Northern Ireland groups have lots to celebrate with new grants boost

5 Oct 2016 02:38 PM

Groups across Northern Ireland today are sharing in £105,300 from the Big Lottery Fund’s Celebrate programme. A total of 23 groups are using grants of £500 to £5,000 to run their own events or activities that allow people to celebrate what makes their local community special. (See a full list of awards)

Here are some examples of what has been funded:

Newry Rainbow Community supports the lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community in the Newry area, improving their quality of life and confidence. They are using a £4,175grant to provide a St Valentine's Gala Ball in February for the LGBT community and their families and friends. It includes a Pride in Newry Awards ceremony to celebrate what has been achieved in the first five years of the pride in Newry festival.

Tollymore united Football Club provides football, volunteering and other opportunities for all ages in the Newcastle, Co Down area. They are using the £5,000 grant to provide an Opportunity Knocks meets X Factor talent event in February at Pierrots Bandstand on Newcastle's promenade for the enjoyment of local people, where regular talent shows were held up until the 1970s.

174 Trust was set up to provide a range of activities and support to a range of groups in the north Belfast area. The project is using a £4,850 grant to bring different people, communities and traditions together in north Belfast to celebrate their musical, artistic and cultural heritage.

Waterside Neighbourhood Partnership provides a range of programmes in the Waterside area of Derry to improve education, health and work prospects. They are using the £5,000 grant for an inclusive and diverse two day St Patrick’s Day celebration in the local area. It will include cultural, music and art events for the whole community, and especially to bring young people and older people together.

Brocagh After School Club Ltd, based on the shore of Lough Neagh, near Dungannon, provides after school facilities for children in the community of Brocagh and surrounding areas to enhance their social skills. They are using the £5,000 grant to present a show - The Lough Neagh Monster - for the whole community to increase the children’s confidence and celebrate community spirit.

Joanne McDowell, Big Lottery Fund NI Director, said: “Today’s Big Lottery Fund grants celebrate what’s special about individual communities across Northern Ireland. From arts festivals to cultural activities and fun days, these events will bring people together to volunteer, have fun and meet more people in their area.

“I am delighted to see such a wide range of groups sharing in these awards, and I look forward to even more communities celebrating and benefiting in the future.

“Organisations should submit their applications as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. The closing date for applications is 21 October 2016.”

For media enquiries, contact Rachel Skinner or Niamh Scullion at the Big Lottery Fund Press Office on 028 90 551 450 
Out of Hours Media Contact: 07554116595 / 0774 7532 846 
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 £6.5 billion 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.