Willowfield Parish Community Association got a welcome energy boost from the Energy for Children Charity recently in the form of new kid’s gym equipment to help teach local children to look after their physical and mental health.
Children’s Work Co-Ordinator, Laurence Bellew, explains, “Willowfield Parish Community Association was established in east Belfast in 2002 to benefit all local residents and help tackle social deprivation in the area. The Association runs a variety of programmes including after-school clubs, work and employment clubs, family support club, debt centres and various lifestyle programmes.
“We were delighted to receive funding from the Energy for Children Charity to help us with our ‘Life Guards Kid’s Gym’ project. The kid’s gym aims to provide a safe area for local kids to come and keep fit in a way that is accessible to everybody, regardless of how sporty they are. Through this we want kids to understand the importance of staying fit and healthy for life, not just sport, but we hope that those who don’t have the confidence to play sport may gain the confidence also.
“Our Life Guards Schools Programme has now visited 34 schools and the new equipment has been invaluable in the gym and the kids just love it. We can’t thank Energy for Children enough for this fantastic fitness boost for our organisation.”
Charity Liaison Officer, Geri Wright said, “I’m delighted to see how much of a difference this equipment has made to children attending the gym. Through the programme, almost 5,000 children have benefitted from the funding and it is great to see the very positive impact it is having on youth in the local area.
“This is exactly why the Charity exists, to help local children who are most in need and I’m thrilled to see the positive impact it is having on the community”, added Geri.
Energy for Children is an initiative of Phoenix Energy and the wider natural gas industry. The Charity was established in 2005 to provide financial support to groups and individuals that may slip through the net of the wider charity network.
Founded on the principle that ‘all monies raised go directly to local children and young people’, the Trust aims to reach deeper into the heart of local communities throughout Greater Belfast and beyond in order to really make a difference to disadvantaged children’s lives.
Since its formation, the trust has helped over 8,000 local children and every month continues to help those who need it most.
For more information on the Energy for Children Charitable Trust, visit www.phoenixnaturalgas.com/about-us/phoenix-group/corporate-responsibility