December 19, 2023 - 423 views
Nearly 50 organisations from across North Wales will benefit from a £15,000 Community Christmas Fund recently launched by North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Andy Dunbobbin.
The aim of the fund is to support communities over the Festive Period and the organisations were all nominated by officers and staff of North Wales Police, with most working to support vulnerable children, young people and their families.
One of the organisations that was nominated for the Community Christmas Fund for its work across North Wales is 2wish, whose mission is to ensure that all those affected by the sudden and traumatic death of a child or young adult aged 25 or under throughout Wales receive the bereavement support they deserve.
Laura Ogden, North Wales Fundraising Coordinator for 2wish, was keen to share what a difference the funding will make to the charity and its work: “When a family loses a child or young adult the effects are devastating for all who knew and loved them. It is important that support is available if and when required. All monies raised goes towards supporting suddenly bereaved families here in Wales. £500 could help us to provide 12 memory boxes, or nine counselling sessions.
“Thank you to the staff of North Wales Police for nominating 2wish and North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Andy Dunbobbin for launching the Community Christmas Fund.”
Another organisation receiving some festive funding is The Osborne Trust in Rhyl, which works to support children and young people across the UK with a parent who has had a cancer diagnosis, undergoing cancer treatment, seen a cancer recurrence, or passed away from cancer.
The Osborne Trust was established after founder and CEO Emma Osborne was diagnosed with cancer aged 36. Emma was mum to two children aged seven and four and found support was lacking for her children.
Emma finished her treatment in February 2014 and, once through this, she got to work on looking into setting up a charity to support children during a parent’s cancer. Since supporting the first family in January 2015, over 2,300 children have been supported by the Trust.
Andy Dunbobbin, Police and Crime Commissioner for North Wales commented: “Supporting communities is a key pledge in my Police and Crime Plan for North Wales and I recognise that small grants can make a big difference to community organisations. This is especially the case at this time of year when young people, families and other vulnerable groups across North Wales will be affected more than most by the Christmas cost-of-living crisis. This is why I asked Police Officers, PCSOs and police staff to recommend the organisations they felt would benefit most. These colleagues know their communities best and I was delighted with the response. I look forward to seeing the money put to good use by the organisations who will receive it and bring much-need festive cheer at this time of year.”
Emma Osborne, Founder of The Osborne Trust said: “We want to say a massive thank you to the North Wales Police staff who nominated The Osborne Trust to receive money as part of the PCC’s Community Christmas Fund. We have never seen a year like the past 12 months in our whole 9-year existence, with more and more demand for our services to support children during a parent’s cancer diagnosis, treatment, living with cancer and beyond.
“This funding guarantees another five families, where children are affected by their parent’s cancer, will receive support through our resource packs that we send out to every child, and by funding local respite activities so children can have some time away from all that cancer entails when mum or dad is having treatment. We cannot do US without YOU.”
The full list of benefiting organisations is:
Conwy
Llanfairfechan Foodbank, Llanfairfechan
Golygfa Gwydyr, Llanrwst
Ty Hapus Community Centre and Foodbank, Llandudno
The Hummingbird Project, Abergele
Youth Shed, Abergele
Abergele Cricket club, Abergele
Backstage Youth Club, Old Colwyn
Llandudno Rugby Club Juniors, Llandudno
Llandudno Rugby Club – Mini Goats Under 9s, Llandudno
Prom Ally, Llandudno
Conwy Nature Reserve Junior Parkrun, Conwy
Denbighshire
Belief, Prestatyn
1st Rhuddlan Squirrel Scouts, Rhuddlan
Corwen Football Club, Corwen
Forget Me Not Group, Denbigh
Blossom and Bloom, Rhyl
Osborne Trust, Rhyl
The Willow Collective, Rhyl
Rhyl Hwb, Rhyl
Sussex Street Christian Centre, Rhyl Foodbank, Rhyl
Foryd Centre, Rhyl
Salvation Army, Rhyl
ICAN Centre, Rhyl
Anglesey
Amlwch Port Community Group, Amlwch
Beavers Group, Amlwch
Moelfre Youth Club, Moelfre
Nadolig Moelfre Christmas, Moelfre
Seindorf Beaumaris Band, Beaumaris
Gwynedd
Cymdeithas Gymunedol y Bala a Phenllyn, Bala
Maestryfan Community Group, Cae Doctor, Bangor
MPCT, Bangor
HWB Ogwen, Bethesda
Canolfan y Fron, Caernarfon
Porthi Dre, Caernarfon
Clwb Rygbi Bethesda, Bethesda
Flintshire
Buckley Boxing, Buckley
Shelby’s Place CIC, Buckley
Walk and Talk, Ffynnongroyw
Trelawnyd Memorial Hall and Community Association, Trelawnyd
Wrexham
Reactive Charity, part of Bitesize Youth Charity, Wrexham
Action for Children, Wrexham
1st Esclusham Scout Group
The Venture, CIC, Caia Park, Wrexham
Gwenfro Valley Adventure Playground, Queensway, Wrexham
Pan-North Wales
Nanny Biscuit
2Wish
