GROUPS across north Essex have benefitted from a cash giveaway.

CARA – the Centre for Action on Rape and Abuse – was among 19 charities and voluntary organisations to receive grants at Essex County Council’s Millennium and Chairman’s funds awards.

Grants totalling £74,768 were presented from the two funds at a ceremony hosted by Norman Hume, the chairman of Essex County Council, at the Essex Records Office.

Colchester-based CARA provides a range of support including to youngsters aged between 11 and 19 who have experienced sexual violence.

It received £3,500 and its director Helen Parr said: “There is a consistently high demand for our service and we currently have 49 young people on our waiting list and an expected waiting time of up to six months.

“The funding we received from the Essex Millennium Fund will support our Young People’s Service through which we can provide therapeutic support, counselling, information and advocacy through one-to-one sessions with a dedicated Young People’s Practitioner.

“As sessions progress, young people begin to feel able to cope with their lives and come to terms with what has happened to them.”

Colchester’s Mercury Theatre received £3,500 for a summer school.

And £4,000 was given to Colchester Gateway Clubs to allow them to increase the hours of a project manager supporting adults with learning disabilities.

A grant of £8,500 was also given to Beacon House Ministries in Colchester to help support vulnerable and homeless people in Colchester at a drop-in café.

The 4 Youth Brightlingsea club received £5,000 to help pay for the rent and other running costs.

And a further £5,000 went to the Mad About Theatre Company. The money will go towards the cost of providing arts activities across the Clacton area.

The Tendring Reuse and Employment Enterprise group received £4,000 to help with the cost of employing a part-time appliance engineer to test recycled white goods.

And the Theatre of Lemmings was granted £3,200 to fund young people’s musical workshops to contribute to the Harwich Children’s Carnival.

At the presentation, Mr Hume paid tribute to the 10,000 voluntary organisations in Essex for their contribution.

He said: “My time in office has been a great journey.

“I have visited many organisations and I have learned so much about the work being done in communities.

"I have met the most extraordinary people and volunteers without whom Essex would be a poorer place to live.”

Since the Essex County Council’s Millennium and Chairman’s Fund awards started in 2000 and 2007, grants totalling nearly £1.1 million have been awarded to voluntary organisations.