SEND the Help CIC Awarded National Lottery Community Fund Grant

We are delighted to share that SEND the Help CIC has been awarded funding from The National Lottery Community Fund to support our growing programme of enrichment, wellbeing and confidence-building opportunities for children and young people in North Devon who face barriers to education.

This funding is a significant moment for us. Since launching in 2025, SEND the Help has been built from lived experience, community need and a deep belief that every child deserves access to meaningful opportunities — regardless of whether they are in mainstream school, alternative provision, home education, or currently out of education entirely. This support from the National Lottery Community Fund means we can continue to remove those barriers.

What the Funding Will Support

The grant will enable us to expand and strengthen our enrichment and wellbeing offer, including:

• Low-demand creative therapy sessions, such as our Open the Palette art-therapy project

• Confidence-building community activities, including subsidised outings and sensory-friendly experiences

• Support for parents and carers, providing guidance, information and a space to connect

• Practical help for young people experiencing anxiety, SEND needs, school avoidance or disrupted education

• Volunteer development, ensuring our youth mentors and adult volunteers have high-quality, accredited training

• Resources and materials that make these sessions safe, accessible and inclusive

This funding is already making an immediate difference. We have been able to offer sessions at reduced or no cost, ensure families have access to warm, safe and understanding environments, and create community spaces where young people can thrive without pressure.

Why This Matters

So many young people in our region are struggling with anxiety, SEND-related barriers, or a lack of suitable educational provision. Families often feel isolated and unsupported. The demand for gentle, inclusive, non-judgemental support is growing every day.

Thanks to National Lottery players, we are now able to widen our reach and embed long-term support for those who need it most. This grant helps us continue to say yes to families who have been historically told no.

A Community Built on Lived Experience

SEND the Help CIC was created because there were moments when no-one was there for our own family. Everything we now offer — from advocacy to enrichment — is built on understanding, empathy and the belief that a child’s mental health, safety and sense of belonging must come before anything else.

This grant allows us to stay true to that mission and grow it. It enables us to ensure that children and young people who have been overlooked, misunderstood or unsupported finally have somewhere they can feel safe, valued and celebrated.

A Thank You to Our Community

We want to thank:

• National Lottery players, whose contributions make grants like this possible

• The National Lottery Community Fund, for recognising our work and believing in the young people we support

• Our volunteers, families and partner organisations, who help us create genuinely inclusive spaces across North Devon

Together, we are building something meaningful — something that gives children and young people the chance to access enrichment, opportunity and success on their terms.