A PROJECT working with disadvantaged children and young people in Chelmsford has been awarded a whopping grant from BBC Children in Need totalling £27,360.

Essex Youthbuild has been awarded a three-year grant to provide an after-school construction skills club for children and young people living with a disability or special needs.

Funding will provide a place where attendees can improve their self-belief, communication skills and the ability to make their own choices.

Jane Cosh, chief executive at Essex Youthbuild, said: “Funding from BBC Children in Need means so much to us.

“We can’t wait to put the funds to work and encourage children and young people to get involved in the project and improve their self confidence.”

The grant has been allocated through the charity’s Small Grants Programme.

Speaking of the new grants, Clare Cannock, regional head of south at BBC Children in Need said: “At BBC Children in Need we are committed to improving the lives of children and young people and it is projects like this that continue to make a difference in the local community.

“The generosity of the British public allows us to make our small grants programme possible and make a positive impact to those who need our support.”

Across Chelmsford, BBC Children in Need is currently funding eight projects to a value of £402,820.

BBC Children in Need’s chief executive, Simon Antrobus added: “Our Small Grants programme is a great example of small sums of money delivering a big impact on a local level, and we’re delighted to award funding to projects like this as they work to make a lasting impact on young lives.

“A big thank you must go to our supporters, who – thanks to their incredible generosity, imagination and commitment - make grants like this possible.”

BBC Children in Need currently awards grants at six points during the year and funds two types of grants.

The main grants programme is for grants over £10,000 per year to support projects for up to three years.

Meanwhile, the Small Grants Programme supports projects for up to three years, and includes grants up to and including £10,000 per year.

BBC Children in Need relies on the generosity and creativity of the thousands of supporters and fundraisers who raise millions of pounds for the charity every year.

To date the UK public has raised over £1billion for children and young people facing disadvantage across the UK.