The Coutts Foundation funding to support our work with children and young people

We are delighted to announce we have received funding from the Coutts Foundation to support our work with children and young people in Bristol.

The Coutts Foundation has awarded us an unrestricted grant of £105,000. We will receive £35,000 per year for the period December 2021 through to December 2024.

The funding will support our thriving youth and community programme, enabling children, young people and families in Barton Hill and across Bristol to enjoy creativity and stories that capture their imaginations.

Funding will also enable us to continue community partnerships formed throughout the coronavirus pandemic, reaching children and families who are most impacted by issues such as food poverty and lack of access to the creative opportunities that many other children enjoy.

A spokesperson from The Coutts Foundation, said:
“The Coutts Foundation supports sustainable approaches to tackle the causes and consequences of poverty.  Currently, the core focus of the foundation is supporting vulnerable women and girls as well as empowering young people through the performing arts. The Coutts Foundation is delighted to support the work of Travelling Light Theatre Company.”

Dienka Hines, Executive Director at Travelling Light, said:
“We are absolutely delighted to have been awarded funding from The Coutts Foundation. As we emerge from an incredibly challenging time for children, families and young people, opportunities for creativity, connection and imagination remain vitally important for wellbeing and community recovery. This funding will support our essential staffing and project costs that enable us to continue providing creative opportunities for children and young people, especially those who are least able to seek them.”

We currently run three weekly youth theatre groups for children aged 7-19 as well as Louder Than Words (for disabled young people aged 7+) and ActionSpeak (for disabled young people aged 16-25 years).

We also offer theatre projects and productions to Bristol schools and a programme of free holiday workshops, community performances and family activities with local partners in the Barton Hill area.

We have been creating award-winning professional productions for young audiences since 1984, touring regionally, nationally and internationally.

For many of its audiences seeing one of Travelling Light’s shows is their first experience of theatre and can inspire a lifetime’s enjoyment.

About The Coutts Foundation

The mission of The Coutts Foundation is to support sustainable approaches to tackle the causes and consequences of poverty, focusing on the communities where Coutts has a presence. This mission builds on the legacy of Angela Burdett-Coutts, the grand-daughter of Thomas Coutts, who was a progressive 19th-century philanthropist concerned with breaking cycles of poverty and providing basic human needs.

At this time the core focus of the Foundation is supporting women and girls and empowering young people through the performing arts. The Coutts Foundation is an independent corporate foundation, supported by Coutts.

Further information on The Coutts Foundation can be found on its website.