Summary:
Momentum say the money from Lloyds Bank Community Fund will make a huge difference.
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A KINGSTON charity which supports children with cancer and life-limiting conditions can continue offering welcome breaks to families after receiving a large cash grant.
Momentum, based on Park Road, has been handed £3,000 by the Lloyds Bank Community Fund after beating off stiff competition from other local groups in the area.
Each year the independent charity helps around 150 families of children with cancer being treated at Kingston Hospital, offering individually tailored support programmes.
One of these comes in the form of their Core Family Support programme, which Nikki Howard, a member of the fundraising team, explained would be boosted by their recent cash injection.
“The money is going to make a big difference,” she said. “The Core Family Support programme comes in three parts, emotional and physical and then we also send families on short breaks to the New Forest.
“It can be a very traumatic time when children are being treated for cancer so the trips allow families to get away for a short break.
“We look after children with cancer, that includes their families and siblings and anyone who is affected by it.
“We always say we are a helping hand in their journey through cancer. We try and make it as positive as possible.
“We are very close to all our families, we always make a point of celebrating birthdays and we remain in contact with families from the point of diagnosis to even when after individuals unfortunately pass away.”
Now in its second year, the Lloyds Bank Community Fund gave grants to 1,332 local good causes in 333 communities throughout England and Wales.
Four good causes were nominated by staff in each community with more than 2.3million votes cast in branches, online and by text message at the end of 2013.
Momentum and Express Community Interest Company garnered the most votes and received £3,000 and for Nikki it couldn’t have come at a better time as they gear up towards their tenth anniversary.
“We were absolutely delighted to win, we are just about to celebrate our tenth anniversary in May so it was very timely,” she added.
“We have a lot of things planned; we are going to have a big fundraiser in May where we hope to raise more money towards the charity.
“So far we have raised one and a half million pounds which given we only started off as a small charity, is great. We like to think that the community puts into us and we put into the community.”
Lloyds Bank has provided funding to 1,332 community groups in England & Wales through its Community Fund in 2013. To find out more about the community groups in your area, visit www.lloydsbank.com/communityfund
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