Community arts charity Inter-Action MK has received a grant of £5,000 to fund workshops in schools across Milton Keynes, with the aim of educating young people on democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, respect and tolerance of those with different faiths.
The donation was provided by the Santander Foundation, which offers Discovery Grants to UK registered charities for projects that help disadvantaged people in local communities.
Inter-Action MK has been bringing arts to life for people in the local community since 1975. The charity uses art and drama to improve the lives and choices of people in challenging circumstances, with activities such as Groovy Gecko club night, run by and for adults with learning difficulties, and a project called Get In - an employment and volunteering skills training course held at both a recording studio and music venue.
The grant will enable the charity to help primary school children, in the most diverse parishes of Milton Keynes, to learn about the values of individual liberty, tolerance and respect through drama and visual arts sessions. The charity aims to improve the life chances of people with support needs, disabilities or who are in challenging or vulnerable circumstances.
Diana Hatton, Director at Inter-Action MK said: “The grant from Santander gives us a fantastic opportunity to build a lasting relationship with schools whose pupils face challenges in their everyday lives. This project will follow national curriculum guidelines and will develop the pupils as citizens in a fun and creative way.”
Mark Richards, Branch Manager at Santander’s Grafton Gate branch, said: “The Santander Foundation makes hundreds of donations every year to good causes throughout the UK. We are committed to playing a key part in the community and we are delighted to be supporting Inter-Action MK, and hope the donation makes a real difference to local people.”
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Notes to Editors:
Media Contact
Leonora Burtenshaw at Santander
Email: leonora.burtenshaw@santander.co.uk
Tel: 020 7756 4543
Diana Hatton at Inter-Action MK
Email: director@interactionmk.org.uk
Tel: 01908 318285
About Inter-Action MK
Community arts charity Inter-Action MK has been bringing arts to life in Milton Keynes for over 40 years. It uses the arts to bring joy and purpose to all communities and to improve the life chances of people with support needs or disabilities or in challenging or vulnerable circumstances. The charity’s innovative programme of inclusive arts successfully brings people of all backgrounds together in shared creative activity. The programme helps participants to develop creative, personal and social skills.
Inter-Action MK’s current activities include Get In! - a course which builds employment skills set in a music venue, The Treasury - a Photographic project with women suffering post-natal depression and the Groovy Gecko Club Night, a night club for adults with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, based at The Slug & Lettuce in Milton Keynes on the first Tuesday of every month.
Inter-Action MK is building a programme of quality arts work with interesting and trusted partners.
For more information please visit: www.interactionmk.org.uk
Santander Foundation
The Santander Foundation is at the heart of the Bank’s community activities, providing grants to small charities and social enterprises working with disadvantaged people to fund skills, knowledge and innovation projects across the UK. Discovery Grants of up to £5,000 are available to support three types of activity:
- Explorer: improving people’s knowledge
- Transformer: supporting skills and experience
- Changemaker: innovative solutions to social challenges
Over the last five years, the Santander Foundation has provided £26 million in funding to 13,914 UK charities through Discovery Grants and Staff Matched Donations. For more information please visit: www.santanderfoundation.org.uk
Santander UK is a financial services provider in the UK that offers a wide range of personal and commercial financial products and services. It has brought real competition to the UK, through its innovative products for retail customers and relationship banking model for UK SMEs. At 31 March 2018, the bank has c19,500 employees. It serves around 14 million active customers, via a nationwide branch network, telephone, mobile and online banking; and 64 regional Corporate Business Centres. Santander UK is subject to the full supervision of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) in the UK. Santander UK plc customers are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) in the UK.