From environmental conservation to helping to provide education and opportunities to those in need, the projects, along with nine other charities in Scotland and Wales, will receive a funding boost to empower them to continue to support the local environment and communities they serve.
Streetwise Opera is one charity set to benefit, launching a new programme to support people who have experienced homelessness in London, Manchester and Nottingham through the power of opera. The ScottishPower Foundation's funding will support Streetwise Opera’s new ‘Streetwise Sessions’ enabling the charity to take performing arts workshops to some of the top arts venues in England.
Additionally, the initiative facilitates paid opportunities for participants to gain essential employment skills. Through these efforts, Streetwise Opera aims to change societal perceptions of homelessness and highlight the potential of these individuals in contribution to the arts and society.
Rachael Williams of Streetwise Opera said: “We are delighted to have been awarded funding from the ScottishPower Foundation. From our 23 years of working with people who have experienced homelessness, we know the immense skill, creativity and dedication that they bring to the stage for every production that we make.
“We are ambitious for what they can achieve and, to realise our mission of changing perceptions of homelessness, we need funders who understand and share this ambition.”
Melanie Hill, Executive Officer and Trustee at the ScottishPower Foundation, said: “We’re always looking to back organisations we feel will drive positive and lasting change across the UK.
“Streetwise Opera’s ‘Streetwise Sessions’ initiative is a fantastic community project, that not only offers a fun and creative outlet to its users but also teaches real life skills that are transferrable into the workplace. Everyone should have a chance to be the best version of themselves, and the Streetwise Opera does an amazing job at enabling this.”
“We believe this year’s funded projects play a crucial role within our society – tackling some of the toughest challenges faced by communities across the country. We’re inspired by volunteers and charity workers doing incredible things in these communities and we can’t wait to see the extraordinary things they achieve this year.”
Another charitable project receiving funding is Team Domenica, a Brighton and Hove-based charity dedicated to supporting young people with learning disabilities and autism in acquiring the skills, confidence, and independence needed for meaningful employment.
Funding will aid its employment skills training for people with learning disabilities, which will provide candidates with work experience in Team Domenica’s three training cafés. These cafés offer a supported introduction to the workplace, where candidates can develop practical and transferable skills, build confidence, and improve communication and independence.
In Newcastle, Moving Parts Arts CIO, an award-winning arts and community development organisation, is celebrating the cultural identity of the city’s residents through puppetry.
The Teeny Tiny Toon initiative, funded by the ScottishPower Foundation is set to engage with over 500 people of all ages from Newcastle’s West End, allowing local residents to tell their previously untold stories through puppetry, culminating in a co-created film which will be presented at five pop-up celebratory screenings.
Since 2013 the ScottishPower Foundation has donated over £15 million to more than 250 projects supporting people, communities and the environment. This year’s funding of over £1.2 million, aims to bolster projects focused on education, training, climate action, the arts and social initiatives that will make a real impact in their communities.