£900,000 funding boost for Northern Ireland groups from National Lottery Awards for All

People across Northern Ireland are improving their mental health, learning new skills and connecting with their local community thanks to over £900,000 from The National Lottery Community Fund.

Today a total of 104 groups across Northern Ireland are sharing in £946,765 from The National Lottery Awards for All programme. From families learning how to cook nutritious low-cost meals to children with learning disabilities creating a Forest School, all the groups are using small grants of £300 to £10,000 to put people in the lead and help their communities thrive.

Urban Community Chef CIC, based outside Portaferry, received £9,650 to support families, older and younger people and refugees and asylum seekers to learn about sustainable, nutritious eating. They are running a programme of nutrition and cooking workshops in local community kitchens. They will also hold a celebration event to bring people from different cultures together to share food and learn from one another.

Ceara Special School in Lurgan supports pupils aged 3-19 who have severe and profound learning disabilities. They received £8,460 of funding to create an accessible outdoor/indoor Forest School, including a sensory pod, a story teller chair, and benches.

Tudor Lodge Nursery School in north Belfast has been awarded an £800 grant. They are using the funding to run a mentoring programme and employment training courses for parents to support them into employment.

Turning Point NI, which provides mental health crisis support for people in need, has received £10,000. The Ballymena based group is using the grant to run a programme of crisis intervention, aftercare counselling and talks to raise awareness and understanding of mental health issues.

Eglinton Men’s Shed near Derry/Londonderry has been awarded a £10,000 grant. The group runs community activities for men and gives them a safe and welcoming centre to meet, talk and work together. They are using the grant to build a community garden and for woodworking classes to bring men together to learn new skills.

A full list of grants can be downloaded below.

Kate Beggs, The National Lottery Community Fund Northern Ireland Director, said: “I am delighted to announce these grants today to projects supporting people across Northern Ireland. They are using the funding in diverse ways – from creating Forest Schools for children with learning disabilities to tackling mental health issues and reducing isolation.

“The common thread is that they are all being led by local people who are using National Lottery money to develop great ideas to help their communities thrive.

“Small pots of funding from National Lottery Awards for All are bringing people together to make good things happen. I want to say thanks to all the National Lottery players who have helped make this possible.”

Application forms and guidance notes are available to download at the link below. For more details call us on 028 9055 1455, or e-mail us at enquiries.ni@tnlcommunityfund.org.uk.