Young people from the Bemerton Heath estate are celebrating again after local youth charity Rise:61 secured a grant of £47, 674 from Phase 1 of the Youth Investment Fund.

This was a £10m investment by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sports (DCMS) for youth provisions in left-behind areas of England.

Rise:61 used this funding to buy a brand new Ford Tourneo Custom that can transport up to nine people.
The charity has used the van to take offer trips to places like Monkey World and Bournemouth beach as well as for activities like mountain biking in Moors Valley Country Park and paddle boarding in Mudeford Quay.
In July, the charity took six young people to Wales to take part in a 5k obstacle colour run. As well as life changing adverntures, the van is also used every week to transport materials and tools to the charity’s community garden and bike hub projects.
The van was bought at Foray Motor Group’s Edward’s Ford Dealership in Churchfields who gave the charity nearly £4,000 worth of discounts, which they were able to put to good use by purchasing new mountain bikes for the children to use on trips!

Becks Crouch, creative hub manager at Rise:61 said: “The new van we were able to purchase with the funding from DCMS has been a game changer for us and allowed us to expand the horizons of our young people and help them make some great childhood memories.
“Seeing how happy they were on the way home from the trips I organised was a real highlight for me of our work in 2022.”

The charity purchased a Ford Tourneo Custom van with the funding which has provided the means for trips such as paddle boarding at Mudeford Quay

Alex, a young leader and member of the free after school bike club said: “The trips are fun and awesome to go on the cool van (luxury type) and the things we do at our chosen destination makes all our plans awesome.”
Rise:61 is dreaming big and hoping to apply to the second phase of the Youth Investment Fund which could see a much larger grant being given to build a bespoke new youth hub facility on the estate.
Rise:61 is a Christian youth charity that works alongside young people in the estate of Bemerton Heath, Salisbury. It is committed to helping the young people of the Bemerton Heath estate where they live tell a different story with their lives by providing them with positive opportunities.
Through its detached work, mentoring, after school clubs and social enterprise hubs it aims to empower young people to redirect their futures, believing that raising up a generation who will help others succeed in the years to come.
Rise:61’s vision is that Bemerton Heath will be known nationally for its creativity, community spirit and the way its young people are leaders of positive change.
You can support the fundraising efforts of the young people themselves for their new youth facility here:
https://gofund.me/95d4f8c0