Durham Area Youth ( DAY) is a small charity which aims to empower young people to make positive change for themselves and their communities through the provision of a young person informed youth service.
They offer a youth service to young people aged 6-18 years in the areas of Pittington, Shadforth, Sherburn Hill, Sherburn Village, West Rainton, Great Lumley and Bournmoor.
DAY delivers 360 youth session a year, which converts to over 19,000 hours of contact! 44% of the participants are from deprived areas and in the last year they have had over 180 new participants.
To reach and support so many young people the organisation needs core funding and they are proud to announce for the third time they have received a grant from the Reaching Communities England – National Lottery Communities Fund for £299,261
This is amazing news for DAY and means that they will be able to continue to provide inclusive, open access youth provision over the next three years. It also means they can create innovative, targeted, inclusive opportunities for key transitional ages 10-12 years old and 15-18 years, enhance service delivery in current geographic areas by increasing activities to meet those communities’ needs, considering equity, diversity and inclusion and develop a culture of learning and improvement based on a deep rooted understanding of people and place.
The projects will make a difference in the lives of not only the young people but the wider community.
Through the youth sessions with trusted youth workers, young people build confidence and learn skills that will help them become good citizens and steer them through the path into adulthood. Empowered young people make positive change for themselves and their communities. They also build a sense of purpose and pride about their community and often go on to work in jobs that give back.
Over 400 young people on a weekly basis and over 700 throughout the course of the year will benefit from the lottery grant.
“We are so grateful to the National Lottery for this support which will be fundamental to us continuing our work, ensuring we reach as many young people as possible. It will also support our workforce development which is key to ensuring we have the right staff to deliver a wide range of services. “
Emily Burns, CEO at DAY
