£122 million of National Lottery funding offers a helping hand to diverse communities

Today it has been announced that, over the last three months, £122 million of vital National Lottery funding has been awarded to over 2,500 charities and community groups in England.*

The funding – awarded on behalf of National Lottery players by The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest community funder in the UK - will be used across England by local projects to make a real difference in their community.

Grants range from just under £500 to help a Brownies group in Oldham access new technology, to over £1.5 million to accelerate the growth of health and wellbeing support services in Hillingdon, London.

The funding is all part of The National Lottery Community Fund’s ambition to strengthen society and improve lives across the UK.

Equity, diversity and inclusion is a priority for the funder, which has pledged to invest most in places, people and communities experiencing poverty, disadvantage and discrimination.

During Black History Month this October, The National Lottery Community Fund is reflecting on its work with Black, African and Caribbean communities. Last year saw £45m (11% of total funding value) awarded to projects supporting these communities.**

Last year £105m (25%) was also awarded to groups supporting people with disabilities, £17m (4%) to LGBTQ+ communities, £106m (25%) to children and young people, and £30m (7%) to older people who may be struggling with isolation or access to services.**

Emma Corrigan, England Director at The National Lottery Community Fund, said: “We’re delighted that groups across the country are using our funding to strengthen communities and improve lives. Their passion, creativity and commitment are making a real difference, and this deserves recognition.

“Thanks to the ongoing support of National Lottery players, our ambition is to invest most in places, people and communities experiencing poverty, disadvantage and discrimination – and we welcome new applications that will help us respond to the diverse needs of communities.”

Examples of projects funded in the last three months:

Leicester based arts organisation Literati Arts CIC has received almost £10,000 to raise awareness of Black lived experience in the care system and support Black care leavers. Through poetry, the group offers a platform and community to people whose voices may normally not be heard.

Ty'rone Haughton, Founder and Artistic Director of Literati Arts CIC said: “Thanks to National Lottery players, we are very excited to commemorate Black History Month in October and to be connecting with people from the Windrush generation, those who followed afterwards and the families they have created.”

The Motherhood Group Limited has received £9,700 of funding to start a community telephone helpline and Stay and Play sessions, and continue their peer support group and Black Zen Mums sessions. The project will support mums from the Black and minority ethnic community across Lambeth and Southwark, and provide practical and emotional pre-natal, pregnancy and ante-natal support.

Phoenix Enterprises in Swindon, Wiltshire, has received more than £150,000 of National Lottery funding to transform life chances for adults with short or long-term mental health problems, learning difficulties or physical disabilities. The grant will help the organisation benefit more than 300 people over three years.

Clare McDougall, Chief Executive at Phoenix Enterprises, said: "I can't tell you how much this funding means to us. Thanks to National Lottery players, this generous grant will take the pressure off and allow us to do amazing work."

Stockport-based digital inclusion charity Starting Point is celebrating after receiving over £242,000. The funding will be used to create an online learning platform and help the group grow its army of ‘Digital Champions’ in the community - helping people with everything from using local parking apps and ordering repeat prescriptions, to spotting online scams and improving their cyber security.

Clara Jones, Head of Digital Inclusion at Starting Point, said: “Thank you to The National Lottery Community Fund and National Lottery players! This funding means that we can help more people in Stockport to be digitally included. If you are not digitally included, you miss out on so many key parts of life, essentials, and the things that make life worth living.

“This money will help us to share skills and empower volunteers to help friends in their community in Stockport. We are really delighted to have this opportunity to get more people online.”

Gateshead-based Lawnmowers Independent Theatre Company has received £120,000 to provide acting, singing and music activities for people with learning disabilities.

Claire Hills-Wilson, Artistic Director at Lawnmowers Independent Theatre Company said: “The support of National Lottery players is a huge benefit to Lawnmowers. The National Lottery Community Fund has been one of our core funders for many years now and we feel so privileged and supported by them to keep going. The funding offers us stability, it offers us a foundation to build upon what it is we do. We wouldn’t be where we are now if it wasn’t for The National Lottery Community Fund.”

Earlier this year, The National Lottery Community Fund launched its new strategy, ‘It starts with community’, which underpins its efforts to distribute at least £4 billion of National Lottery funding by 2030 - supporting projects that build resilient communities that are more inclusive and environmentally sustainable.

It identified four key missions, which are to support communities to come together, be environmentally sustainable, help children and young people to thrive and enable people to live healthier lives.

National Lottery players raise over £30 million a week for good causes across the UK. Thanks to them, last year The National Lottery Community Fund was able to distribute over half a billion pounds (£615.4 million) of life-changing funding to communities.

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