STAR LATEST NEWS: STAR joins Young Somerset - find out more here SUPPORT STAR - DONATE HERE Somerset Trust for Arts and Recreation Our aim is to provide opportunities through music, arts, sport and recreation to some of our most vulnerable and disadvantaged young people ages 0-25. Many disadvantaged children and young people typically have lower self esteem, fewer social skills, achieve less at school and are at higher risk of social exclusion than their contemporaries. STAR provides access to resilience building opportunities which we know help young people overcome the effects of adversity in their lives. Application Information: Applications are only accepted from professional persons. STAR cannot accept referrals from parents or reimburse a parent or young person. STAR's aim is to improve the quality of life for the disadvantaged and vulnerable children and young people who live in the county of Somerset aged 0-21yrs or 25ys if formally in care. Activities supported: Sporting coaching and training, Drama and Theatre, entrance fees to Museum, Sporting events, Creative activities and music lessons and Group activities. STAR is dependent entirely on charitable grants and donations. STAR receives a large number of applications and sadly cannot meet all requests due to limited reserves. STAR GRANT APPLICATION FORM Who we support: Who? Somerset children and young people defined as ‘in need’ under the children act 1989. Children who need services from children’s services to be healthy or to develop properly. They may have a disability or complex needs Be subject to child protection plans through abuse or neglect Be in the care of the local authority Be a care leaver. Why? Why do we want to support these groups of children and young people? Mainly to provide happy and positive childhood memories To promote their confidence, wellbeing and social interaction How? Through providing monitored funds for a musical, sporting, dancing or recreational activity. We also support volunteer adults to assist a young person to take part in new activities. Some children we have supported have never been to the theatre or visited anywhere outside of their home town. We want to open the eyes of children and young people to see beyond their normal living environment – this promotes hope and achievement. Some children living in very low-income families need funding support for swimming lessons or going to cubs or brownies – the things some families take for granted. Our support provides inclusion and role modelling. A volunteer taking a child to the cinema or bowling gives that child a story to share with their peers. Without these experiences these children can become isolated within their peer groups. Imagine what is like being on the school mat having to tell the rest of the children what you have done over the weekend or school holidays and not having a story to tell. I worked with a child once who told the class that mummy was drunk all weekend and they didn’t get fed. Very different from going to the beach, funfair or family party. The sad thing is that children we have contact with are the innocent ones no choice of what they are being born into but they are the one who have to experience life very different to the majority, usually known as the ‘smelly ones’ because their parent/s don’t have the capacity to parent them or keep them clean and well groomed. These children need the support for their benefit to flourish, grow and survive. Support to care leavers – one of the most vulnerable groups we support – once they have left care there’s no going back it not a home for life like most parents would offer their child if needs must – there’s no bank of mum and dad. STAR supports many care-leavers with gym memberships – this provides meaning, social interaction, and is extremely advantageous to mental wellbeing. There have been a high number of care-leaver deaths -through suicide, drug/alcohol abuse in Somerset. Anything we can do to reduce further deaths has be supported. Contact STAR: Email Helen: [email protected] Facebook: Follow STAR for more information and updates here Call: 07932 791655