WIREDGOV

Bereaved children in Newark and Nottinghamshire will receive essential support from Sue’s Place. The charity is one of 11 projects in the East Midlands sharing in over £3 million from the Big Lottery Fund to help communities and people most in need.

Amongst the other projects that received Lottery good cause funding yesterday are Home-Start support for families in Boston and Derby and rural transport projects in Derbyshire.

Sue’s Place Child Bereavement and Loss Service receives £278,297 to continue its valuable service providing individual support for children aged three to 18 years old in Newark and across Nottinghamshire. 

Children, who have experienced traumatic bereavement, are dealing with long-term illness of a parent or family member or suffering from their parents breaking up may develop mental health issues. This sadly can lead to issues such as behavioural problems, low self-esteem, anxiety, depressions, substance misuse and self-harming. Children and their parents and carers will be able to access weekly sessions of play therapy, family therapy, counselling and a residential camp.

Jo Butler, Manager said: “Newark and Notts Child Bereavement and Loss Centre, known as Sue’s Place, is absolutely delighted to receive a grant from Reaching Communities. The grant will ensure that we are able to continue supporting almost 300 children a year who have lost someone close, many children have lost parents and siblings and without the Centre would receive little or no specialist support to help them come to terms with their loss. We look forward to continuing our valuable work across Nottinghamshire.”

Families in Boston struggling to cope with various difficulties such as isolation and health problems will be teamed with parent volunteers who understand the challenges they face. Home-Start Boston receives £358,305 to carry on providing assistance on a range of complex family issues. The project will also increase the number of staff hours available to manage the growing number of young families struggling with the new benefits system providing them with essential support. Home-Start Derby will use £288,247 for a similar project.

Derbyshire Rural Community Council will use £477,890 to help rurally isolated young people to gain access to work, training and learning opportunities through its Wheels to Work Derbyshire scheme. Rurally isolated Derbyshire residents with a job offer or training placement offer will be eligible for the service. The project will offer a six month moped loan to eligible clients plus motorcycle training, vehicle insurance, protective clothing and a heavy duty lock for the moped. The clients pay £20 per week in loan payments and pay for their own fuel. Young people will also be able to buy a push bike or power assisted bike from the project over a six month period. 

Mick McGrath, Big Lottery Fund spokesperson said: “Thank you to every person who plays the National Lottery as everyone is helping to make a personal difference to people and communities across the region including bereaved children, families and isolated older people. Organisations wanting to find out how we can help can find out more at www.biglotteryfund.org.uk.”

Full list of the eleven projects sharing in over £3 million from Big Lottery Fund yesterday

Big Lottery Fund Press Office: 020 7211 1888
Out of hours media contact: 07867 500 572
Full details of the Big Lottery Fund programmes and grant awards are available on the website: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk
Ask BIG a question here: https://ask.biglotteryfund.org.uk
Follow BIG on Twitter: www.twitter.com/BigLotteryFund #BIGlf
Find BIG on facebook: www.facebook.com/BigLotteryFund
 
Notes to Editors

The Big Lottery Fund (BIG), the largest distributor of National Lottery good cause funding, is responsible for giving out 40% of the money raised for good causes by the National Lottery.

BIG is committed to bringing real improvements to communities and the lives of people most in need and has been rolling out grants to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK. Since June 2004 BIG has awarded over £4.4bn.

The Fund was formally established by Parliament on 1 December 2006.

Since the National Lottery began in 1994, 28p from every pound spent by the public has gone to good causes. As a result, over £29 billion has now been raised and more than 383,000 grants awarded across arts, sport, heritage, charities, health, education and the environment.