A generous donation of 60,000 pens has been received by BRIC in a bid to support vulnerable families and children across Lincolnshire.
Gainsborough based charity BRIC (Building Resilience in Communities) provides emotional support and practical help to children and their families to get them back on their feet after dealing with issues such as illness, disability, abuse, isolation, and the demands of having a young family.
BRIC organised a ‘Be Kind To All Kind’ event, which encouraged children to write a story about kindness and send it to BRIC’s office where a select few would be shared on the charity’s website, social media channels and newsletter.
The storytelling activity was so popular that BRIC ran out of resources for families that wanted to take part, so they sent out an appeal to the community.
R.E.A.CH (Resources for Extra Activities for Children), a charity also based in Gainsborough, responded to the appeal and donated 60,000 pens, believing that the ethos of work at BRIC matched its own.
R.E.A.CH is a community fund raising group that approaches companies and individuals to donate resources for particularly vulnerable children and their families and works with local schools and community groups to identify need and allocate resources.
The charity was born out of lockdown in 2020 with a mission of helping children to meet their emotional and creative needs and in 2022 was awarded a Good Citizens Award by Lincolnshire County Council for its hard work and commitment. R.E.A.CH currently works with several local schools and two community groups and have supported over one and a half thousand children and their families.
Shiella Jennings at R.E.A.CH said: “We are always looking for ways to support some of our most vulnerable and disadvantaged children and their families; particularly during such a difficult time after the pandemic and during the current dramatic rise in the costs of living. Working with BRIC seemed a very positive next step for us.”
Both charities have a history of supporting vulnerable children across Lincolnshire. By joining forces, they hope to make an even greater impact and create lasting change.
Kamila Zolotar, Community Engagement Manager at BRIC, said: “We organised the ‘Be Kind To All Kind’ activity with a hope to get children engaged with writing a story about being kind to encourage them to think about why everyone needs a little act of kindness sometimes, how does it impact on their personal energy and self-esteem, and those around them.
“Many families we support wanted to take part in this activity but due to high cost of living there is often no budget for the art and craft tools for the children.
“We are incredibly grateful to R.E.A.CH for their support. With their help, we can continue to expand our reach and impact, and provide vital resources to those who are most in need. We believe that this donation will help make a real difference in our communities.”
The donation will be used to support a range of programmes and initiatives, including the ‘Be Kind To All Kind’ activity for children. Both charities will work together to ensure that the pens are utilised effectively and efficiently to maximise their impact.
The charities hope that by working together they can put a little bit of colour back into the homes of families.
Image: L-R – Vikki Hern (BRIC), Perry Smith (REACH), Sheila Jennings (REACH), Kamila Zolotar (BRIC).
