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Recognising the enormous contribution carers make to their families and communities the Big Lottery Fund is celebrating National Carers Week (8-14 June) awarding over £15 million to 321 projects today putting people in the lead to make great things happen within their communities.

Highlighting the invaluable work of parents and carers, today’s awards include two crucial projects supporting people caring for disabled children. Contact A Family receives £408,559for its Keeping Families Informed project to provide parents/carers of a disabled child aged 0-25 with key information and advice on a wide range of issues such as benefits, Special Education Needs (SEN), sleep, behaviour and managing stress. 

In the South West, Allsorts Gloucestershire are awarded £302,453 for a project to support 180 families, as well as two special schools, a mainstream primary, Stroud District Children’s Centres, a parent/carer support group, and a women and children’s refuge. The scheme will support and empower children and young people with disabilities and their families to improve their health, wellbeing and quality of life.

The project will include social and sporting activities for 18 - 24 year-olds, and work experience placements for disabled young people through a social enterprise scheme to offer training and employment opportunities.

Other carers projects funded today include Anfield Family Carers Matter for The Life Story Network CIC project in Liverpool with an award of £9,448 to support families and carers of people living with dementia. The scheme will work with organisations and partners within the community to provide a programme of support and resources such as training and guidance on practical techniques and tools for carers to maintain relationships and communication.

In Bolton, Friends of Horwich Memory Cafe receives £10,000 to provide additional social and recreational activities for people with dementia, as well as providing support, respite and additional social and recreational activities for their carers, improving general health and well being, relationships and coping strategies.

Hampshire Neurological Alliance - HNA Knowledge Network is awarded £10,000 to set up awareness training and sessions across Hampshire, Portsmouth, Southampton and the Isle of Wight for people with long term neurological conditions and their carers and will also provide person centred training for clinicians and health care professionals. The project aims to improve the services of the organisation and enable them to provide networking and links with local voluntary and statutory organisations to help meet the need of their beneficiaries.

Lyn Cole, Deputy Director of England at the Big Lottery Fund, said: “These projects are excellent examples of how National Lottery funding supports and empowers carers in the community, putting people in the lead to provide those most in need with the independence and stability to realise their potential and enjoy taking an active part in the community.”
 
Today’s awards have been made through the Big Lottery Fund’s Awards for All and Reaching Communities programmes awarding National Lottery funding to communities and people most in need in England. Awards for All provides grants between £300 and £10,000 to voluntary and community organisations and Reaching Communities awards larger grants of £10,000 and above.                                                                                                                          

A full list of the grants awarded today is available here.

Website: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk
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For funding and general enquiries call:
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Notes to editors

• The Big Lottery Fund supports the aspirations of people who want to make life better for their communities across the UK. We are responsible for giving out 40% of the money raised by the National Lottery for good causes and invest over £650 million a year in projects big and small in health, education, environment and charitable purposes. 
• Since June 2004 we have awarded over £8 billion to projects that make a difference to people and communities in need, from early years intervention to commemorative travel funding for World War Two veterans.
• Since the National Lottery began in 1994, £33 billion has been raised and more than 450,000 grants awarded.
• Awards for All small grants programme makes lottery awards between £300 and £10,000 for a wide range of community projects aimed at developing skills, improving health, revitalizing the local environment and enabling people to become more active citizens. 
• Reaching Communities large grants programme makes lottery awards between 10,000 and £500,000
• to support people and communities most in need to give people better life chances, develop stronger communities, improve rural and urban environments and promote healthier more active people and communities.