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Over 600 projects across England yesterday shared in £5.3 million from the Big Lottery Fund. Each of these projects represents a vibrant community using Lottery funding to make a big difference to their local environment. 

Please see below a few project highlights and a list of the awards being made in each region across England.

52 projects in the East of England are sharing a total of £423,171

The Road Victims Trust in Kempston, Bedfordshire has received £5,448 to purchase equipment, provide training and develop resources to be able to produce a newsletter promoting the support available for families and friends of people killed in road accidents.

Little Paxton Parish Council in Huntingdonshire has received £8,097 to install defibrillators in three separate locations in the village for community and public access. This will enable the group to provide basic training in using the defibrillators to the local community so in an emergency they can be used to save a life or keep a person stable until help arrives. 

All 52 projects to be awarded in the East are available here

68 projects in the East Midlands are sharing a total of £613,050

Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide in Ilkeston, Derbyshire has received £9,875 to purchase educational books and resources relating to suicide and coping mechanisms for their volunteer support networks. This will provide volunteers with knowledge and confidence to be able to better serve those who are bereaved. 

In Leicester, L4A has received £9,900 to pilot creative storytelling with older people living in care, providing an opportunity for informal learning and interaction. This will help to improve self esteem, reduce the onset of dementia and reduce isolation.

All 68 projects to be awarded in the East Midlands are available here

87 projects in London are sharing a total of £788,908

Unspoken in Haringey has received £8,400 to deliver a series of theatre workshop activities with a focus on the needs of people with speech impairments.

A Lewisham project, European Reminiscence Network has received £9,830 to deliver reminiscence workshops for socially isolated people living with dementia in Westminster and Camden. The project will also offer training courses for volunteers.

All 87 projects to be awarded in London are available here

44 projects in the North East are sharing a total of £387,457

Real Lives Real Choices in Newton Aycliffe has received £9,606 to run furniture recycling courses for adults with learning disabilities. Beneficiaries will learn about furniture restoration and craft skills whilst improving their confidence.

Great Aycliffe Cancer Support Group in County Durham has received £2,605 to provide day trips and recreational activities for people recovering from cancer, going through treatment or are terminally ill and their carers. They will also develop a website and quarterly newsletter and purchase a flipchart for guest speakers, providing a support network for beneficiaries to help improve their physical and emotional wellbeing.

All 44 projects to be awarded in the North East are available here

83 projects in the North West are sharing a total of £754,200

The Farnworth UCAN User Group in Bolton has received £10,000 to provide and run a massage clinic for vulnerable pregnant women who have been identified by health care professionals. The project will provide them with an alternative therapy and encourage other pregnant women to integrate and share their support. 

In Bolton, Washacre PTA has received £10,000 to set up a weekly parents and children computer club with a focus on vulnerable families who attend the school. This will provide IT skills for families, support for parents when engaging in their child’s learning and raising awareness of online safety within the community.

All 83 projects to be awarded in the North West are available here

54 projects in the South East are sharing a total of £450,891

The Dare to Live Trust in Withyham has received £9,864 to help ex-service personnel ease back into civilian life. The pilot project will focus on the impact serving has on partners and spouses and the importance of healthy and supportive interpersonal relationships during difficult periods of transition.

North Kent Advocacy Scheme in Gravesham has received £9,177 to support people with learning disabilities in producing a series of four short films demonstrating how bullying, abuse and hate crime affects them. This will help beneficiaries to cope with these issues better, access support and to report it, and training aid will be provided for community groups to help them tackle similar issues.

All 54 projects to be awarded in the South East are available here

69 projects in the South West are sharing a total of £604,669

Bournemouth Above and Beyond Trust has received £10,000 to provide support services and guidance for serving members of the armed forces to gain practical experience and qualifications for a wide range of employment opportunities. This will help ex-servicemen to reintegrate back into civilian life.

Lusty SLSC in Newquay, Cornwall has received £9,984 to provide an inshore rescue boat for members of the life saving club to use for their training purposes and to provide extra safety for the community.

All 69 projects to be awarded in the South West are available here

86 projects in the West Midlands are sharing a total of £791,045

The Doves Group in Stoke on Trent has received £10,000 to organise volunteer training to help support female genital mutilation survivors. The project will offer emotional support to beneficiaries through counselling.

Cranmore Infant School in Solihull has received £9,964 to create a community garden to grow food produce as part of a wider initiative to introduce healthy living projects for pupils and parents. They will also train their eco team in school garden maintenance.

All 86 projects to be awarded in the West Midlands are available here

64 projects in Yorkshire and the Humber are sharing a total of £576,444

Tiny Tickers Limited in Leeds has received £8,000 to deliver seminars and on the job training for sonographers. This will enable beneficiaries to detect heart problems in babies during pregnancy at an early stage, with the aim of improving survival chances and long term quality life.

St Andrews Child Contact Centre in Sheffield has received £5,522 to provide support, mediation and one to one sessions for families going through a separation. This will enable the group to continue supporting the children of separated families.

All 64 projects to be awarded in Yorkshire and the Humber are available here

Lyn Cole, Big Lottery Fund Deputy Director England, said yesterday: “Today’s awards demonstrate how people in throughout England are taking the lead to make a positive difference to their local community using grants from the Big Lottery Fund.”

Local projects with ideas on how they could make a difference to their community can find out how to apply for Lottery funding for projects from as little as £300 to £10,000 by joining one of our 30 minutes online webinars. They run every week and provide support and guidance on applying.

To find out more please visit https://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/englandwebinars

For more information on National Lottery funding available please visit:
https://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/funding

Website: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk
Twitter: @biglotteryfund #BigLottery
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BigLotteryFund

For funding and general enquiries call:
BIG Advice Line: 0345 4 10 20 30
For press enquiries call:
Press Office:  020 7211 1888
Out of hours media contact: 07867 500572

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 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 £6.5billion 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.