A POOLE charity has been awarded £200,000 for a project that aims to champion creativity in Hamworthy. 

The Power House Project has secured three-year funding from the National Lottery Reaching Communities. 

Given £243,623 to spread over the time period, the charity has said the funds will go towards its Love Hamworthy project. 

Trustee and co-founder Maureen La Frenais said: “I am delighted, this funding enables us to have a more visible presence in Hamworthy and by spring we will have a welcoming space with an office and creative work area.

"Our active founder and project manager Alix Digby-West can now recruit three more people to the team, bringing additional skills and capacity to extend existing and to develop new projects.” 

The Powerhouse hopes to use the funds to deepen its engagement with the residents of Hamworthy and extend its successful creative arts activities and experiences programme for young people and adults of any age. 

The Power House works with artists and creatives to deliver a range of projects that include exhibitions and activities supported by Arts Council England, BCP Council, and Poole Lighthouse. 

Power House Youth Project member Emma Roberts said: “The Power House project is a fantastic place to grow connections with community members otherwise overlooked and through these friendships find yourself.

"Through volunteering as both an ambassador and a young leader I have had the opportunity to gain experience which will help me in later life. Simple things like offering a coffee to someone is an example of the love and kindness driving the project which with this money can only grow.” 

The charity has said at the heart of its Hamworthy project, it hopes to champion creativity to help improve wellbeing, develop confidence and provide a sense of purpose and happiness through forging connections to reduce isolation, anxiety and loneliness.

Given an additional £30,000 for the first year, the funding was secured through additional awards of match funding from Valentine Charitable Trust, Alice Ellen Cooper Dean, SNG (formerly Sovereign Housing), and Seedbed Christian Community Trust.