KIDS in St Helens are to get the benefits from a £1.7million cash boost over the next three years.

In the past year thousands of children have enjoyed high quality free play and leisure activities provided by the Children's Fund while more than 500 youngsters are in regular contact with the organisation which ensures that children aged five to 13 receive the support they need to thrive in all aspects of their lives.

Co-ordinated by children's charity NCH, the Children's Fund partnership, which involves St Helens Council and St Helens Primary Care Trust, will now draw up a plan to further develop ongoing initiatives and support networks for youngsters and their families. Its aims include helping children to grow up healthy, feeling safe and confident, doing well at school, staying out of trouble and fulfilling their dreams.

A key objective of the Children's Fund work is to help reduce the number of young people committing crime and to see fewer becoming victims of crime. Locally, the partnership provides many activities for youngsters during the school holidays.

Combats crime

It supports projects like the Active project in Moss Bank which has addressed youth disorder and it helps to combat youth crime and nuisance through other initiatives. It also reaches out to the Borough's schools through the Keeping Children Safe project which raises awareness about issues which affect the lives of children.

Councillor John Fletcher, the Council's Executive Member for Health and Social Care, said: "It is pleasing to see that a recent Ofsted/Audit Commission inspection said the Children's Fund was having a significant impact on preventing crime and improving school attendance and behaviour. The report said the services were wide ranging, well targeted and well managed".

Joan Dennis, Programme Manager of the St Helens Children's Fund, added: "We have been very active and very successful in St Helens in providing a whole range of activities and support for children and their families and we are confident that we can build on our success".

More information about the Children's Fund is available by contacting 01744 25892.