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Close to £49 million from the Big Lottery Fund will be shared amongst organisations across England including projects in Leeds, London, Sheffield, Oxford and the Midlands

Yesterday’s funding will support local organisations to help improve their local communities and the lives of people most in need.

Below are examples of some of the great projects receiving funding yesterday (view a full list of funded projects).

Debate Mate in London has received £353,560 for a project to enable disadvantaged young people to develop vital communications skills to improve their chances in education, training or employment. The project will run debating clubs with students from top universities, such as Oxford and Manchester, to provide young people with peer mentoring, engagement and inspiration to build confidence, self-control, leadership and resilience. This will be delivered in 80 schools in London, the East and West Midlands, Manchester, Merseyside and Yorkshire, expanding into communities that will benefit most. The scheme will support 1,945 people.

Faith Matters in London has received £383,278 for a project supporting victims of anti-Muslim hate crime in London, Manchester and Birmingham, with new services in Sheffield and Rotherham, Dudley, Batley, Leeds, Wakefield and Oxford. It will provide victims with practical help and advice to rebuild their confidence, with referrals to other support and pro-bono legal services. Staff will act as advocates and intermediaries, staying in regular contact with victims. The project will also focus on engaging women and raising awareness of discrimination.

HENRY (Health Exercise Nutrition for the Really Young) in Leeds has received £455,065 to work with parents of children aged up to five to prevent childhood obesity. It will be delivered in partnership with local authorities in Telford and Leeds, with expansion intoSheffield. Trained volunteers will help parents develop skills to provide a healthier family environment, with extra support for marginalised communities facing barriers to accessing existing services. There will also be support for families with shopping and budgeting, and signposting to additional health services.

The Young Vic Company in London has received £240,000 to establish theatre clubs, social groups and events to support and engage isolated and marginalised people, including disabled people, those with post-traumatic stress disorder, sex workers, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people and those affected by gang culture. The programme will include six projects a year created and inspired by the theatre’s current stage work, including two annual community productions. There will also be a funded ticket scheme to give people the opportunity to see shows and to take part in workshops together. The group will also work with a number of partners to support the needs of 750 people benefitting from the project.

The University of Hertfordshire in Hatfield has received £320,413 to use boxing, alongside structured education and support sessions, as a vehicle for engaging challenging and disadvantaged young people aged seven to 15 who have offended or who are at risk of offending. The project will partner with Box Cleva, a local voluntary organisation, and be delivered via ten local boxing clubs and community centres in the most deprived areas of Hertfordshire.

Lyn Cole, Big Lottery Fund England grant making director said: “So many local community organisations across the country are enabling people and communities to grow together bringing positive changes to their lives and futures. It’s wonderful to hear the stories of how through these great projects people have overcome barriers, learned new skills and improved their lives.”

Today’s awards have been made through the Big Lottery Fund’s Awards for All and Reaching Communities programmes. 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.

For more information on funding available visit:

https://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/funding

Website:  www.biglotteryfund.org.uk

Twitter:  @biglotteryfund #BigLottery

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/BigLotteryFund