MORE than £1,000 has been awarded to a charity dedicated to helping young people, thanks to the support and backing of the Salisbury community.

As part of the Journal’s Cash for Charities giveaway, The Bridge Youth Project has been granted £1,131, just in time for Christmas.

Our parent company’s charitable arm, The Gannett Foundation, behind Cash for Charities, gifted £125,000 to support local charities across the country, and we were delighted to have a £20,000 share to give away in our region covering Wiltshire, Hampshire, Dorset and Cornwall.

Thanks to 260 votes for The Bridge Youth Project - the charity nominated for Salisbury - around five per cent of the total votes cast, the team is now celebrating the recently awarded funds.

The charity delivers a range of services, in particular focussing on mental health and wellbeing and spiritual development, and has revealed this addition to the bank account will help its ‘Bringing Hope’ project.

This initiative trains members of the community and matches them with students for 10 weeks, which next year will cost the charity £15,000.

“It feels great to have had so many wonderful supporters over the years, especially this year with the pressures of Covid-19,” said Alex Ewing, The Bridge Youth Project director.

He added: “There is evidence that these kinds of funds make such a huge difference.

“All the money we get we always put straight back into our work with young people and it feels great to have recognition and therefore the funds to do that. Every penny counts.

“We’re excited for what 2022 will bring.”

Another project the charity is “excited” to trial next year is mentoring in primary schools, in particular for Years 5 and 6.

Alex said this would help young pupils prepare for secondary school, adding: “We want to offer this to students who may be facing fears about their next steps or just want someone to talk to.

"It’s a needed service that we want to bring to primary schools.”

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