Theatre Royal Wakefield has been invited to take part in the charity abseil at Wakefield Cathedral, descending Yorkshire’s tallest spire this summer, and I will be a part of the big day! I am taking on this challenge to support both Wakefield Cathedral and the Theatre Royal Wakefield’s Learning and Participation programme.

The Theatre runs bespoke learning programmes working across a number of identified at-risk groups including young people from low-income families, socially isolated older people, and adults working to improve their mental wellbeing.

Through fundraising, a number of projects are free for participants or offer bursaries to ensure that participation is not restricted by economic means. 25% of participants in the youth training programmes and youth productions benefit from a bursary scheme, which is directly funded by the local business community, through individual giving and through grant funding.

In 2017 - 2018 Theatre Royal Wakefield’s outreach programme engaged with over 1,200 unique learners, providing over 13,000 instances of participation.