Low Mill Receives Crucial Grant Boost

Low Mill Outdoor Centre in Askrigg is one of the first organisations to receive a vital grant from Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust’s Coronavirus Community Fund.

The support will help to ensure the outdoor education centre survives the current crisis as it is unable to open its doors.

Low Mill Outdoor Centre is a charity that offers adventurous outdoor education courses to help reinforce positive attitudes in young people aged 9 to 25.

Terry Hailwood from Low Mill said:
“We are desperately trying to react to the current crisis and support staff and customers, while safeguarding the charity that will be so deeply needed in the months and years to come when communities start to re-connect and re-build.

“Following government guidelines, we are temporarily closed and that has put a major stress on us. The centre continues to consume overhead costs with no income to support it, as schools, youth and social groups are closed.

“The grant from Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust will allow us to cover running costs and the overheads of the residential centre. It also means we will be in a strong position to carry on delivering outdoor education to young people after this crisis.

“The need for personal development, robustness and resilience in young people will be needed more than ever after the return to the new normal.”

The Coronavirus Community Fund is delivered in partnership by YDMT and Two Ridings Community Foundation and provides grants of up to £2,000 for groups across Craven and Richmondshire.

Its focus is to help people through this unprecedented time and to deal with emergency issues as a result of the continuing threat of coronavirus.

Support is available for groups and organisations who are responding to emerging issues in the community arising due to coronavirus, the development of initiatives to fill gaps where there are no current suitable services, and groups that provide vital community support to maintain some level of viability whilst they are experiencing a significant loss of income.

Priority will be given groups supporting those most vulnerable including older people, people with long term health conditions, people with mental health difficulties, people affected by homelessness and other groups who are particularly vulnerable at this time.

Michaela Brennan, project officer at YDMT said:
“We’re really pleased to have been able to expand our existing grants programme to help those providing vital services to the community at this time.

“Supporting organisations like Low Mill is a core part of the programme. They are a hub in the community, are a local employer and offer Askrigg and beyond an important service.”

Applications for the grants are continuing open and quick decisions are made on a weekly basis.

For more information please contact Michaela on 015242 51002, email michaela.brennan@ydmt.org or visit ydmt.org where forms and application notes can be found.