Lewisham Children's Fund

LCF has been delivering successful preventative initiatives across Lewisham for the past five years working closely with community, voluntary and statutory partners. In December 2004 the DfES approved the Lewisham Children's Fund Preventative Services Three Year Plan (2005-2008).

The Children's Fund is based on a number of key principles:

• To focus on children and young people between 5 – 13 years most at risk of social exclusion through poverty and disadvantage, filling the gap in services that has existed between Sure Start and Connexions.
• To deliver preventative/early intervention services in partnership with the voluntary and community sector
• To promote the participation of local children and young people and families, in the design and delivery of the programme.

The Programme aims to:

• Minimise local bureaucracy by building on suitable existing local partnerships.
• Co-ordinate and add value to existing services, as well as to introduce new provisions.
• To support training and capacity building for the voluntary and community sector (VCS).
• To be culturally appropriate and sensitive to particular needs e.g. children with disabilities and from different ethnic backgrounds.