THE anxious wait for eight Essex charities and good causes is now over as they have been selected to share Adventure Island’s first award of £8,000 – part of its donation of £40k to 40 good causes to celebrate its 40th birthday.

The successful applicants are Aspirations (Southend), Basildon Saturday Club, Canvey Island Youth Project, Carer’s Choices (Benfleet), Kingsdown Holiday Club (Southend), Southend Talking Newspaper, Special Needs And Parents, SNAP (Brentwood) and 57 West (Southend).

Following the launch of the fun park’s ‘£40k to 40 charities for our 40th’ initiative in March, more than 100 entries nominating Essex charities and good causes poured in.

The difficult task of deciding which of the increasing number of applications would be among the eight lucky organisations each month until October was undertaken by Adventure Island’s Operations Director Andrew Renton and Finance Director Maxine Bean, who were joined by former Divisional Commander of Southend Police, Mick Thwaites, and the Reverend Hannah Bucke.

Former Mayor of Southend, Sally Carr, established Aspirations during her mayoral year in 2012. The charity works with disadvantaged youngsters from the town, with the aim of helping them to realise their dreams and potential.

She said: “The money would be used to ensure that we can keep the Charity going and continue to help turn young lives around.”

Carer’s Choices plans to use their allocation of the Adventure Island cash to pay for a range of carefully chosen outdoor activities for their Young Carer groups.

Angela Allum, of Carer’s Choice, said: “We believe that due to their caring responsibilities, these children need to get some of their young lives back and receive some 'me' time. We want to take them to places where they can forget they are carers for a while and just be kids.”

Canvey Island Youth Project is another small charity working in the heart of its local community with youngsters coping with a variety of issues including poverty, homelessness and addiction.

CIYP’s Alex Dobson said: “We will use the money to enable us to continue to provide education to young people on drug and alcohol Issues. We then work with them on the effects this has on their bodies and the social and personal consequences it has on their lives.

“Our evaluations show between 80 and 100 percent of the young people who attended these workshops showed a greater understanding of the social, behavioural, emotional and health consequences of drug and alcohol use.”

Brentwood-based SNAP (Special Needs and Parents) supports families with children and young people aged 0 to 25 years) who have any special need or disability, such as autism, cerebral palsy and learning disabilities.

With the money they receive, SNAP will buy materials for their popular after-school and holiday clubs, in which the youngsters enjoy creative arts and crafts activities, plus messy play, which is a sensory developmental experience for those children with more profound disabilities and complex needs.

Andrew Renton, Adventure Island’s Operations Director, said: “It’s been a really tough job picking the first eight as there are so many charities and good causes doing such inspiring things here in Essex, but these all really impressed us with what they are doing for others.

“There is still plenty of time to get your applications in if you want to be considered, we’re going to be helping another 32 good causes in our special anniversary year.”

The ‘£40k to 40 charities for our 40th’ panel reconvenes soon to select the next eight entries to go forward for their chance to win a share of the monthly £8,000 fund.