Youth charity get donation of Â£10,000 to develop activities and awareness programmes

ACN staff and young leaders receive the cheque at Park Community School, where they were completing a Level 1 course

The group is part of the Youth Action Board at Active Communities Network (ACN), a charity which changes the lives of young people in deprived neighbourhoods.

Thanks to two £5,000 donations from South West Trains and the Stagecoach Group, the nine to 19-year-olds will benefit from new programmes of structured activities.

ACN staff will also work with young people to identify themes or issues they want to explore, and support educational and awareness courses.

Julian Wadsworth, national partnerships manager at ACN, said: ‘The dedication and passion of the staff who have raised funds for us have been amazing.

‘Young people will have increased open access to sports and cultural activities, training and themed awareness workshops.

‘The partnership with South West Trains has supported increased social action projects, including peer-led work organised by our Youth Action Board.’

ACN is a national charity that works in Leigh Park, Havant and Portsmouth.

Staff from South West Trains raised £5,000 in 12 months as part of the company’s 20th anniversary charity commitments.

The Stagecoach Group then matched that donation.

Informal workshops on issues including crime, gangs, substance misuse and relationships will be offered as part of the project.

The charity will work with neighbourhood policing teams and authorities to monitor their impacts.

Sharon Vye-Parminter, from South West Trains, said: ‘We’re delighted to be able to make a donation to a charity that has such a positive impact on people’s lives.

‘Our staff spent one year coming up with inventive ways to raise money.’