£15,000 in Grants Awarded to 14 Youth Led Projects by The High Sheriff of Shropshire’s Fund

In a landmark initiative, The High Sheriff of Shropshire’s Fund has announced its first awardees, marking a significant step in support for youth led projects across Shropshire Telford and Wrekin.

Established to bolster organisations and community groups, the fund offers grants up to £1,250, focusing on projects that inspire young people to make a positive impact in their communities.

The innovative fund, managed by Shropshire Community Foundation, was born from a collaborative vision shared by the Foundation and the former high sheriffs of Shropshire, Dean Harris and Selina Graham DL and launched in 2023 by current High Sheriff Mandy Thorn MBE.

The response has been overwhelming. The awarding team welcomed a large volume of high-calibre applications from a varied range of charitable and voluntary organisations.

The initiative has been generously supported by local business Aico, who supported the fund back in Autumn, underlining their dedication to community and youth development. Neal Hooper, Aico’s Managing Director, expressed his enthusiasm for the initiative:

“We are proud to support the High Sheriffs Fund and Shropshire Community Foundation. We feel it is vital to invest in young people and our local community.”

Grants have been awarded to various charitable organisations across the county and represent a real celebration of innovation and community engagement for young people. They support a range of diverse projects – from environmental initiatives to arts, cultural and sports programmes, including those tackling anti-social behaviours that can lead to crime.

Shropshire Youth, one of the beneficiaries of the fund, has been awarded £1,000 to support its ‘EmpowHer’ initiative. This significant project is part of a national programme launched in 2018, specifically designed to address the issue of low levels of wellbeing among young women and girls in the UK.

The ‘EmpowHer’ group sessions enable young women and girls to break down personal barriers, supporting them to lead change in their local communities. The programme recognises the unique challenges young women and girls face regarding wellbeing and self-esteem and aims to provide them with the tools and support needed to overcome them.

Hope Through Music has been awarded £1,250 towards its new Environmental Ambassadors Youth Panel. The exciting new programme is designed to help young individuals become environmental advocates. The initiative involves young people in environmental conservation efforts, guiding them as they become leaders and ambassadors for sustainable practices and supporting climate anxiety within the local community.

As the projects unfold, they will undoubtedly leave a lasting impact on the community, echoing the High Sheriff’s vision of a county driven by its youth. Mandy Thorn MBE is elated by the response:

“We were absolutely thrilled at the quality of the vast majority of the applications we received for the High Sheriff’s Grant and excited to be able to support a number of projects across Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin. I am so grateful to Aico for their generosity in enabling us to launch the High Sheriff’s grants and to the other donors who have made it possible for us to fund these projects.”

The success of this first round paves the way for future grants, promising ongoing support for youth led community projects in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin. The High Sheriff of Shropshire’s Fund is not just investing in projects – it’s investing in the potential of young people to be changemakers in their local communities.

Round two of the funding will commence later in 2024.

Full list of awardees