Lottery funding secures short-term future of Peterborough charity which supports children with special educational needs

Family Voice Peterborough has been awarded £50,000 from the Coronavirus Community Support Fund, distributed by The National Lottery Community Fund, which has secured its short-term future.

The money means FVP can continue to offer vital support which includes supporting parents with agencies and signposting them to help which is available, as well as helping to shape services, run forums and provide short breaks.

This also means families will be able to use the charity’s caravans in 2021 at Butlins Skegness and Haven Caister which were in peril due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The future of the Goldhay community centre is also secured, and once work has been conducted to make it Covid secure FVP hopes to be able to open it to groups again soon.

FVP has provided help for families in Peterborough during the health crisis by delivering food parcels to people during lockdown, assisting families in meetings with the local authority over support plans and signposting to other support.

This will continue if there is a second lockdown, the charity said.

“This funding is a huge weight off our shoulders as it allows us to keep going for the next year,” said Family Voice Peterborough chief operating officer Louise Ravenscroft.

“It also saves our caravans which provide crucial respite for families, and the Goldhay Centre where we are able to offer much needed community support, so we’re delighted.

“Thank you to the National Lottery and the Government for making this possible.”