In September 2021, the Marple Youth Project were awarded £1,000 from the SKylight Community Fund. The group, which was started earlier in 2021, also successfully raised funds through crowd funding and other grant bids. This meant that in October 2021 they were able to open their doors every Friday evening and start their youth club!

The funding has enabled Marple Youth Project to DBS check all their volunteers, have volunteers complete a First Aid Course and provide great sessions for young people.

Since then, Marple Youth Project have welcomed 165 young people to the youth club, which regularly has between 20 and 40 young people attending each Friday night during school term time.

The sessions have included playing basketball and football, making pizzas, learning about Guide Dogs and getting the children involved in fund raising! All the activities that Marple Youth Project offer are based on feedback from the young people that attend, which is what has led to so many young people coming back week after week.

Following their success, the group have set themselves three aims for the next 12 months:

• hold a second weekly session
• set up a digital register system
• recruit more volunteers!

If you would like to know more about Marple Youth Project, or you are interested in volunteering with them, then please contact Aron Thornley on 07951 973792.

If you would like to know more about SKylight Community Fund, visit the community fund page or email [email protected]