The John Thornton Young Achievers Foundation has launched a new £33,000 Jubilee Fund for Ferndown school children in celebration of The Queen’s 70 years on the throne.

At the first face-to-face meeting of trustees for two years, it was agreed this would be part of the pot of £101,550 for awards for local youngsters in 2022.

The charity was set up in 2008 in memory of John Thornton who was killed in Afghanistan. John’s Foundation aims to encourage and inspire young people to ‘climb as high as they can dream’ by awarding scholarships and bursaries to help them achieve their ambitions. In the 13 years since the charity was set up, over £850,000 has supported more than 2,000 young individuals from local schools and youth organisations together with numerous group and whole school awards.

Despite all the challenges in 2021 the charity received support from many businesses, individuals and schools and it proved to be a successful fundraising year. However, the continued restrictions led to a reduction in the number of JTYAF awards made during 2021, as youngsters were prevented from taking part in their activities in the same way as they had pre-Covid. As a result, the charity has extra funds available and eight local schools have been invited to bid to the new Jubilee Fund for this extra financial support.

The Jubilee Fund has been made available to schools in the Ferndown area for special enrichment projects which will support the mental health and wellbeing of the children.

Pete Thornton chairman of the JTYAF said: “We continue to be humbled by the support that John’s Foundation receives. Any charity is the sum of its supporters, and we are so grateful to everyone whose generosity has helped the JTYAF to continue to do its great work with young people,” he added that 2022 is going to be an “exciting year and the Jubilee Fund a really appropriate way to mark the Queen’s Jubilee.”