The Relate charity has been awarded just over £40K to secure counselling of young people in Luton for a further year from April.
The grant, from Bedfordshire and Luton Community Foundation’s London Luton Airport Ltd fund, will enable Relate in partnership with Sorted Counselling Services to provide 22 hours of counselling each week at the TOKKO youth space in the centre of Luton.
But demand there is growing each month. Currently 70 young people are on a waiting list and so Relate are looking to top up funds still further with a charity auction at the UK Centre for Carnival Arts, Luton, on June 8.
“We’ve been providing counselling at TOKKO since the £4.5 million, five-floor youth space was opened in June 2013,” says Relate Bedfordshire & Luton chief Angela Foll. “Funding was set to run out at the end of March. We are really grateful that this lifeline grant will help us continue our important work at TOKKO for another year. Our aim is to meet the need by increasing delivery hours per week to 30 and secure sustainability for three years.”
Local businesses and individuals interested in attending the auction should contact Relate Bedfordshire & Luton.