CONTINUING to support its surrounding area, Waitrose’s Holsworthy store has presented a cheque to a youth collective based in Bude.

The funding will help BLEND Youth Collective continue operating and providing support for its next project — to give a bit of colour to some tired concrete benches in Bude.

Siblings Jamie and Kaylie Wright established BLEND Youth Collective for 11 to 16 year olds in Bude in January of 2016 in order to implement a new way of looking at youth support by empowering members to run a fun and dynamic project for themselves.

This is yet another group to have been nominated to receive money in the Waitrose ‘Environmental Campaign’.

Providing some background information about BLEND and what it has achieved in recent months, Jamie said: “We recently spent four weeks sanding back, cleaning and re-treating Truscotts bridge over Bude Canal. Other times we have taken Blenders for a dip in the sea and/or Bude Sea Pool to cool off or just for a stroll and laugh together. A lot of our activities are deliberately low-cost since we have no permanent base sadly.

“Our next idea is to re-paint the concrete bases of the seating on top of Summerleaze Downs to give them a splash of colour. We are awaiting the council’s response to this idea but if approved would need funds to purchase the paint and brushes etc.

“We hope to be able to start our camping trips up again at some point as we have been funded with camping equipment but would likely need funding to help pay for food, drink, petrol and other sundry items.

“Our attendance numbers really took a big hit as a result of the pandemic, but week-by-week we have seen more Blenders join/return and we’re excited to keep the momentum going for the start of the new school year and beyond.”

To find out more about BLEND visit blendand.com or see how their latest projects are progressing on its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/blendand