WIREDGOV

114 groups across Northern Ireland are sharing in £942,846 from Big Lottery Fund’s Awards for All programme.

(Full list of awards in separate attachment)

Cairde Turas based in the Skainos centre in east Belfast, promotes and supports the work of Turas, an Irish language project that connects people from Protestant communities to their own history with the Irish language. They are using the £9,983 to rent an additional room that will be used as a classroom and small library.

The Book Reserve C.I.C. is a south Belfast social enterprise employs and supports young ex-offenders. They are using the £9,340 to offer film and event management training and mentoring to staff and young parents who have recently been homeless. They are holding community movie nights, a Reading Club and toddlers’ music and storytelling sessions.

Black Box Trust, in Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter which also runs projects for and by people with learning difficulties. They are using the £9,921 to run a year-long DJ and event management training course for five people with learning difficulties.

Pawzitive promotes pet assisted therapy for people in need in the Downpatrick area. They are using the £9,839 to train dog handlers to carry out support with 100 primary school children in the Downpatrick area. The children are developing literacy by reading aloud to the ‘book buddy’ dogs.

Guildhall Press provides community development and digital training. They are using the£9,200 to design and create a pilot Digital Reminiscence and Wellbeing Platform containing resources such as images, video, music, sayings and games linked to Derry/Londonderry, with residents of a local care home.

St Mary's Primary School on Rathlin Island are using the £9,000 to provide equipment to design and create a community garden and grow vegetables. It will include sensory elements for those with special needs, somewhere for older people to sit and enjoy, raised beds and a polytunnel.

The Lady of the Lake Festival runs a 10 day community festival every July. They are using the £8,380 for a “School Around the Corner” day during the festival to celebrate the 50th and 60th anniversaries of the two primary schools in Irvinestown. The event includes old and new pupils talking about their experiences of school days, an exhibition of old photos and records, and a re-enactment of school experience before 1960.

Joanne McDowell, Big Lottery Fund NI Director, said: “The Big Lottery Fund’s NI Awards for All programme funds health, education, environment and community projects that help people bring about positive change in their lives, improve health and well-being, develop skills and create safer communities.

“The application process is simple and accessible and shall remain so, making it easy for applicants to successfully apply for small pots of funding that can have such a big impact on local communities and lives.”

Application forms and guidance notes are available to download at www.biglotteryfund.org.uk. For more details call us on 028 9055 1455, or e-mail us at enquiries.ni@biglotteryfund.org.uk

For media enquiries, contact Niamh Scullion or Rachel Skinner at the Big Lottery Fund Press Office on 028 90 551 450

Out of Hours Media Contact:  07554116595

Website:  http://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/northernireland 

Twitter:  @BIGNIonline #BigLottery

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/BigLotteryFundNI