Dozens of young people in a deprived Wakefield community are set to enjoy a special Easter event thanks to a four-figure grant from developer the Banks Group.
The Red Roof Centre, which sits on the Wakefield Road between Kinsley and Fitzwilliam, held a free Easter celebration event last year, welcoming more than 30 local families along to enjoy a day full of games and activities.
Managers at the busy community centre wanted to repeat the event this year, but didn’t have the funds available to do so until the Banks Group grant stepped in with a £2,000 grant.
The date for this year’s event has now been confirmed as Thursday 10 April, with separate sessions being run for younger and older local children.
Attractions will arts and crafts, egg decorating, an egg hunt and Easter bonnet making, with a free meal also being provided and entertainment from the Copy Cat Party Company.
Located in an area where communities face significant levels of deprivation, the Red Roof Centre plays host to a wide range of different community groups, events and activities, including dance and keep fit classes, blood pressure monitoring and smoking cessation projects, a mother and toddler group, digital inclusion sessions and a community café.
Alongside the Easter event, the Centre also organises an annual Christmas event and a pantomime, to help ensure local young people are able to access things which might otherwise be out of reach of their families.
Tracy Carrington-Williams, centre manager at the Red Roof Centre, says: “Official figures show that more than a quarter of the children in our area are living in poverty, which in real terms this means that many local families are simply unable to afford luxuries, activities, and events that enrich their kids’ lives.
“Our focus is on making sure local young people get opportunities which they might otherwise miss out on, with our Easter celebration being part of a series of events that we put on through the year.
“The events also give us the chance to talk to local families about some of the other services we manage and deliver which could help improve their long-term health and well-being.
“The feedback we had about last Easter’s event from children of all ages and from their families made us really keen to repeat it this year, but with lots of other costs to cover, we simply didn’t have the money to put it on.
“Banks’ generous support has made the difference between us holding and not holding an Easter celebration event this year and we can’t wait to welcome all the kids along.”
The Banks Group is the developer behind the new Hollins Bank residential development in Hemsworth near Wakefield, which will include 260 high-quality homes of different sizes and types, and which will also enable creation of a network of new footpaths and new wildlife habitats which will enhance local biodiversity.
Kate Culverhouse, community relations manager at the Banks Group, added: “The Red Roof team puts so much hard work into making sure that local young people have the chance to experience things that lots of others might take for granted.
“We’re really pleased to be helping this year’s Easter event to go ahead and hope that everyone enjoys a great day out in some warm spring sunshine.”
The Banks Group’s community funds are independently managed by Point North. Anyone from a community close to a Banks Group project who is interested in applying for funding from the Banks Community Fund should contact the company via its website enquiry form (www.banksgroup.co.uk/contact-us/) to find out if their group or project is eligible.