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Dozens of groups to benefit from PCC’s special community fund this Christmas

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2wish

Nearly 50 organisations from across North Wales will benefit from a £15,000 Community Christmas Fund recently launched by North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Andy Dunbobbin. The aim of the fund is to support communities over the Festive Period and the organisations were all nominated by officers and staff of North Wales Police, with most working to support vulnerable children, young people and their families.

One of the organisations that was nominated for the Community Christmas Fund for its work across North Wales is 2wish, whose mission is to ensure that all those affected by the sudden and traumatic death of a child or young adult aged 25 or under throughout Wales receive the bereavement support they deserve.

Laura Ogden, North Wales Fundraising Coordinator for 2wish, was keen to share what a difference the funding will make to the charity and its work: “When a family loses a child or young adult the effects are devastating for all who knew and loved them. It is important that support is available if and when required. All monies raised goes towards supporting suddenly bereaved families here in Wales. £500 could help us to provide 12 memory boxes, or nine counselling sessions.

“Thank you to the staff of North Wales Police for nominating 2wish and North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Andy Dunbobbin for launching the Community Christmas Fund.”

Another organisation receiving some festive funding is The Osborne Trust in Rhyl, which works to support children and young people across the UK with a parent who has had a cancer diagnosis, undergoing cancer treatment, seen a cancer recurrence, or passed away from cancer.

The Osborne Trust was established after founder and CEO Emma Osborne was diagnosed with cancer aged 36. Emma was mum to two children aged seven and four and found support was lacking for her children. Emma finished her treatment in February 2014 and, once through this, she got to work on looking into setting up a charity to support children during a parent’s cancer. Since supporting the first family in January 2015, over 2,300 children have been supported by the Trust.

Andy Dunbobbin, Police and Crime Commissioner for North Wales commented: “Supporting communities is a key pledge in my Police and Crime Plan for North Wales and I recognise that small grants can make a big difference to community organisations. This is especially the case at this time of year when young people, families and other vulnerable groups across North Wales will be affected more than most by the Christmas cost-of-living crisis. This is why I asked Police Officers, PCSOs and police staff to recommend the organisations they felt would benefit most. These colleagues know their communities best and I was delighted with the response. I look forward to seeing the money put to good use by the organisations who will receive it and bring much-need festive cheer at this time of year.”

Emma Osborne, Founder of The Osborne Trust said: “We want to say a massive thank you to the North Wales Police staff who nominated The Osborne Trust to receive money as part of the PCC’s Community Christmas Fund. We have never seen a year like the past 12 months in our whole 9-year existence, with more and more demand for our services to support children during a parent’s cancer diagnosis, treatment, living with cancer and beyond.

“This funding guarantees another five families, where children are affected by their parent’s cancer, will receive support through our resource packs that we send out to every child, and by funding local respite activities so children can have some time away from all that cancer entails when mum or dad is having treatment. We cannot do US without YOU.” 

The full list of benefiting organisations is:

Anglesey

  • Amlwch Port Community Group, Amlwch
  • Beavers Group, Amlwch
  • Moelfre Youth Club, Moelfre
  • Nadolig Moelfre Christmas, Moelfre
  • Seindorf Beaumaris Band, Beaumaris

Gwynedd

  • Cymdeithas Gymunedol y Bala a Phenllyn, Bala
  • Maestryfan Community Group, Cae Doctor, Bangor
  • MPCT, Bangor
  • HWB Ogwen, Bethesda
  • Canolfan y Fron, Caernarfon
  • Porthi Dre, Caernarfon
  • Clwb Rygbi Bethesda, Bethesda

Conwy

  • Llanfairfechan Foodbank, Llanfairfechan
  • Golygfa Gwydyr, Llanrwst
  • Ty Hapus Community Centre and Foodbank, Llandudno
  • The Hummingbird Project, Abergele
  • Youth Shed, Abergele
  • Abergele Cricket club, Abergele
  • Backstage Youth Club, Old Colwyn
  • Llandudno Rugby Club Juniors, Llandudno
  • Llandudno Rugby Club – Mini Goats Under 9s, Llandudno
  • Prom Ally, Llandudno
  • Conwy Nature Reserve Junior Parkrun, Conwy

Denbighshire

  • Belief, Prestatyn
  • 1st Rhuddlan Squirrel Scouts, Rhuddlan
  • Corwen Football Club, Corwen
  • Forget Me Not Group, Denbigh
  • Blossom and Bloom, Rhyl
  • Osborne Trust, Rhyl
  • The Willow Collective, Rhyl
  • Rhyl Hwb, Rhyl
  • Sussex Street Christian Centre, Rhyl Foodbank, Rhyl
  • Foryd Centre, Rhyl
  • Salvation Army, Rhyl
  • ICAN Centre, Rhyl

Flintshire

  • Buckley Boxing, Buckley
  • Shelby’s Place CIC, Buckley
  • Walk and Talk, Ffynnongroyw
  • Trelawnyd Memorial Hall and Community Association, Trelawnyd

Wrexham

  • Reactive Charity, part of Bitesize Youth Charity, Wrexham
  • Action for Children, Wrexham
  • 1st Esclusham Scout Group
  • The Venture, CIC, Caia Park, Wrexham
  • Gwenfro Valley Adventure Playground, Queensway, Wrexham

Pan-North Wales

  • Nanny Biscuit
  • 2Wish
Community Christmas fund

A 6 year old boy enjoys a farm park visit, funded by the Osborne Trust, to have some respite from seeing Dad with cancer.