Efficiency North has donated £1,000 to Bridges Youth Club in North Bransholme, Hull, to support families by providing healthy meals for its young members.
The youth club has seen an increase in demand for its services from families in the wider area, which it says is due to ongoing cost-of-living issues.
The team at Efficiency North, which operates across the north of England and has an EN:Able Futures apprenticeship construction hub in Bransholme, was aware of the charity’s work and wanted to recognise its vital impact on the community. As well as the £1,000 donation, it is eager to continue support in the form of career sessions with the club’s young people.
Efficiency North’s chief executive Lee Parkinson said that despite the rise in demand for the club’s wide range of services, it understood that the funding it receives has not kept pace.
“We are proud to do our part to remedy that,” said Lee. “The team at Bridges Youth Club is a community lifeline, doing crucial work with young people and families for more than 15 years that is nothing short of inspiring.
“We hope the £1,000 will go towards providing nutritious meals for its users and to support other activities they have planned for the summer. We’re also eager that this is just the start of an ongoing partnership and we’ll have the opportunity to provide advice around the world of work and support the ambitions of these young people, aligning with our ethos of making a tangible difference wherever we work.
“Our apprenticeship construction hub in Bransholme is a testament to this and we look forward to deepening our commitment to this community.”
A recent government report about youth clubs showed funding of youth provision declined in real terms from £1,058.2m in 2011 to £408.5m in 2021. The average number of youth clubs supported by individual local authorities in England has fallen from 14 in 2011/12 to eight in 2018/19.
Tiffany Strode at Bridges Youth Club, which has been running since October 2008, thanked Efficiency North for its cheque donation, which was presented by EN:Able Futures recruitment officer Daniel Simpkins on behalf of the Efficiency North board and executive team.
Tiffany added that such support was more important now than ever. “Demand is rising within local communities across the region for spaces and support like that provided by Bridges Hull,” said Tiffany.
“Unfortunately, the on-the-ground reality is that funding is not matching that need. Provision for young people is decreasing just as there is a huge spike in demand.
“Our work with young people and families is beyond crucial, especially during the cost-of-living crisis. Food is a key priority of ours as we understand it is a concern for our community.
“Part of the donation will go towards providing healthy meals three times a week to the young people who visit the club to help take the pressure off families. We couldn’t be more appreciative of Efficiency North’s donation.”
Efficiency North has also donated £1,000 to St John’s Church foodbank in Bransholme, to provide supplies to the most vulnerable, and last year donated £2,000 to Rotherham Foodbank.
To find out more about Bridges Youth Club and how to donate or volunteer, please visit their website: https://www.bridgeshull.org/donate/