- £8,274 raised through community crowdfunding and a council grant
- Eleventh project to be funded through We Are Tamworth so far
- Providing free inclusive theatre classes for children with additional needs
Tamworth Borough Council is pleased to announce that Be Limitless CIC has become the latest community group to reach its crowdfunding target through the We Are Tamworth programme.
Thanks to the support of generous donors, alongside match funding from Tamworth Borough Council, Be Limitless will now be able to extend its inclusive theatre classes for children of all ages, backgrounds and abilities. This includes providing free classes in singing, dance, musical theatre and drama to youngsters with additional needs, disabilities or less privileged backgrounds.
The classes aim to bring children from all walks of life together to share experiences while enhancing social skills, building confidence and providing performance opportunities.
Delivered in partnership with Spacehive, We Are Tamworth enables charity and voluntary groups to turn ideas into action through a combination of donations from local people and funding from the council.
Be Limitless raised a total of £8,724, above its target of £8,200. This was made up of proceeds from fundraising activities, donations from parents and supporters of the group, and a grant of £4,177 from Tamworth Borough Council’s Community Recovery Fund.
Donations included an incredible £1,300 raised through a 155-mile sponsored bike ride by Pete Donovan, whose daughter attends Be Limitless theatre classes. Be Limitless student Amelia Eldred also donated £1,000 after selling a specialised trike she no longer needed.
The funding will help pay for room hire, a rehearsal residential, lighting and tech, performance licences, show costumes and chaperone licences.
Councillor Andrew Wells, portfolio holder for cooperative council, community partnerships and ASB, said: “It’s great to see another fantastic community group raising the money they need to deliver a genuinely impactful and meaningful project in Tamworth.
“Be Limitless will give more young people the opportunity to take part in performing arts, regardless of their background or ability, in a supportive and welcoming environment.
“This brings the amount raised through We Are Tamworth to just under £90,000, with 11 projects successfully delivered so far. The crowdfunding approach means we can direct funds to projects which are also backed by the local community.”
Amy Caddick, teacher at Be Limitless CIC, said: “From the bottom of our hearts, thank you to every single person who has donated, supported, organised an event, bought a ticket, shared a post or helped spread the word. This achievement has been a real team effort and we couldn’t be more grateful.
“A huge thank you also to Pete Donovan for taking on his incredible 155-mile challenge and helping bring us closer to our goal. This money will help us create even more opportunities for our students, giving them the chance to grow in confidence, develop their talents, make friendships and experience the joy of performing arts in an inclusive and supportive environment.”
We Are Tamworth was set up to support community-led initiatives that bring people together and have a positive impact on the town.
It was created after the council was awarded £600,000 from the Government’s Community Recovery Fund to strengthen communities, trust and pride. Of this, £165,000 was allocated £165,000 to give out through Spacehive.
Since launching last year, 11 projects have been fully funded through We Are Tamworth, including free football sessions for young people, radio broadcasting training, relationship education workshops for young women, arts and wellbeing projects supporting neurodiverse residents, a community choir, a new arts festival for the town and more support for hygiene poverty.
To find out more about the We Are Tamworth programme visit www.spacehive.com/movement/tamworth