Amaze awarded funding to support primary aged-children with transition to secondary

Amaze is one of a small number of charities to receive funding from NHS Charities Together’s Innovation Challenge Fund.

The fund sees £923,100 initial investment in innovative and transformational projects over the next three years. The projects are tackling health and healthcare inequalities for children and young people aged 0-18.

Over the next 10 years, NHS Charities Together aims to invest £40million. The fund aims to build a healthier future for all.

Amaze has been awarded just under £40,000 to recruit and train peer mentors. The peer mentors will be young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) themselves. They will co-run workshops in primary schools in Sussex, working alongside Aspens and CAMHS in Sussex. The workshops will be co–produced and delivered with input from young people with SEND.

Ella Burns, Young People Services Manager at Amaze said:

“We’re so pleased to be awarded this funding. The opportunity to use the skills and lived experience of our youth workers and young people who attend our Amazing Futures programme is brilliant. Their experiences will be incredibly helpful for younger children with SEND, so they can develop their confidence and advocate for their needs as they transition to secondary school.”

Jon Goodwin, Head of Grants at NHS Charities Together, said:

“We’re delighted to award funds to Amaze to support projects over the next three years. We know that sadly where someone is born can affect their long-term health, and this and other projects across the UK are aimed at tackling unfair health inequalities and giving every young person the support they need.”

How young people can take part

If you have lived experience of autism and/or ADHD and are in Year 8 or 9 OR Year 13 to age 21, then we want to hear from you. Could you attend some meetings in Eastbourne to help create new resources for neurodivergent children?

You will receive a £20 gift voucher for every meeting you attend. The meetings will take place from 5-6.30pm at The Breathe Centre, 142 Whitley Road, Eastbourne. The dates are: 

Tuesday 4 March
Thursday 13 March
Tuesday 18 March
Thursday 27 March

Please email [email protected] to register your interest. You can read more information by viewing this flyer.