundation

We’ll be providing funding for AFC Fylde Community Foundation to teach young people about employment, education and finances.

The project will be delivered over 12 weeks to 4 cohorts of year 11 pupils from Lytham St Anne’s High School and Saint Bede’s Catholic High School.

Covering a range of topics, the project will give those attending a well-rounded set of skills to help them navigate their next steps, whether that’s further education or the world of work. From how to write a CV to understanding savings and mortgages, the project will deliver skills vital to achieving financial well-being in the future.

Carers Link Lancashire

Carers Link Lancashire delivers services directly to carers in the region, and indirectly to those they care for. Our funding will enable them to deliver a series of bi-weekly well-being sessions for registered carers over the age of 50 living in Burnley, Barrowford, Colne and Nelson.

Delivered in partnership with Harwes Farm CIC, the sessions will provide respite opportunities and the chance for carers to meet people in similar situations, creating support networks and peer support groups.

The sessions will each have a different focus including music and the arts, foraging, outdoor pursuits such as archery, fire building and outdoor cookery, felting and allotment sessions. Each session will be attended by up to 20 carers.

Colne Citadel

We’ll be providing funding to Colne Citadel to run additional bingo sessions for over 50s. Much needed in the community, Colne Citadel aim to improve the lives of residents by reducing social isolation in a safe and caring environment.

The bingo sessions will provide food and drinks to attendees who can enjoy 3 rounds of bingo with the opportunity to win 6 prizes, making new friends in a warm and inclusive space along the way.

Colne Open Door Centre

Colne Open Door Centre supports the local community with a range of services, including a free counselling service and a community café. The funding we’ll be providing will enable them to run a financial well-being course, arming locals with the skills and awareness to lead them to a better and safer financial future.

The course, which will be delivered to 120 beneficiaries, will tackle issues such as debt, recognising situations that may trigger non-essential spending, creating healthy habits and building a toolkit of financial support and resources.

Female Friendship Forum

We’ll be providing funding to the Female Friendship Forum to help them reach and engage with women over the age of 50 in the Pendle area, who are isolated and struggling with their mental well-being.

The funds will deliver activities such as yoga, arts and crafts, sewing, talks on self-care and the opportunity to get closer to nature. The sessions will support increased self-confidence, a positive outlook on life, improved physical and mental health and the opportunity to build new friendships.

Fylde Rugby Community Foundation

Fylde Rugby Community Foundation uses sport as a tool to improve the lives and prospects of local people, their mental, social, and physical health and overall well-being.

We’ll be providing funding to expand their ‘Walking Rugby’ programme into Lytham. The programme will help vulnerable and isolated locals aged 50+ and those who are physically inactive.

With 20 weeks of accessible walking rugby and social activities planned, each 2-hour session will give locals the opportunity to feel fitter and more active, socialise and improve their mental health.

Heartbeat North West Cardiac Care

We’ll be providing funding to Heartbeat to provide cardiac rehabilitation exercise classes in Lytham. The classes will be available to people with cardiovascular disease or those at high risk of developing it. Running 2 sessions per week for 26 weeks, each session will last an hour and be carried out by a qualified instructor trained to work with people with heart conditions.

Giving attendees the chance to improve their physical and mental health, the classes also provide the opportunity to meet people with similar experiences who understand what they’re going through, building a network of friends, and reducing isolation.

Nature Warriors

Nature Warriors encourage local people to become more active and enjoy the outdoors. Our funding will help them deliver 30 sessions to young people from Burnley and Pendle focussing on reducing their carbon footprint through recycling, growing food, litter pickups and reducing air miles by encouraging them to holiday locally.

Alongside the sessions, there will be 4 trips to explore activities such as hiking, fishing, camping and water sports, providing an element of fun alongside structured learning about the climate emergency.

Parochial Church Council of St James (St James Community Centre)

We’ll be providing funding to St James Community Centre to help them expand their activities. This will include running a 10-week craft course for older people, as well as replacing the games they have, buying more books for their Mental Health Support Group and other equipment to support their existing programme of events.

Providing a welcoming space filled with positive, nurturing and inclusive activities, the funding will not only help to expand and keep their existing activities running, it will also help those attending feel less isolated, whilst boosting their confidence and self-esteem.

TramShed Theatre Company

An inclusive theatre company and charity, our funding will help TramShed launch a new pilot project called ‘Hill Billy Rock’, engaging those aged 50+ in performing arts and dance workshops.

Following the success of ‘Silver Shed’ which we were delighted to fund last year, the programme will feature 12 weekly workshops delivered by their artistic team with a ‘Barn Dance Celebration Evening’ as a finale.

The project will create a place for isolated individuals to come together in a safe and inclusive environment to learn new skills, boost their confidence and build new friendships.

Whitewell Bottom Pre-School

We’ll be providing funding to Whitewell Bottom Pre-School to help them make the large outdoor area the children have access to for growing herbs, vegetables, and plants more accessible.

The area can’t be accessed all year round as it’s too muddy for the youngest children and doesn’t have wheelchair access. The pre-school wants to flag part of the area so the children can access it regardless of the weather or their mobility needs.

The funding will also support staff taking the children to the community centre allotments to grow different types of vegetables and feel part of the wider community, boosting their confidence and social interactions, whilst continuing to learn about nature and sustainability.