Two Cambridge organisations working together to give children the best start in life receives almost £340,000 National Lottery funding

A Cambridge-based project supporting families to give young children the start they deserve is celebrating after receiving almost £340,000 from The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest funder of community activity in the UK.

Abbey Together is one of almost 200 charities and community groups in the East of England doing vital work with communities, to have been awarded nearly £8.5 million of National Lottery funding in the last three months.*

The project is a partnership between Abbey People CIO and The Kings Hedges Family Support Project, which aims to provide a single point of contact for families to support children from pregnancy to their preparation for secondary school and beyond.

The two organisations provide a wealth of provisions for families to access, from community hubs and mental health advice to supporting people to get financial advice at the Citizens Advice Bureau. This new funding from The National Lottery Community Fund will enable them to combine their skills and expertise, to deliver a trusted and seamless service to support families from pregnancy onwards with advice around parenting, wellbeing and basic needs.

A parent who has benefitted from Abbey People said: “We attended the drop-in sessions with our son who was struggling with anxiety and finding it difficult to get back in to school. There weren't any magic fixes or miracle cures, but another set of ears to listen to him and a different voice to speak creatively with helped him make significant, positive steps each week. After a very gradual re-introduction, he is now back full time and coping well. The drop-in sessions made a tangible difference to his journey and provided real practical support to us as parents. We are really, really grateful.”

A parent from The Kings Hedges Family Support Project said: “The Monday together group is a vital lifeline to me and my son. The staff are friendly and helpful, going above and beyond to tell me useful activities and workshops coming up for my son and I. The project makes sure we are well and have all the information we need, but they are also a friendly ear whenever you are having a bad day.”

Suzie Buttress, Project Manager of Kings Hedges Family Support Project, said: “Thanks to National Lottery players, the funding will allow both organisations to support families seamlessly, from pre-natal to youth programmes. We are excited to be working with Abbey People and servicing East Cambridge and the Abbey ward.”

Nicky Shepard, Chief Executive Officer of Abbey People, said: “This funding is set to be transformational for both Abbey People and Kings Hedges Family Support Project and will mean we are able to help many more families in Abbey over the next three years. We’re really excited to be welcoming a new team member to the area and can’t wait to get going with the new events and activities we’ll be adding to our existing offer in Abbey. We really can’t thank the National Lottery players enough for making this kind of work possible.”

Helen Bushell, Head of Regional Funding for London, the South East and East of England at The National Lottery Community Fund, said: “Thanks to National Lottery players and the hard work and dedication of local projects like the Abbey Together project, this funding will provide support to strengthen families in Cambridge. We’re delighted that our funding is being used to give children the best start in life and provide the support they need to prosper and thrive.”

Cambridge isn’t alone in benefiting from National Lottery funding. Today it was announced that over £100 million of National Lottery funding has been awarded to almost 2,500 community groups in England in the past three months.*

National Lottery players raise over £30 million each week across the UK for good causes. The National Lottery Community Fund as a distributor ensures a share of this funding goes straight to communities, helping them to tackle important issues such as supporting young people into employment, mental health and climate action.

To find out more visit www.TNLCommunityFund.org.uk

Date published: 13 December, 2022
Region: England (South East)

Notes to Editors

* These figures are for funding awarded from 20 August - 25 November 2022.

About The National Lottery Community Fund

We are the largest funder of community activity in the UK – we support people and communities to prosper and thrive.

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.

Our funding has a positive impact and makes a difference to people’s lives. We support projects focused on things that matter, including economic prosperity, employment, young people, mental health, loneliness and helping the UK reach net zero by 2050.

Thanks to the support of National Lottery players, our funding is open to everyone. 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, £43 billion has been raised for good causes. National Lottery funding has been used to support over 635,000 projects - 255 projects per postcode area.

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