Ever wondered what happens to the funding raised through the Postcode Lottery? One local charity has really been able to expand and reach more people because of a grant.

The People’s Postcode Lottery gives subscribers the chance of winning cash prizes while supporting good local causes. People sign up with their postcode, paying a set fee per month, and are automatically entered into every draw, with prizes announced every day. With one third of their ticket price going to charities, players know they are supporting good causes as well as being in with a chance of personally benefitting. Charities can apply for a grant to support one of the key themes of promoting human rights, combatting discrimination or preventing poverty.

Midsomer Norton based educational charity, Sound Vision (Charity no. 1172980), received a grant from the People’s Postcode Lottery in 2022 to help develop its training programmes to reach more young people, many of whom have special needs. The charity works with local schools, including Writhlington, Norton Hill and Fosse Way schools, as well as the charity Youth Connect South West, to provide skills-based learning in safe spaces where young people can develop their creativity without fear of being mocked for it.

Young people get to work in a studio and can choose from a number of activities, including learning how to talk in front of people, making podcasts, recording their music or build performing confidence. The training is delivered by qualified instructors who customise the experience to identify trainees’ strengths, goals and aspirations. Trainees can achieve a Bronze Arts Award.

Registered in 2017, demands on the charity’s ability to engage young people have exceeded its capacity. In 2022 Sound Vision were awarded a grant of £18,000 to develop its after school club and opportunities to gain an Arts Award qualification.

Sound Vision’s founder and CEO Dom Chambers said, “Getting support from the People’s Postcode Lottery has made such a difference to our ability to reach more young people. I am so grateful for their faith in what we do.”

“Over the lifetime of this grant we have doubled the amount of school students who register on one of our courses so that this year we are projecting over one hundred young people attending alternative provision, after schools training and employability programmes. Over fifty percent will get an Arts Award qualification.”

“We are incredibly lucky to have our amazing trainers, and many parents and carers feedback that it is the warmth of our welcome and belief in young people that is a big reason why they want to be with us.”

GA is a Year 9 student from Norton Hill School. The school put her on Sound Vision’s alternative provision programme. She enjoyed the experience so much that she is now attending after schools training and is on track to get her Bronze Arts Award. She said, “I’m able to be myself here. It’s helped my anxiety a lot and it’s opened me up more to other people.”

To find out more about Sound Vision, visit their website: 
www.soundvision.charity