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Over 100 community groups and charities receive an early Christmas present from the National Lottery
Support is being brought to 116 much needed community projects across Northern Ireland this festive season, thanks to over £6.8 million of grants from The National Lottery Community Fund.
With grants ranging from £830 to £500,000 the National Lottery funding is being used for a range of projects, including bringing isolated people together to make connections, building skills to empower people to improve their lives, and supporting people in need over winter and throughout 2025. Read more about all the projects.
One of the organisations receiving funding is Children’s Heartbeat Trust. They are using a £199,068 grant to support young people with congenital heart disease from across Northern Ireland.
Conan and his friends enjoying a mental health workshop delivered by Cathy and Katie from Children’s Heartbeat Trust during a summer residential. The Children’s Heartbeat Trust has received a £199,068 grant from The National Lottery Community Fund to support young people with congenital heart disease from across Northern Ireland.
Joanne McCallister, Chief Executive, Children’s Heartbeat Trust, said: “Pre-teens, teens and young adults are going through many changes in their lives and having congenital heart disease adds more complexities to this.
“But thanks to this funding we will be able to improve the lives of these young people and show them that they can lead full lives with their heart condition.
“We will use the grant to run activities at different locations across NI – east, mid and west - including support groups, educational workshops, training programmes, and residentials, which will all be tailored to the needs of different age groups. The project will also run a pilot support programme for siblings.
“This project is a brilliant opportunity for young people to be more independent, build connections, have fun and improve their mental health.”
Since the first National Lottery draw 30 years ago in 1994, The National Lottery Community Fund has awarded £786 million to good causes across communities in Northern Ireland. Over this time, UK wide, £50 billion has been raised for good causes, thanks to people playing the games.
A group from Bangor Foodbank taking part in Christmas Cookery classes, learning to cook low-cost meals in slow cookers. The group has received a £351,559 grant from The National Lottery Community Fund to provide emergency food parcels and support services for people experiencing food poverty. (Credit Bangor Foodbank)
Including in Ards and North Down where Bangor Foodbank and Community Support has been awarded a £351,559 grant. They are using the funding to provide emergency food parcels and support services for people experiencing food poverty.
Ken Scott from Bangor Foodbank said: “Receiving support from The National Lottery Community Fund has been transformative for us, empowering us to expand our services and reach more people in need.
“From setting up a new foodbank in Portaferry to providing low-cost Christmas cookery lessons, these three years of funding will help us to create a lasting impact in the Ards and North Down area for people struggling with the rising cost of living.”
Also receiving funding is The Diamond Community Development Association in Loughgall, a rural area outside Armagh. They are using a £9,350 grant to run activities, including reminiscence sessions and festive events, to improve the wellbeing of the local community.
In Derry/Londonderry, the Woodland Trust is using a £19,792 grant to run an outdoor activity programme in Faughan Valley. The project will bring people together to connect with nature, improve wellbeing and learn new skills on tree planting, woodland yoga, outdoor navigation and conservation.
Kate Beggs, Northern Ireland Director of The National Lottery Community Fund, said: “Congratulations to all the groups receiving funding today. I’m proud to see the impact our funded projects are having in people’s lives and across communities in Northern Ireland.
“Wintertime and especially the festive season can be difficult for many, but thanks to these projects, people are being supported to cope with the challenges they face and can look forward to a better 2025.
“As the new year approaches, we’re building on the work and impact already made through these 30 years of National Lottery funding and continuing to meet the needs of communities.”
For more information on National Lottery funding visit: www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/funding/northern-ireland.
Download a full list of all grants announced yesterday
Notes to Editors:
About The National Lottery Community Fund
We are the largest non-statutory community funder in the UK – community is at the heart of our purpose, vision and name.
We support activities that create resilient communities that are more inclusive and environmentally sustainable and that will strengthen society and improve lives across the UK.
We’re proud to award money raised by National Lottery players to communities across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and to work closely with Government to distribute vital grants and funding from key Government programmes and initiatives.
As well as responding to what communities tell us is important to them, our funding is focused on four key missions, supporting communities to:
1. Come together
2. Be environmentally sustainable
3. Help children and young people thrive
4. Enable people to live healthier lives.
Thanks to the support of National Lottery players, we distribute over £600 million a year through 13,000+ grants and plan to invest over £4 billion of funding into communities by 2030. We’re privileged to be able to work with the smallest of local groups right up to UK-wide charities, enabling people and communities to bring their ambitions to life.
National Lottery players raise over £30 million each week for good causes throughout the UK. Since The National Lottery began in 1994, £49 billion has been raised and more than 690,000 individual grants have been made across the UK - the equivalent of around 240 National Lottery grants in every UK postcode district.
National Lottery Awards for All Northern Ireland
A quick way to apply for smaller amounts of funding between £300 and £20,000.
People and Communities
A larger amount of funding (between £20,001 and £500,000) for projects working with your community – whether that’s a community living in the same area, or people with similar interests or life experiences.
Empowering Young People
A larger amount of funding (between £20,001 and £500,000) for projects that work with young people (between the ages of 8 and 25) to face and overcome challenges.
Original article link: https://www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/news/press-releases/2024-12-10/over-100-community-groups-and-charities-receive-an-early-christmas-present-from-the-national-lottery
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