KEMMYRK, a Manx charity which helps to relieve hardship and distress among homeless people, has been awarded £1,000.

They have received the funds as part of Lloyds TSB's Small Change - Big Difference campaign.

Judges from Lloyds TSB and Mannin Media sifted through a host of entries to decide the winner of the first £1,000 grant awarded as part of the project. The panel was looking for organisations able to demonstrate a long-standing and ongoing involvement in community life.

Kemmyrk, which stands for a place of refuge, shelter or protection in Manx, provides a range of services for vulnerable people such as housing support for clients who have difficulty in finding and maintaining a tenancy, a service which has helped 120  people since Christmas.

Its Nightstop scheme provides emergency short term accommodation for young people with suitably selected families.

Chief executive officer of Kemmyrk Fiona Robinson said: "There is no homelessness legislation on the Isle of Man and no statutory responsibility for the government to provide accommodation for vulnerable people. Therefore, those who find themselves in difficulties are reliant on charitable support.

"The grant will be used to continue the peer education scheme where young people who have experienced homelessness visit the Island’s secondary schools and youth organisations to discuss the realities of being homeless and the options available to people who find themselves in this position.

"This project aims to discourage young people from leaving home early and to ensure that those who have to leave know what to expect and where they can go for help."

Lloyds TSB created the campaign to make a big difference to not-for-profit / grassroots charity and community support groups – and of course the people whose lives they seek to improve – by awarding a grant of £1,000.

Lucy Felton, business development manager for Lloyds TSB, said: "Groups which may be overshadowed by the big names in the charity sector have an opportunity to receive a donation that will directly assist the work they are doing in the community.

"Judging the entries was a difficult task as they were of a particularly high standard.

"We received entries from organisations including Age Concern and Cruse Bereavement Care, however we were humbled by the vital service which Kemmyrk provides for Island residents and the award will help promote the charity’s profile and raise awareness of a project which can really make a difference to the lives of young people on the Isle of Man."

Small Change – Big Difference will continue throughout 2010 and grants will be awarded every three months. The next grant is up for grabs in June.

Those organisations that haven’t yet applied for a Small Change, Big Difference grant can do so on the www.lloydstsb-offshore.com/islandpersonal/change website.

Lloyds TSB business development manager Lucy Felton, Mannin Media publications editor Simon Richardson, senior manager personal banking at Lloyds TSB Jo Wright and Kemmyrk chief executive officer Fiona Robinson