FIVE HAPPINESS PROJECTS SECURE SWEET FUNDING

Five new projects across the Wakefield District that encourage friendship and moments of happiness across generations have secured funding from the HARIBO Happiness Together Fund.

The fund, delivered in partnership with Community Foundation Wakefield District, will support Go Pop, Featherstone Rovers Foundation, Blossom, Speak with IT and Carers Wakefield District.

Tabea Powell, Corporate Communications Manager for HARIBO, comments: "We are very proud to unveil the recipients of our second round of the HARIBO Happiness Together Funding. From singing to IT, a lunching club to cooking and self-defence, each initiative is varied but fun, all activities that raise a smile.

"Alongside the Community Foundation Wakefield District, our goal is to support projects that deliver intergenerational activities, creating opportunities for memorable, shared experiences. Knowing that we now have seven campaigns underway, through phase one and two, is really encouraging."

Blossom is a two-year programme of personal safety training sessions open to various minority groups and women of all ages.

Alongside learning from each other, there will be a great deal to gain from each session including building confidence, mobility and reducing social isolation in the older groups, to showcasing what healthy relationships look like and teaching self-protection for the younger women.

Madeleine France, Blossom Founder, comments: “We are delighted to have been supported by the HARIBO Happiness Together Fund during 2022. This support allows us to take our unique non-combative self-defence training course across all five towns in the Wakefield district.

“We are hoping to reach over 100 delegates, promoting confidence, resilience and morale courage. The aim is to disrupt and divert crime by offering alternative means to avoid, deflect, and report crimes within our communities so that we can influence positive change to bring a better tomorrow.”

Go Pop is a choir open to all ages that celebrates the benefits of singing and the positive impact it can have on an individual’s mental health and wellbeing. Through pop songs and current music, the group hopes to attract younger generations.

Using its partnership with Millennium Care, which supports adults with intellectual disabilities, Featherstone Rovers will encourage younger people to serve the older generation at weekly lunch club events and activities.

Here work experience will be provided, and social isolation will be reduced for the older residents. Benefiting both age groups, this project will have positive outcomes all round.

Intergenerational elements are already a big part of the charity, Speak with IT. Here young people studying for SLT qualifications make up most of the volunteers, who hold frequent sessions with beneficiaries suffering from aphasia; those with a lack of speech and communications skills following a stroke or damage to the brain.

The funding will underpin a fortnightly drop-in aphasia cafe in Wakefield for the next two years.

Carers Wakefield District will deliver a programme of Cook and Eat sessions involving young carers and carers over 55. These meaningful interactions benefit each person's mental health while reducing social isolation.

Diane Hall from Community Foundation Wakefield District added: "We had an overwhelming response to round two funds, reinforcing the appetite for these types of events and activities. We look forward to celebrating the outcomes and seeing the many benefits delivered by each throughout our district."

The HARIBO Happiness Fund will support programmes that deliver intergenerational events and activities which will engage older and younger people and target those in the 18-24 age-group and those who are 55 plus. Working together, both groups will benefit and learn from each other.