BBC Children in Need support Louder Than Words

We are delighted to announce that BBC Children in Need has awarded us a grant of £9484 over 2015/16 to fund our Louder Than Words project,  helping to make a difference to the lives of children and young people right here in Bristol.

Louder than Words is a unique theatre group open to children with additional needs aged 7 and over. Working with a trained dramatherapist, group members learn new skills in drama and theatre making as well as learning new ways to communicate, making new friends while building their confidence.  

Louder Than Words was established in 2013 and is the only youth theatre group designed specifically for children with additional needs in the area. The sessions are planned and delivered with the needs of each individual group member in mind. Team members are trained in Makaton sign language and utilise PECS symbols to enable access to children with communication barriers.

With the support of BBC Children in Need, Travelling Light will be able to continue reaching out to the young people in Bristol. The grant will fund 30 sessions which will run in Barton Hill during term time in addition to three outreach sessions to be delivered in local specialist schools. Over the year young people will also have the opportunity to work with a filmmaker to document their sessions, creating a digital memory for them to keep.  

Georgina Trevor, Travelling Light’s Participation Director says; “We could not be happier to have received support from Children in Need. Travelling Light believes that all children should have access to high quality arts provision and our Louder Than Words project enables us to offer specialist provision to children who ordinarily may face barriers to access. The transformation we have seen in young people accessing the service so far has been magical and this grant will make a huge difference to the reach of the work and the security that the young people feel in their service.”

 BBC Children in Need funding relies on the energy and commitment of thousands of fundraisers and supporters across the UK who donate their time and money to support the Appeal.  Whether it’s cake sales, wearing pyjamas to school or having a song and dance, every penny of the money raised goes towards supporting projects across the UK.

 All grants go to projects working with children and young people living in the UK who may be affected by homelessness, neglect, abuse or poverty, or those who have faced challenges in their lives such as serious illness, disabilities and psychological disorders.