Posted on Friday 02 Aug

---

Exim Dance work to enable disadvantaged and disabled young people to participate in regular dance activities which help with the development of essential life skills.

At our recent Foundation meeting, the trustees voted in favour of a £4,500 grant which will be used to support the costs of dance sessions to children in the Plymouth area.

Natasha Sheridan, Plymouth branch manager, had the pleasure of visiting the CIC and learning about their work. She had this to say: “As a child I was fortunate to grow up in an area and family in which I had most things available for me to take advantage of. This project really has made me realise the importance of all children having these opportunities and support networks whilst growing up. It is truly heart-warming to witness the impact Exim could have on these children, no matter their background, disability or social standing. Being a part of this journey would be truly magnificent.”

Laura Francesca, Artistic Director said this about the recent grant: Exim Dance Company are ecstatic that they have received funding from Hays Travel Foundation towards our Communities Together Project supporting young people age 11-16 years from Plymouth areas of deprivation North Prospect, Stonehouse, Devonport and Ernesettle. The young people involved suffer from low confidence, mental health, come from low income families and ongoing barriers due to health or society difficulties. The young people and Exim are truly grateful for the support and the funding will go a long way.”

The funding will support and allow young people to access the dance sessions free of charge, partake in dance leadership accredited courses, be involved in community events and watch professional performances, which will be a first ever trip to the theatre for some of the participants.

Click here for more

Posted on Friday 02 Aug

---

Artichoke is a registered charity responsible for the creation of many outdoor arts events. As part of the upcoming Durham Lumiere Festival, the charity aims to engage young people across the North East of England in creative and cultural activities.

The Hays Travel Foundation granted £12,000 in January to help fund the education programme in County Durham which will see children from 10 partner primary schools engage in arts sessions. We recently visited Roseberry Primary School to see first-hand the project in action.

The session delivered by Rio Florenza from Oases North East saw children making artwork out of plastic bottles as part of a bigger project which will be on display at this year’s Lumiere.

Kids worked in groups, each responsible for a different part of the creative process, learning about teamwork and communication in order to ensure the final product turned out great. Kids learnt about plastic and the impact it has on the environment as well as ways of reusing the material.

We are extremely grateful to the Trustees of the Hays Travel Foundation for their generous contribution towards our work with primary schools in County Durham. With the support of the Foundation, we have been able to develop a creative learning programme that brings the magic of Lumiere into the classroom and sustains the impact of the festival year-round. Creating opportunities for local children and young people is at the heart of Lumiere’s ethos, and we are thrilled to be working with Hays Travel - an organisation with their roots firmly in the North East - to make this possible” Louise Dennison, Learning & Participation Producer.

Click here for more

Posted on Monday, Jul 15

---

The John Muir Trust works to inspire and enable people of all ages to discover wild places and campaign for the protection of wild land.

In January, the Hays Travel Foundation granted the John Muir Trust £5,000 to enable the charity to work with children from schools in the North East of England to discover, explore and learn about wild places.

Rosie Simpson, fundraiser for the John Muir Trust said:” We are immensely grateful to Trustees of the Hays Travel Foundation for their support early this year which has meant we can continue to work with organisations such as outdoor learning specialist, ‘OASES’, to give children and young people of all backgrounds opportunities to discover and explore wild places which become experiences that nurture confidence, curiosity and understanding of our world.”

Recently, Gemma, our Hays Travel Crook branch Manager and her Assistant Manager, Chelsey, attended a session delivered to children from Abbeyhill Academy Sixth Form. On the day, everyone got involved in various activities such as collecting specific leaves and acorns, collecting “mini beasts” and a team building exercise called “Find the Tree”. These activities not only helped develop their knowledge about nature and the environment but also allowed the children to develop essential communication and problem solving skills.

Chelsey had this to say about the day: “We enjoyed getting involved with the children and watching how the award helps them get out into the fresh air. This is helping the children appreciate the wildlife and local areas, by doing this the aim is for them to respect the areas and hopefully look after them in the future as they get older.”

Click here for more