A GROUP helping refugees in York has been awarded £65,719 from BBC Children in Need.

Refugee Action York has been awarded £65,719, over three years, to deliver the Aiming Higher project for refugee and asylum seeking children and young people in the city.

The new funding will support the project to provide services to disadvantaged young people in the area and means that the charity currently funds 23 projects across North Yorkshire, with more than £1.2million invested in the region.

The project will run a weekly youth club, fortnightly sports sessions and one to one mentoring that will help to improve the young people’s confidence and self-esteem, develop their skills, encourage them to build friendships and enable them to reach their full potential.

Carrie Wheater, manager at Refugee Action York said: “We’re delighted to have been awarded funding which will enable us to support refugee and asylum seeking children and young people in our area for the next three years.”

Elizabeth Myers, regional head of the North at BBC Children in Need said: “Projects like Refugee Action York make a positive difference to children and young people, which is why we’re so pleased to be funding their work. In the coming months we look forward to seeing their funding in action.”

Refugee Action York (RAY) was set up in 2002 with the aim of supporting refugees, asylum seekers and migrants. It became a charity in 2009 and through a combination of grants and fundraising runs a variety of services to people in need as well as providing financial help to anyone destitute.

Speaking of the total, Simon Antrobus, chief executive of BBC Children in Need, said: “People across the UK should be feeling incredibly proud. It is hard to put into words what an enormous impact this money will have on the lives of disadvantaged children and young people who need it most.”

To find out more about any of BBC Children in Need’s grant programmes or for information on how to apply for funding visit bbc.co.uk/pudsey/grants.

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 £972 million for children and young people.