Mayor of London to fund new programme!
The Sycamore Trust UK is set to benefit from the latest round of funding from the Mayor of London’s Young Londoner Fund.
Mayor Sadiq Khan has set aside over £45million for projects all over London, with the aim of supporting initiatives that provide educational, cultural and sporting programmes to support young people, especially those at risk of crime and isolation.
The Trust have been awarded a six-figure sum to fund a new project, called the Social Survivors programme, which will run for three years, starting in January 2019. The Social Survivors initiative will work with young people with Autism Spectrum Disorder in mainstream education, with particular emphasis on important life skills such as establishing safe relationships, travelling on public transport and preparing for social situations.
The latest round of funding from the Mayor Young Londoner Fund has provided over £13million across the capital, aiding 72 different projects and providing young Londoners with positive life opportunities and the chance to fulfil their potential. The funding aims to show young people, including those at risk of getting caught up in crime, a positive way forward through a range of education, sport and cultural activities.
The Mayor said; “By working with communities and giving young Londoners meaningful things to do, I am doing everything I possibly can to help ensure they make the right choices and do not follow the wrong path at such an important time in their lives.”
Starting in the new year, the Sycamore Trust’s Social Survivors programme will support young people in East London with ASD in developing vital life skills that are often absent in teenagers with autism, and empower them with the skills needed to live independent and fulfilling lives.
It’s a welcome boost for youngsters in Havering, following the closure of youth services in Romford & Rainham during the summer. Sycamore CEO Chris Gillbanks said; “We’re delighted that the Mayor’s Fund has seen fit to support our Social Survivors programme as it will be an enormous benefit to the young people not currently eligible for local authority funding. There are presently no specialist services that are available to these young people and we can now plug that gap. Thanks to the Young Londoners Fund, we can now look forward to helping these youngsters develop the skills that they will need to make a positive contribution to society in the future”
