Funding boost for Northern Ireland groups from Awards for All

22 Mar 2017 11:58 AM

Young people, older people and community groups are among those celebrating today after receiving National Lottery funding.

A total of 100 groups across Northern Ireland are sharing in £853,842 from Big Lottery Fund’s Awards for All programme (see a full list of awards)

Lurgan Junior High School has been awarded £8,375. The school provides education for children aged 11-14 and its youth annex provides a variety of projects for young people aged 8-25. It is using the grant to fund youth activities including a healthy lifestyle programme and a photography project for 11-19 year olds from the south Lurgan area.

North Belfast Women's Initiative and Support Project offers community based health support services for the local community. They also received a £10,000 grant to run events to provide advice and information on how to achieve a healthier lifestyle, develop coping mechanisms, and provide alternative therapies.

50+ Health & Fitness has been awarded £10,000. The organisation, based in Ballymoney, provides a structured programme of activities for people over 50. They are using the grant to build on their existing services by offering outreach classes in more isolated rural areas.

Also receiving funding today is Northern Ireland Newpin. The organisation provides parent and child therapeutic programmes in Derry/Londonderry, Strabane and Limavady. They are using a £9,600 grant to provide child psychotherapy for children and counselling for mothers.

Julie Harrison, Big Lottery Fund NI Chair, said: “I am delighted to announce these grants under the Awards for All programme and I want to say thanks to all the National Lottery players who have helped make this possible.

“Awards for All 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 Rachel Skinner or Lucy Gollogly at the Big Lottery Fund Press Office on 028 90 551 450, 028 90 551 432

Out of Hours Media Contact: 0774 7532846, 07580 811135
Website: http://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/northernireland
Twitter: @BIGNIonline #BigLottery
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BigLotteryFundNI

Notes to Editors:

• The Big Lottery Fund supports the aspirations of people who want to make life better for their communities across the UK. We are responsible for giving out 40% of the money raised by the National Lottery and invest over £650 million a year in projects big and small in health, education, environment and charitable purposes.
• Since June 2004 we have awarded over £6.5billion to projects that make a difference to people and communities in need, from early years intervention to commemorative travel funding for World War Two veterans.
• Since the National Lottery began in 1994, £35 billion has been raised and more than 490,000 grants awarded.