Press Release: Grant Awarded

At their February meeting, Sandymoor Parish Council were delighted to award a grant of £1000 to Mersey Weaver District Scouts to help support young people on a very special Project

The Scouts aim to prepare more young people with skills for life. Scout districts provide direction, guidance and support to scout groups, in this case organising a large-scale trip to Kanderstag in Switzerland in August 2025 for 2 weeks for 50 young people from all backgrounds across the district.
The requested grant of £1000 will contribute to the costs of a life-changing trip to Kanderstag, Switzerland, for 50 young people from Mersey Weaver Scouts. The Scouts have raised £42,000 through fundraising activities and still need an additional £70,000 to ensure all participants can attend. Membership fees do not cover the cost of the trip, as they are used primarily for regular activities and running costs of the Scout group. The grant is specifically required to support the cost of this international trip, which is an extraordinary event beyond their usual fundraising scope. The £1000 grant will help ensure that financial barriers do not prevent any local young people from participating, particularly those from Sandymoor.

Reasons for the Council supporting the grant included Community Investment. The trip aligns with the goals of promoting youth development and community engagement, and the £1000 would help ensure all local participants can attend, regardless of financial constraints. With 12 young people from Sandymoor involved, the council's contribution would directly benefit residents and provide them with valuable life experiences.

The Scouts are committed to supporting the parish through activities like litter picks, so this donation would also contribute to maintaining the local environment.

Parish Council Chair Steve Mahon said 'The Council were unanimous in supporting this exciting project which will benefit the young people themselves but also enrich the local community through their experiences and improved life skills. We look forward to working with them more in the future.'

For the Scouts, Joan Hughes said 'We are absolutely delighted with the donation. It's an ongoing challenge for the young people to go out every weekend fundraising, this gets them another step closer to achieving their end goal. I'm very proud of them and really believe they will make the community proud as they grow into young adults and continue to give back to Sandymoor. '