Michael Jones, Trustee and Warden, has presented two cheques from The HCG Charitable Trust to Cheltenham Festivals.
The first cheque for £1,000 is to support the Classic Concert for Schools, part of their Outreach Programme. The Concert brings over 600 primary school children to Cheltenham Music Festival, where they experience and try out classical music, often for the first time. The programme is designed to bring musical education and the joy of live music to students in Gloucestershire who may not otherwise have access; it targets schools with at least 25% Pupil Premium children and thus reaches most disadvantaged families with incentives like free transport. The grant will help with the costs of subsidising ticket prices and providing incentives like free transport. The Trust has supported this Concert before and Michael, having attended a Concert in the past, has witnessed the benefits to the youngsters who are given the opportunity to attend through this programme.
The second cheque, also for £1,000, will help funding for The Scribbled Self, a ‘writing for wellbeing’ resource. This has been co-created by young people in Gloucestershire who were beneficiaries of Beyond Words, a writing in residence programme in partnership with The Gloucestershire Hospital Education Service. A copy of the resource is already in every secondary school in Gloucestershire. The Scribbled Self will work with schools throughout Gloucestershire to ensure it is being used to support young people in maintaining well-being and improving understanding of mental health issues. The project supports teachers and young people aged 14+.
The photograph shows Lydia Ratcliffe receiving the cheques on behalf of Cheltenham Festivals.
