Wai Yin Society Welcome Centre “Reaching Out to M8”celebrates after receiving funding from the National Lottery to help local people in disadvantaged areas
A leading North West Charity, Wai Yin Society, is today celebrating after being awarded £496,000 over four years in National Lottery funding to support its work with local people in North Manchester. The Welcome Centre, based in Brentfield Avenue, Cheetham Hill, will use the funds to deliver support, education, training, employment and community integration for local people living in North Manchester, many of whom have diverse ethnicities, and English being their second language.
Circle Steele, CEO of Wai Yin Society, says: “We’re delighted that The National Lottery Community Fund has recognized the hard work of overcoming barriers for the community. We will be able to continue and extend our services in a very deprived area, which has been doubly adversely impacted by the current covid pandemic”
Wai Yin Society has been supporting, empowering and working in partnership with Chinese individuals and families for more than 30 years. As the Society has grown, we have developed a range of employment, education and community services for Chinese men and women and for other ethnic minority groups, including Somali, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Indian and many European nationalities.
The Welcome Centre, which is situated in the centre of Cheetham Hill provides English Classes, IT classes, Work Club, Welfare Advice, free Lunches and Food parcels distribution to the most in need, gardening classes to grow your own food, arts and craft classes, and job search support to the local residents in Cheetham Hill and Crumpsall areas.
The new funding from The National Lottery Community Fund, which distributes money raised by National Lottery players for good causes and is the largest funder of community activity in the UK, will make a difference by empowering the local people in the following ways: · Building up their skill sets so that they can look for work independently. · Developing their English language skills to improve their work prospects. · Know their rights and be able to exercise them. · Improving their physical health and mental wellbeing, signposting them to other organisations where they could get more specialised help if necessary. · Giving them a sense of pride in their community and a sense of personal achievement. · Engaging in local activities to reduce feelings of isolation and help them belong to an active and thriving community, both in the immediate vicinity and also the diverse communities that exist in North Manchester.
Ends
Contact
Circle Steele, telephone number 0161 833 0377 or email: [email protected]