News

Posted in on 27/10/2016

Orange Box is calling for the support of the local community to help win funding as part of the Aviva Community Fund 2016. We are relying on votes to increase our chances of winning funding of up to £25,000 which we hope will provide a dedicated evening of activities for young people with special educational needs (SEN), entitled Power Box. Only projects with the most votes will become finalists, so additional support is vital.

Since opening in 2013 Orange Box has helped thousands of young people through a diverse programme of activities as well as being a base for counselling and support services. Tom Kendall, Centre Manager says: “If you vote for us, you will be helping us to further this aim by giving young people with special educational needs and disabilities a night of the week that is theirs to control with activities they want to do. We will provide sessions where they can choose to do a range of activities using our facilities including the performance space, cinema, recording studio, rehearsal rooms, arts space, media suite, bouldering tunnel, café and roof top skate park. All this choice means that the young people will be able to shape a programme that suits them.”

After speaking to local SEN young people, who developed the name Power Box, Orange Box discovered that many are socially isolated and do not get the chance to socialise with their peers. Tom says: “This was evident when speaking to pupils from Ravenscliffe High School who said that many of the activities they do are based around playing computer games at home or generally just being at home watching the television. After holding consultations, we discovered they are very keen to do activities at the centre and act as leaders for other young people with additional needs in the local area who may want to come and experience Orange Box.”

To get behind Orange Box’s Power Box project and help make a difference in your local community, visit https://community-fund.aviva.co.uk/voting/project/view/16-2157 and submit your vote before 18 November 2016.