Finding Groups in Herefordshire and Worcestershire

Big Lottery Fund success saves local charity

Staff at local charity, Jumpstart Kidz, are jumping for joy at the news of their success with the Big Lottery Fund. Jumpstart was on the brink of closure when they heard that their application to the Big Lottery Fund had resulted in a grant providing five years’ funding. Staff, trustees and beneficiaries celebrated for a week with cake and balloons at every Jumpstart session! They were joined at Upton Bishop by Mayor of Ross-on-Wye, Cllr David Ravenscroft and at Ledbury by Mayor of Ledbury, Cllr Allen Conway and his wife, Judy.

This Big Lottery Fund grant means that Jumpstart are adding to their sessions with new groups starting at Tudorville and the Ryefield Children’s Centre. Most sessions will now be two hours long so everyone can enjoy more fun. Full details of session locations and times are on the website at www.jumpstartkidz.org.uk .

Jumpstart Kidz run soft play sessions for pre-school aged children with their parents and carers in various venues around South Herefordshire. The sessions help children develop their early skills in a fun and active environment. Adults who attend can make new friends, relax with a coffee and get some useful parenting advice and support. Children can start attending Jumpstart from birth, as equipment and activities are included to suit children from birth to five years. Jumpstart now run two sessions which are specifically post-natal – at Ryefield Children’s Centre and Much Dewchurch Village Hall.

This local charity has been providing fun for local families since 1995 and will now focus on improving its service through staff development, working with family services providers to include more health and family issues at all sessions. Beneficiaries can contribute ideas for what local families want to see at the sessions and will be helping to shape the service.

The Big Lottery Fund distributes 46% of the National Lottery good cause funding across the UK. The Fund is committed to bringing real improvements to communities and the lives of people most in need.

Mags Smith, Jumpstart’s Development Manager said: “We are delighted about this grant from the Big Lottery Fund. It means that we can expand and improve Jumpstart over the next five years. If you want to have fun with your child then there’s a Jumpstart session somewhere near you every day of the week.”