Four Welsh charities will receive a share of £1.2 million charity fund from ScottishPower Foundation

Four charities in Wales will receive a share of a £1.2 million funding pot from the ScottishPower Foundation, which champions benevolent work across the country.

Applying to the Foundation for funding is highly competitive each year. The charities that are successful in securing funding show passion, skill and commitment to making a positive change in their communities.

From education programmes to art projects, the fund will enable projects across Wales to deliver philanthropic work, supporting thousands of beneficiaries.

Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, which runs the Llanelli Wetland Centre in Carmarthenshire, has been awarded £100,000 for its ‘Generation Wild’ project to offer thousands of children across the UK with the opportunity to experience and interact with wildlife and the surrounding habitat. The programme will work with 15,000 children from disadvantaged communities, their teachers, and families to develop a life-long love of the natural world.

Bangor University (Reaching Wider North and Mid Wales partnership) will also benefit from the funding for its innovative ‘Bright Sparks’ programme. It combines education and theatre in the classroom to inspire a love for Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM). Working with Theatr Clwyd, Welsh students will learn about a variety of subject areas from ‘Professor Sparky’ and her nephew ‘Eric’ who is trying to pass his exams. The sessions will focus on the environmental benefits of Low Carbon Technologies.

Nightingale House Hospice in Wrexham has been awarded a grant of £25,000 to support its vital work in Wrexham for both patients and the local community.

Cardiff-based Size of Wales will use funding to encourage conversations on climate change among young people in Wales. The project will return with its ‘MockCOP’ initiative for 14-18 year-olds, which is similar in style to a United Nations discussion. It will give young people a platform to speak out on climate change and empower them to feel that they can be part of the solution.

Melanie Hill, Executive Officer and Trustee at the ScottishPower Foundation, said: “At the ScottishPower Foundation, we’re passionate about supporting causes that really make a difference for communities, committed to fighting climate change, and dedicated to helping young people achieve their full potential for a brighter future. The charities we’re funding this year do all of that – and more – carrying out exceptional work, often in challenging circumstances, as they strive to make lives better.

“We recognise that now, more than ever, people are relying on charities and their services and we’re very proud to support these efforts in such a meaningful way. We’ll continue to work closely with our charity partners to help maximise the impact of our ScottishPower Foundation funding to achieve the best possible outcomes for people and communities across the UK.”

Mark Stead, National Formal Learning Manager at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, said: “We are delighted to have secured this funding. My childhood was filled with splashing in streams and climbing trees. Very few of today’s children have these experiences and we are in danger of raising a generation of young people that have become disconnected from the natural world.

“This disconnection is felt even more keenly among disadvantaged communities and at WWT we believe that nature is for everyone, irrespective of their background. This funding will enable us to reconnect some of those in society who need it most with nature, boosting their mental wellbeing whilst helping to create a new generation of conservationists.”

The ScottishPower Foundation was established in 2013 to make a significant and lasting contribution to society, enhancing the lives of people living in communities throughout the UK. It provides funding to help support the advancement of education, environmental protection, arts and culture and citizenship. It also supports charities who aim to provide relief from poverty, disability, or other disadvantages.

The full list of this year’s funding recipients are:

· Kidscape Campaign for Children’s Safety

· Changing Faces

· South Tyneside Churches KEY Project

· Inter Madrassah Organisation

· National Theatre of Scotland

· Youth Connections

· The Customs House

· Starcatchers

· Nightingale House Hospice

· Bangor University (Reaching Wider North and Mid Wales partnership)

· The Literacy Pirates