Rochdale Connections Trust allocated funding to alleviate youth loneliness

Rochdale Connections Trust

Local charity, Rochdale Connections Trust is set to work with young people to design innovative new ways to tackle youth loneliness after being awarded £3,000 from a government partnership.

Funding is being delivered by the Co-op Foundation as part of the Building Connections Fund Youth strand, for the charity to work with their young people.

Rochdale Connections Trust, which runs from 60 Drake Street, Rochdale, will help identify innovative ideas to improve their existing work with a particular focus on gaps in their current service provision for those young people living in the care system. They will then work together to extend opportunities to engage more young people in need.

These solutions will then be part of RCT’s ‘Building Connections’ work tackling youth loneliness in Rochdale from April.

Bev Place, Business Development Manager at Rochdale Connections Trust said: “Loneliness is a huge issue generally and affects younger people far more than we realise. This project will offer the support that is required to bring people together.

“This funding provides a unique opportunity for local young people to consider practical ways of supporting their peers; working collaboratively to provide a range of opportunities that will ultimately prevent loneliness and isolation amongst the most vulnerable younger members of our community.”

Jim Cooke, Head of the Co-op Foundation, said: “Funding awarded today will ensure young people’s voices are heard in creating innovative solutions that tackle youth loneliness.

“We look forward to seeing how these projects will boost the skills and confidence of young people involved and build connections among their peers and the community.”

The Building Connections Fund is a partnership between government, Co-op Foundation the Big Lottery Fund to tackle loneliness and improve community connections. Co-op Foundation is delivering grants for all projects supported through the youth-specific strand.

This builds on funding awarded to more than 120 projects in December that included befriending services, community arts groups and support schemes.

Any young people who want to be involved, should contact Holly on 01706 345111 or holly@r-c-t.co.uk.