South Coast and Kent charities receive over £46,000 to transform young lives
Cheshire Community Foundation is proud to announce that more than £46,000 has been awarded to charities across the South Coast and Kent through EMR’s Building Brighter Futures Fund.
The fund, created by EMR, which operates seven recycling facilities in Kent and the South Coast, is managed in partnership with Cheshire Community Foundation and is dedicated to giving young people the support and opportunities they need to thrive.
As part of the 2025 funding round, £46,865 has been awarded to three outstanding organisations: Sport On Your Doorstep, The Halpern Charitable Foundation, and Esteem. Together, these charities will support young people aged 11 to 25 who are facing some of the region’s toughest challenges — from mental health struggles and social isolation to barriers to education and employment, as well as participation in sport.
The grants will enable inclusive, life-changing programmes designed to build confidence, develop skills and open new pathways for young people across the region.
The projects being supported
Ashford – Sport On Your Doorstep
Award: £15,050
Sport On Your Doorstep will deliver free, disability-inclusive sports and wellbeing sessions for 11–19-year-olds in high-deprivation areas of Ashford. Its Moving Young People Forward project will combine physical activity with its Heads Up wellbeing programme — helping 150 young people develop emotional awareness, confidence, and resilience, while breaking down financial, social and health-related barriers to participation.
Rochester – The Halpern Charitable Foundation
Award: £11,815
The Halpern Charitable Foundation will deliver a free visual arts programme for 50 young people, aged 14–25, who are home educated, not in full-time education or experiencing social and economic disadvantage. Delivered at the Nucleus Arts Centre, the initiative combines creative workshops, mentoring and exhibitions, and guides participants toward an Arts Award
Shoreham – Esteem
Award: £20,000
Esteem has been awarded £20,000 for its Positive Change Project. The initiative will support 150 young people, aged 14–25, who face complex barriers such as mental health challenges, housing insecurity or disengagement from education or work. Blending physical activity (from boxing and forest skills to surfing) with stress management workshops, one-to-one mentoring and goal setting, the programme will help young people build resilience and take steps toward a more stable and successful future.
The Building Brighter Futures Fund
The Building Brighter Futures Fund was launched in 2023 to create lasting impact in the communities where EMR operates. Since then, it has distributed more than £600,000 in grants nationwide. This year’s North East awards form part of the fund’s £200,000 national investment in youth-focused initiatives for 2025.
Ian Sheppard, Managing Director at EMR, said:
“Through our Building Brighter Futures Fund, we’re proud to support these transformative projects that work tirelessly to help disadvantaged young people across the North East fulfil their potential. Whether it’s through work experience, mental health support or practical skills development, these programmes will make a real and lasting difference in our communities.”
Mel Sproston, CEO of Cheshire Community Foundation, added:
“Collaborating with EMR on the Building Brighter Futures Fund is a privilege. The scale and impact of this year’s awarded projects demonstrate the fund’s strength and purpose — creating genuine pathways for young people across the region to grow, thrive and succeed.”
Building Brighter Futures is just one way in which EMR is helping communities tackle some of their toughest challenges. From helping ex-offenders, care leavers and veterans build vital skills and get back into work to educating young people through four Schools Programmes aimed at inspiring the sustainable innovators of the future, EMR believes that everyone deserves every chance to build a better, fairer life for themselves.