The Duke of Edinburgh Award (DofE) Jersey Committee has completed a partnership project with the Jersey Youth Service, funded by the Channel Islands Lottery. The project has increased accessibility of the DofE to young Islanders.
Profits from the Channel Islands Lottery are given to the Association of Jersey Charities (AJC) and the Jersey Community Foundation (JCF).
In December 2018, the DofE received a £15,000 grant from the AJC and Channel Islands Lottery to fund a 50/50 partnership project with the Jersey Youth Service.
The outcome of the project has meant that the Award, which was originally only run under the Jersey Youth Service operating license, has now developed into 11 independently licensed operating groups which includes schools, colleges, and other organisations. Islanders not associated with an organisation can participate through the Island Award Centre.
An Award Development Officer who was recruited as part of the project has increased the uptake from young carers to participate in the Award. This involved creating a team of paid youth workers and voluntary DofE leaders. This has allowed over 600 young Islanders to enrol.
All registered charities can apply for a grant. The AJC distributes lottery funds to local good causes with the exception of arts, culture heritage, sport and science which are now supported by the JCF. Both organisations run regular application cycles and their next application closing dates are 24 August (AJC) and 04 October (JCF).
Chairman of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award Jersey, Mike Entwistle, said: "We continue to recognise the support of the Association of Jersey Charities and the Channel Islands Lottery, and wish to express our gratitude for the grant which has enabled us to complete this project and better promote the Award across the Island to make it more accessible for all young Islanders."
Assistant Minister for Economic Development, Tourism, Sport and Culture, Deputy Kirsten Morel, said: "It is great to be able to put the money generated from the Channel Islands Lottery back into the community through various charities. The lottery is a well-established tradition in the Channel Islands which raises a significant amount of additional funds to help support local good causes.
"I encourage any charity or voluntary organisation in Jersey that is looking for a little bit of support to check if they are eligible and apply for a grant so that we can continue supporting projects that benefit people across the Island."