Showtime for rare diseases and young people thanks to National Lottery cash

4 Aug 2017 09:28 AM

A project using photography and filmmaking to raise awareness of rare diseases in young people is among the latest being awarded National Lottery money.

Same But Different CIC in Mold, Flintshire are one of seven projects across Wales sharing in £2,117,697 as part of the latest round of the Big Lottery Fund’s People and Places programme. (For a full list of awards, click here).

The awards are made possible thanks to money being set aside for good causes from National Lottery ticket sales.

They will use £248,787 for their Rare Aware project that will work with people with rare diseases to increase social inclusion, education and give people a stronger voice by engaging beneficiaries in the arts, and through photography, filmmaking and storytelling.

Read how Same But Different supported students with rare diseases from Coleg Cambria with marketing this year’s Special Olympics, taking place this week, on the Big Lottery Fund Wales blog.

Ceridwen Hughes, Director of Same But Different CIC, said: “We are delighted that we have been successful in our application for a People and Places grant. We are now in a position to build on the work we started in the pilot project and feel we can really make a difference by raising awareness of rare diseases, and more importantly the people they affect, within North Wales.

“We have specifically chosen to use the arts, as a way to reach out to communities and to provide a voice to those who often feel powerless and isolated, because it is able to communicate in a powerful way that bridges social, language and educational barriers.  Rare Aware will enable people from a wide range of backgrounds and abilities to take part.  During the pilot and research phase of this application we have recognised the importance of including photographs, videos and text when telling a story. The use of a variety of media also ensures that it is accessible to a wider audience. 

“The People and Places grant will enable us to work within the communities of North Wales and to work closely with education establishments, employers and healthcare providers to ensure there is an understanding of the issues surrounding those whose lives are affected by rare disease.”

Elsewhere, in Rhondda Cynon Taff, Valleys Furniture Recycling Limited receive £500,000 for their toogoodtowaste project; a new furniture recycling facility in Rhondda Fawr that will engage their local community in life-long learning and volunteering. The building will house a showroom displaying safe, clean and affordable pre-owned items of furniture, electrical, clothing and household items at affordable prices, a workshop and community spaces.

Shaun England, Chief Executive Officer at toogoodtowaste, said: “We are absolutely delighted to receive the decision from the Big Lottery Fund People & Place programme that our application has been successful. This project will allow us to develop our services in the Rhondda Fawr valley, where the needs of the organisation have been greatly highlighted.
 
“The project will see us develop an iconic building into a vibrant community facility, combining retail, volunteering, training & essential community space.” 

Across Wales, The Movement for Non-Mobile Children (Whizz Kidz) will provide a network of youth clubs, targeted youth-led campaigns, wheelchair skills training, work placement opportunities and short residential breaks in camps for children and young adults in wheelchairs to learn independent living skills and provide respite for families, supporting people to make a positive transition into adulthood.

Highlighting the importance of the People and Places programme, Rona Aldrich, Wales Committee Member for the Big Lottery Fund, said: “Programmes like People and Places are making a difference to the lives of so many people in communities across Wales.
  
“It delivers on our promise to use National Lottery funding to regenerate and revitalise communities, tackle disadvantage head on and leave a lasting legacy.”

The People and Places programme awards grants of between £10,001 and £500,000 for a broad range of community projects. For further information about the programme and how you can apply for funding, please visit http://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/fundingfinderwales.

Further Information:

Alexander Davies - Big Lottery Fund Press Office: 029 2067 8236
Public Enquiries Line: 0300 123 0735   |   Text Relay: 18001+0300 123 0735
Full details of the Big Lottery Fund programmes and grant awards are available at: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk
Follow Big Lottery Fund Wales on Twitter: www.twitter.com/biglotterywales
Find Big Lottery Fund Wales on Facebook: www.facebook.com/biglotteryfundwales

• 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, £34 billion has been raised and more than 500,000 grants awarded.