Timesavers based in West Lancashire, have been awarded £3000 from the William Openshaw St Trust to fund their work placements and office work sessions for activities for people with disabilities.

The William Openshaw Street Trust, makes grants to registered charities working in Jersey and Lancashire (as defined before the 1974 boundaries changes). The Trust supports a wide range of activities in the following categories:

• Education
• General welfare (particularly the elderly, the blind and the disabled)
• Family and social welfare

Edward McCarthy said: “On behalf of Timesavers I wish to thank the charity for their most generous funding.”

For more information on Timesavers call 07971 299606 or email EdwardatEMSS@gmail.com

For more information on the Trust visit- https://www.vcatrafford.org/news/william-openshaw-street-trust

Timesavers have been awarded £1000 towards running costs for various sessions from the Thomas Wall Trust.

Thomas Wall II created his Trust in 1920 for the “encouragement and assistance of educational work and social service”. Today, the Trust continues to assist in these areas by providing grants to individuals and organisations.

Edward McCarthy Secretary of Timesavers: “A huge thank-you on behalf of Timesavers. This makes a huge difference.”

Our regular sessions are on-going, the Computer Drop In sessions will start again later in the year.

Timesavers is a charity set up in 2010 by a group of parents who were concerned by the lack of paid jobs or work experience placements in administration for people with learning disabilities in West Lancashire where they could gain their skills in a supportive environment and on a one to one basis if required.

They provide qualified sessional workers who collect them from where they live, support the people whilst they are at the office, then return them home after their training/ work experience. The learners are encouraged to join a local job club and given help to produce a CV and a speculative letter to go with it working in conjunction with Lancashire County Council Employment Support Service.

Our sessions are at our Skelmersdale office or the Computer sessions at Bickerstaffe Four Lane Ends Mission, these will start again later in the year.

Support staff for Timesavers are provided by Linkability (West Lancs) , Divine Days Creative Arts CIC and Edward McCarthy Support Services.

Visit – http://www.thomaswalltrust.org.uk/

Visit www.timesavers.org.uk or call 01704 893835 or 07971 299606.

Sporting Challenge based in West Lancashire is going to be ten years old this year. The charity will be having a tenth year anniversary celebration in the summer. Sporting Challenge is a family led charity started in 2008 operating in West Lancashire supporting people with learning disabilities, where all members of the board of Trustees are parents and carers themselves.

Sporting Challenge are asking West Lancashire residents and businesses for their help.

Activities Coordinator Edward McCarthy: “I would like to ask the generous residents and businesses of West Lancashire to make a donation to our charity in its tenth year. This will help us reach the next ten years. You could make a one off donation or sponsor one of our activities. Please email westlancsedward@btinternet.com or call 07971 299606.”

Edward adds: “I would like to thank everyone who has been involved over the ten years. The support staff, the parents and carers, the trustees, the committee members and members of the group itself who come to all our activities and have such a great time week in week out.”

Sporting Challenge organises sporting activities to encourage people with learning disabilities to keep fit and healthy. They organise activities which include: Aerobics, Bowling, Boccia, Kurling, Zumba/Dance, Swimming and other Fitness Activities. Last year the charity organised its first short break.

They currently support around 50 people in the West Lancashire area to access a variety of activities by providing transport to and from their homes and the appropriate sessional workers to support them whilst carrying out the activities. This number is set to grow over the years to come. Around a third of its members are aged 16-22.

For more details visit www.sporting-challenge.org.uk or call 07971 299606.