Creating a better childhood

We believe that a child’s wellbeing is linked to the strength of their family and the community that surrounds them.

Investing in communities is crucial because strong, connected communities create the foundations for better childhoods. When parents and carers are supported by their community, they are better equipped to face challenges, more secure in their abilities, and more likely to provide stable, nurturing environments for their children. This helps create confident, capable young individuals who are ready to contribute positively to society.

The key to building a brighter future lies in empowering families and communities together. By mitigating the impact of poverty, ensuring children are ready to learn, and creating stability, we can generate opportunities right on people’s doorsteps. This is especially crucial for young people facing challenging contexts, such as those with special educational needs or those who are young carers. By addressing these unique challenges, we can create ripple effects that lead to better futures for families, children, and whole communities.

Nurturing strong, resilient families

We’ve been partnering with others to invest in building strong families to build a better future for children in Norfolk. By working together, we’ve helped create safe places for families to belong, be supported and build trust so each member can excel and succeed. From working with local individuals raising big funds to partnering with Norfolk County Council, below is just a small selection of some of the great work that together we have been proud to fund.

A Better Childhood Fund

Our A Better Childhood Fund is dedicated to nurturing strong, resilient families. Through it, we look at the big picture, ensuring that families have the resources, guidance, and opportunities they need to thrive at every stage of their children’s development – from conception through to adulthood.

Pandora Project provide domestic abuse support to women and children in West Norfolk and coastal North Norfolk. Pandora reported a worrying trend via their social media including their new live chat service on their website that women appeared more desperate and higher numbers asking about how to leave their homes safely. There was a significant rise in domestic abuse in the UK during the Covid-19 pandemic, with calls to the National Domestic Abuse Helpline surging by 65% during the first lockdown. The lockdowns and restrictions made it harder for victims to seek help, leading to increased severity and complexity of cases.

A grant from our A Better Childhood Fund helped to provide support for women and children in North Norfolk to leave safely, signpost and work in partnership with other agencies through the employment of an additional Domestic Abuse Support Worker. The role of their Support Worker is to help women affected by domestic abuse via a range of approaches, including on a 1-1 basis and in groups. The worker met up with women in safe places, giving them an opportunity to talk about their experiences in a safe and non-judgmental environment. Women are also able to access Pandora’s 10 week recovery programme, ‘Open the Box’, for women who have experienced abuse and have left their abusive partner which helps them to understand what has happened to them and to move on from the abuse positively.

“Last year I was referred to the Pandora Project due to a crisis which happened in my life, attending Pandora has given me the skills and opened up my eyes to the fact that I was in an abusive relationship which affected myself and my daughter. The Open The Box programme taught me a lot about what signs to look out for, and it has built up my confidence again.”

– Supported individual

The Big Oardeal Sports and Opportunities Fund

James Bracey and The Big Oardeal Team took part in the epic fundraiser: World’s Toughest Row, rowing 3,000 miles across the Atlantic in 41 days. In it’s wake, ‘The Big Oardeal Sports and Opportunities Fund’ was created to help young people in Norfolk access new opportunities to fulfil their potential.

Connects and Co support children and young people with a caring role for a family member who has a learning/physical disability, terminal or long term illness, mental health issue or an addiction problem. Young carers require care and support to help them deal with very difficult and traumatic home-life situations, with Connects and Co providing a listening ear and opportunities to build friendships and support through a wide range of activities.

A grant from the Big Oardeal Sports and Opportunities Fund has enabled Connects and Co to take 25 young carers on a residential to the Horstead Centre, an outdoor activity centre which includes zipwire, camp cooking, archery, river activities and more. Young carers often feel isolated and miss out on these kind of opportunities because of their home life, with this grant giving these children a much needed break from their caring roles. For many, this will be the only holiday they have, and will encourage the children to learn new skills, develop relationships with their peers and enjoy being outside too.

“Connects has given my child opportunities that they would not normally have had, especially at times where finances are extremely difficult. My child’s confidence has grown, and it’s given them an opportunity to make new friends too.”

– Parent whose child has received support

Wellbeing Support for New Fathers and Fathers to be Fund

The Wellbeing Support for New Fathers and Fathers to be programme was made possible by Norfolk County Council with HM Government funding through the Start for Life and family hubs programme for community projects supporting fathers in the first 1001 days of fatherhood, from conception to an infant’s second birthday.

Merchants’ Place is a community hub, enabling access to specialist support and social opportunities for people living in Cromer and across North Norfolk’s coastal parishes. The hub hosts and supports access to a responsive network of community and peer-led groups, lifelong learning, specialist advice and wellbeing projects for people who are vulnerable to multiple and complex needs.

Funding from the Wellbeing Support for New Fathers and Fathers to be Fund is allowing Merchants’ Place to offer a comprehensive peri-natal service for fathers and caregivers all the way from planning for a family to babies second birthday, creating a support and advice social group which expectant fathers will access regularly as they transition into parenthood. Led by a qualified and licensed Post Natal Practitioner across a twelve month rolling plan, ‘To Dad’ will incorporate different events, workshops, learning and social sessions, from exploring financial implications, equipment, routines and work life balanc to practical guidance on baby massage and baby sensory, slings and equipment, nappy changing, cord care, support and care for mum, creative play, child development and catering for additional needs.

“Having the flexibility to bring my daughter with me to swim is fantastic. It’s also great for me so I can get a break and step away from dad duties. It’s good for my mental health!”

– Supported individual

Norfolk Household Support Fund

The Norfolk Household Support Fund was funded by Norfolk County Council to help households affected by the cost of living crisis. During one of the rounds earlier this summer, we saw a rise in applications from organisations reporting a need in supporting families with back to school costs, including school uniforms which for larger families can be increasingly prohibitive.

Shrublands Youth and Adult Centre was originally a farm and became a community centre in 1949, providing activities for local people of all ages still today. Alongside this, Shrublands run a community cafe and a food club, offering people a safe place to go to socialise, access advice and support and find healthy food at affordable prices. A grant from the Norfolk Household Support Fund enabled Shrublands to work with a local schoolwear provider to provide over 200 children with school uniforms.

Data released by The Children’s Society from the last few years shows that uniform costs are around £287 for a child in primary school and £422 for a child in secondary school. Alongside this, parents also have to think about other back to school costs such as stationery, lunchboxes, new shoes and trainers for PE. These costs put huge pressure on families who are already struggling to manage high energy bills and inflation. As a result, some families across the UK are having to cut back on other essentials such as food or electricity. Shrublands support will therefore help ease some of the pressure for many families at a critical time whilst ensuring local children have a smooth transition back to school.