SOUTHAMPTON’S youngsters are set to benefit from more than £300K.

A charity providing opportunities for some of Southampton’s most disadvantaged young people to develop skills and overcome challenges been given a £308,038 National Lottery Community Fund Grant.

Weston Church Youth Project (WCYP) hosts “fun” drop-in, open-access clubs, trips and holiday activities to build youngsters’ social skills and self-esteem.

The charity which is based at The Venny in Kingsclere Avenue,will be paid over a three-year period.

Project Manager, Libbi Hammond, said: “We are so incredibly thankful to the National Lottery Community Fund for their continuation funding towards our Fun to Engage programme.

“Four years ago, the Big Lottery supported us with a grant to develop this work and this new grant will allow us to sustain what has been started and, where possible, build on it further. We have loved being able to develop this programme over the past four years and look forward to seeing how it grows over the next three.

“We hope to increase the number of volunteers we have, especially those who are from the local community, and help to support even more young people through our work. Our National Lottery Community Fund grant manager has been a wonderful source of encouragement and support with all the work that we do too.”

WCYP’s Fun to Engage project provides safe spaces including open-access youth clubs, trips and residentials for young people so they can socialise with each other, have new experiences and enjoy life.

It focuses on giving youngsters the opportunity to develop skills and overcome challenges through time limited projects in groups, as well as young leader and volunteering opportunities, with support from the projects’ workers within a group and on a one-to-one basis.

For more information about WCYP and its work call 07833 610385 or visit www.wcyp.org.