“MAJOR FUNDING INJECTION FOR REACT”

A community project to improve the lives of people, both young and old, living in the City of Armagh and the surrounding district areas has been successful in receiving three grants within the past three months. REACT (Reconciliation, Education and Community Training) based at Victoria Street in Armagh have attracted funding from two major trusts from England and BBC Children in Need. 

The organisation has been awarded £43000 from the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust and £90000 from the Tudor Trust for the development of a three year community development project in the City of Armagh. This project will include support to local community and residents associations, development of a news letter, establishment of a community forum and wide range of social, educational and recreational programmes for the whole community.

The organisation has also attracted a substantial grant of almost £84,000 over three years from BBC Children in Need for a youth development programme entitled “The GOAL (Gaining Opportunities and Learning Project), whereby marginalised and displaced young persons aged 6 – 18 years will be encouraged to take part in youth development programmes, forums and activities.

Charmain Jones, Co-ordinator for REACT commented” This funding for our main projects will enable us to achieve the objectives set out in our three year strategy for the organisation. Funding until 2012 gives the organisation some creative breathing space to address the issues and needs of the local community of Armagh and also allows the organisation to begin to specialise in areas not previously explored such as mental health, social well being programmes, expand our cross community youth work, undertake local summer schools and create a networking forum in the City. Even though it has been a time of recession the staff and the management committee of REACT are thrilled that such large trust organisations empathise with our vision for the city and deem the organisation fit for purpose and able to do the job!” The three funders commented “Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust is pleased to support REACT’s important community development work in Armagh and is impressed with the energy and dedication of its staff”, the Tudor Trust commented “In agreeing a grant, our organisation felt REACT was a valuable, well established project at an important stage in its development and commended its empowering approach, allowing people space to move forward”. BBC Children in Need commented “This is an important and timely opportunity to invest in the personal and social development of young men in the Armagh area and we wish the GOAL project every success.”

For more information on REACT please contact Charmain Jones on 37526869 or email Charmain_react@yahoo.co.uk