The BEARR Trust Small Grants Scheme 2013
The fields covered were:
Section A: For projects to combat drug dependency among young people in the Volga Federal District of the Russian Federation
Section B: For projects in the field of the arts and disability in Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan
Outcome
The BEARR Trust received fewer applications for grants this year, especially for Section A, perhaps due to the narrower scope of the areas to be covered. (This had been introduced to ensure there were not too many disappointed applicants.) Despite the smaller number of bids, some of the applications received were of high quality. Grants have been offered as follows:
Section A: For projects to combat drug dependency among young people in the Volga Federal District of the Russian Federation
Anti-drug Programs (ADP), Perm
For a project with their partner NGO Tserkalo focusing on drug abuse prevention work, planning cooperation with a youth theatre and peer education groups. Activities will include a forum in June 2013 on best practices in anti-drugs work amongst young people in the Perm region. This project aims to spread best practice and innovative techniques in preventing and combating drug dependency in young people throughout the whole region.
Volunteer Development Centre “Volunter”, Yelabuga
Working with various partners, including official institutions, the NGO ‘Makheev’ and youth centre ‘bars’, Volonter aim to train 40 young volunteers from 17 different NGOs in 16 cities in Tatarstan and Kaliningrad . The training is to enable them to engage in anti substance abuse work. These volunteers will then run social events warning of the dangers of tobacco, alcohol and drug dependency targeting schoolchildren from socially vulnerable families as well as college students.
Section A is funded through a grant from the Moscow office of the law firm Baker Botts. This will also cover continuing support for students from Kitezh orphan community to assist them with their continuing education.
Section B: For projects in the field of the arts and disability in Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan
Pyunic, Erevan, Armenia
With their partner Association for People in Need of Special Care (APNSC), a Georgian NGO working with the disabled, the project is to introduce disabled people to the arts to improve their quality of life and their opportunities to work – painting, embroidering, wood carving and ceramics. Georgia will do the same and they will share experience and hope to meet at the end of it.
Theatre for Changes, Armenia
Theatre for Changes has staged theatre productions showing children with disability for 9000 children in Yerevan and 55 regional communities. The BEARR grant will help them reach 16 more communities (2000 children aged 7 – 13 and their teachers) with 8 performances of each of their two plays. Co-funders are the Child Development Foundation Armenia, which is funded by World Vision, and T4Cs.
Agate, Gyumri, Armenia
The project involves cooperation with the Armenian Centre for Contemporary Experimental Art (NPAK), to put on ‘silent theatre’ for people with hearing and other special needs.
