Philanthropists Julia and Hans Rausing have donated £2.5 million to charities based across Cheshire, including a number in Nantwich.
Donations have been made to 19 charities providing support across youth care, education, disability, welfare and restoration.
The grants continue the couple’s support of the region and reflect Julia Rausing’s (née Delves-Broughton) long family affiliation with east Cheshire.
The largest donation, of £1.2 million, is being made to Crewe Youth Zone, which is building a new youth centre in the town centre.
The funds will help support the first three years’ running costs and will create up to 70 full and part-time jobs and up to 100 volunteering opportunities.
Crewe Youth Zone is expected to be completed in spring 2025 and will be open seven days a week to young people aged between eight and 19.
Members will have access to an indoor climbing wall, a four-court sports hall, a training kitchen, a music room with a recording studio, a fully-equipped gym, dance and drama studio, a 3G sports pitch, an arts and crafts room, and an enterprise and employability suite.
Once opened, Crewe Youth Zone will be part of the OnSide Network of Youth Zones supporting more than 50,000 young people nationwide.
Joëlle Warren, trustee of Crewe Youth Zone and Vice Lord Lieutenant for Cheshire, said: “Crewe Youth Zone is profoundly grateful for the extraordinarily generous gift of £1.2 million from Julia and Hans Rausing and for their past support during the pandemic.
“This generous donation will initiate a Founder Patron campaign designed to achieve long-term sustainability, ensuring Crewe Youth Zone will be an asset to the community and transforming young people’s lives for generations to come.
“We warmly welcome them as our first Cornerstone Patron and greatly look forward to them being a partner in our journey.”
Other organisations to benefit from donations include Nantwich Riding for the Disabled, Nantwich Foodbank, Wingate Special Children’s Trust in Wrenbury, and St Mary’s Church in Nantwich.
Grants also go to other organisations around Cheshire, including Central Cheshire Buddy Scheme, St Luke’s (Cheshire) Hospice, CWA/Cheshire Without Abuse, Cheshire Community Foundation, Pure Insight, St Johns, Doddington, Cheshire Young Carers, Wishing Well Project, Motherwell Charity, Ruby’s Fund, Friends for Leisure, St Paul’s Centre and Chance Changing Lives.
Julia and Hans Rausing said in a statement: “Cheshire bears great significance to our family, which is why we have chosen to partner with these 19 charities in the region, all rooted in their local communities.
“These grants cover a broad range of charities to help those most in need across Cheshire.
“Supporting the new Youth Zone in Crewe will provide young people with a new state-of-the-art facility and will help develop vital skills for life.”
Planning permission for Crewe Youth Zone was granted in June and work is set to begin on site in the new year.
A group of local young people are currently being brought together to support with the development of the Youth Zone prior to opening, including helping to come up with the name and brand of the Youth Zone.
OnSide continues to raise the remainder of the first three years’ running costs for Crewe Youth Zone and urges local businesses and philanthropists to join the Founder Patron family.
If you would like to support young people living in Cheshire East contact Catherine Havers on [email protected]
Not sure that is necessarily true. Many generous donors wish to remain anonymous.
when I lived at Stoke, whole hospital wards were built by donations from families with industry there, it was wonderful to see the improvement it made to the wellbeing of the community, however we rarely see this now so well done, perhaps more footballers and other highly paid folk will chip in to other worthy causes
Extremely generous, in such trying times,nice to still support your local area,
Excellent news 👍👍👍