WIREDGOV

What do Black History Month, William Wallace and Scottish poet Frederick Septimus Kelly have in common? Not much until you throw in £175,000 of Lottery cash to allow groups from across Scotland to celebrate the lives and times of their local communities.

Recently(FRI 30 SEPT), 43 Scottish community groups shared in cash from the Big Lottery Fund’s Celebrate programme to celebrate what makes their local community special. See attached table of awards made in your local area

A free family fun day celebrating Black History Month will take place in Knightswood Community Centre on 29th October, thanks to a grant of £4,300. The funding goes to ANYiSO, a charity which supports black and ethnic minority women to fulfil their true potential.
The event will bring people together to enjoy music, dancing, food, games and a catwalk showcasing traditional costumes.

In the Scottish Borders, Greenlaw Parish Church will hold a commemoration event celebrating the lives and times of noted composer and poet Frederick Septimus Kelly who was based in Greenlaw for training prior to service in WW1. The group receives £1,330 to hold an event on Remembrance Sunday, exactly 100 years to the day that Kelly was killed at the Battle of the Somme. Local school children, historical groups, the Air Cadet group and the local musical society will all take part alongside the wider community.

Elderslie Community Council receives £5,000 to celebrate the history of William Wallace. The group will visit local schools and community groups to deliver educational talks and storytelling workshops. This will complement a yearly festival which takes place commemorating the life of this national hero.

Big Lottery Fund Scotland Chair, Maureen McGinn, said: “We all know that Scots enjoy a good party, so the awards will give even greater cause for celebration across the country. Whether it is a free family fun day, a tea dance or a music festival, these Celebrate awards will bring thousands of people of all ages together to celebrate what is special about their community. Groups have until 21 October to get their applications for funding in, so if you want to apply visit our website www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/funding/celebrateuk now.”

To be eligible to apply for a Celebrate grant of up to £5,000, applicants must be part of a constituted group which has its own bank account. Groups have until the closing deadline of 21 October.

The Big Lottery Fund welcomes applications from voluntary or community organisations, schools and statutory bodies, particularly those who have never considered the Big Lottery Fund as a potential source of funding. Organisations are encouraged to submit their applications early to avoid disappointment as once funds have been allocated, Celebrate will close to new applications.

Notes to Editors

For funding and general enquiries call:
BIG Advice Line: 0345 4 10 20 30
For press enquiries call:
Press Office: 0141 242 1458/07823 552 889

About Celebrate

• The total amount available across the UK for the Celebrate programme is £5 million. To  find out more please visit: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/celebrate
• YouGov poll on behalf of the Big Lottery Fund with 2109 respondents, June 2016.

About the Big Lottery Fund

• The Big Lottery Fund is the largest funder of community activity in the UK. We put  people in the lead to improve their lives and communities, often through small, local  projects.
• We are responsible for giving out 40% of the money raised by National Lottery players  for good causes. Every year we invest over £650 million and award around 12,000 grants across  the UK for health, education, environment and charitable purposes.
• Since June 2004 we have awarded over £9 billion to projects that change the lives of  millions of people. Since the National Lottery began in 1994, £34 billion h as been  raised and more than 450,000 grants awarded.

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