Essex Chronicle report:
Kids Inspire funding crisis

The following report appeared in the Essex Chronicle on 15th July 2011

A charity that has helped hundreds of troubled Chelmsford families is being forced to turn needy children away due to a cash crisis. Kids Inspire has 170 families on its books, but has funding confirmed for just four of them, with public sector cuts and the recession blamed for the shortfall.

Founder Sue Jochim told the Chronicle: "We have quite literally saved lives. We have prevented suicides, stopped people becoming drug addicts, turning to alcohol, committing crimes and going out on to the streets. We work holistically so we take a child and all the adults in that child's life. We put in support to make a difference for the whole family. We change generations and break patterns of negative behaviour. Now we are in the terrible position of having to tell families, 'sorry we can't work with you as we don't have the funding’.

When we were set up in 2007 it was agreed with the local authority that if the two-year pilot went well, they would fund us. Then the cuts came and despite meetings and calls we are still no nearer to receiving cash. The local authority is not recognising how big the problem is and how cost effective we are at providing solutions. They have never spoken to the families we help”.

Around half of the charity's cash comes from schools in the town, the rest from donations. Sue believes the work Kids Inspire does is so successful because it offers a bespoke package to each child and their family. This usually includes weekly individual and group therapy, complementary therapies and mentoring. It costs between £600 and £3,000 a term. Read more...

email: admin@kidsinspire.org.uk
Tel: 01245 265511 ext.234