Over 2,000 community projects receive share of £65m lottery funding

12 Mar 2019 News

Some £65m has been awarded to 2,250 community-led projects by The National Lottery Community Fund.

The grantmaker (formerly the Big Lottery Fund) awarded this money in the first quarter of 2019 to projects that aim to support their communities.

High Trees CDT in Lambeth recieved the largest grant, £550,000, which it will use to develop a life skills project and to strengthen the local voluntary and community sector.

Projects that received funding include also include me&dee, a Derby based social initiative. It has received £10,000 to purchase a beach hut in Lincolnshire for recovering soldiers and their families to spend time together.

Maria Hanson, founder and chief executive of me&dee, said: “This National Lottery funding is fantastic news and has helped us to buy a beach hut at the end of Queens Park Promenade in a beautiful and secluded spot. This is a perfect location, as many recovering soldiers find it really difficult to sit in the open on a busy beach, but they can feel safe inside the beach hut and still see the sea and enjoy spending time with their family.”

“We’ve heard from recovering soldiers and their partners and families that these breaks have strengthened their relationships, giving them the time and space to recover from what can be traumatic experiences. This beach hut will help them to make new memories and provide a positive outlook on the future,” she added.

James Harcourt, England grantmaking director at The National Lottery Community Fund, said: “National Lottery money continues to change the lives of thousands of people across the UK. From community-led projects that reduce loneliness and isolation to those looking at ways of tackling bullying and violence amongst young people, this quarter’s funding has one thing in common – it’s all been awarded to groups with the ideas, knowledge and passion to make the changes they want to see in their local area.”

 

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