Prince and Princess of Wales visit Scarborough to meet with charities royal foundation is funding

The funding is a collaboration from the Royal Foundation of the Prince and Princess of Wales and the Two Ridings Community Foundation.

It’s well known that the Prince and Princess of Wales are champions of the importance of young people’s mental health, and so £345,000 has been donated to this cause, which will go towards local charities supporting young people and their mental health.

On their visit, the Royal Highnesses met with a youth panel who have a key role in how the funding is allocated.

The young people on the panel had themselves been supported by local community organisations and the meeting was a chance to learn more about how this funding will make a difference to young people in Scarborough.

The young people who made up the panel got to talk to Their Royal Highnesses about issues facing young people, and how surfing and swimming helps, but needs to be more accessible.

A spokesperson from Youth Angels, who sat in on the panel, said: ”We organise a whole bunch of groups and activities. We have youth clubs, mentoring, eating together groups and through Covid we created a walking group, and we started surfing lessons.

“With activities that young people can’t afford to do themselves, Two Ridings helped us with the funding. Surfing is amazing for mental health, so to see all the young people and the effect it’s had on them with the calming effect and it helps people with anxiety.

“The funding has helped specifically with the surfing lessons and the mentoring. We have young people who come to our groups who need more support.”Their Royal Highnesses then made their way downstairs, where representatives from the organisations and charities were waiting to tell the royals how the funding will impact them, and what they do to help the community.

Prince William said: “We heard a lot upstairs about mental health priorities, safe spaces, places to go for young people after school and food; particularly issues which seem to be resonating through the community today.

“Particularly on the mental health side of things. Tackling that stigma and talking about mental health and providing services throughout the community are crucial as to how we go forwards in dealing with mental health issues that many, many people face.

“I think for Katherine and I, the legacy of today and bringing people together and showing what can be done when a community comes together and helps collaboratively is really something that we want to follow and you’re leading where others will follow so thank you.”

The charities being helped with this funding include Gallows Close Centre, a community centre, Sidewalk Youth Project, a youth group, and Flash Company Arts, another community group.

Kimmie Avison, from the Gallows Close Centre, said: “The funding will help massively. We have a play therapy counselling service that we’ve been running for two years, and the funding is coming to an end so it’s really vital that we keep it running as we have a waiting list of young people wanting to use that service.“We’re always having to fundraise at the centre to keep activities going, so it’s going to help massively.”

Lisa Upton, from Sidewalk Youth Project, said: “During the pandemic, Two Ridings gave us the opportunity to keep going as they helped us to do online things and help young people through bereavement and isolation and since then, they’ve helped us to rebuild and go forward.

“It’s a difficult time for funding, but they’re offering unrestricted funding to help us to manage and adapt so it’ll make a huge forward.”

The Royal Foundation and Two Ridings Community Foundation have been able to offer this funding thanks to local donors, which will help support the work of community-led organisations working with young people in the Scarborough area.

Tim Williams, a private donor, said: “The work that Two Ridings do with the charities that are here today, and other charities, is testimony to what a great community foundation they are and I’m very excited to be able to support what’s going on in the Scarborough area and Two Ridings.”

Rebecca Bletcher, from the Liz and Terry Bramall Foundation, said: “We got involved in Covid times because we knew they’d have a quick response to those in need, but we want to continue that now because we;re hearing about the types of charities they’re supporting and we love what they do.

“Being here today and hearing the young people’s needs, that support is so vital around the main issues of mental health, food and warmth and whatever crisis is there, Two Ridings are supporting quickly.”