Local heroes unite to help those most in need in Suffolk village

A group of dedicated volunteers in a rural Suffolk village, many of whom are volunteering for the first time, are working tirelessly to ensure vulnerable people are looked after during the COVID-19 crisis – with pet care, hot meals and prescription collection just some of the ways in which support is being offered.

With help from a £9,000 National Lottery grant, the team at Honington and Sapiston Village Hall are co-ordinating a group of 30 volunteers to support isolated people during these difficult times. Services supporting the local community include the collection and delivery of prescriptions, food shopping, regular telephone catch-ups with people at risk of social isolation, dog walking and pet care. Volunteers are even heading out in to the local countryside to ensure footpaths are useable for those wanting to partake in exercise.

The grant from The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest funder of community activity in the UK, is also allowing the team at Honington and Sapiston Village Hall to provide a provision of free, hot take away meals three lunchtimes a week, with volunteers delivering food where necessary. So far, over 200 meals have been served with these numbers continuing to rise.

As the main community hub in a rural, isolated area with an ageing population, the village hall in Honington, around ten miles outside of Bury St Edmunds, provides a lifeline for many local residents. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the team that runs the hall has worked closely with other community groups, including the Parish Council and local pub, to ensure the support required to get people through these difficult times is available to all who need it.

Linda Howe BEM, Secretary and Trustee at Honington and Sapiston Village Hall, said: “The National Lottery grant has enabled volunteer expenses to be made so that everyone can offer support, regardless of their own financial position. Our volunteer group is made up of a complete mix of people, from a student to local aristocracy, and includes many people who are volunteering for the first time!”

“We would not have been able to achieve such a good service so quickly without the National Lottery grant.”

Honington and Sapiston Village Hall is one of six community groups in Suffolk to receive a share of over £50,000 last month from The National Lottery Community Fund. This funding, raised by National Lottery players, is part of the comprehensive package of support of up to £600 million, recently unveiled by National Lottery distributors as a whole, going to charities and organisations supporting communities, the arts, heritage, education, environment and sports.

Helen Bushell, Head of Funding for the South and East of England at The National Lottery Community Fund, said: “It has been heartening to see how communities in the East of England have been responding to the crisis. Honington and Sapiston Village Hall in Suffolk is just one of the many projects, from grassroots groups to larger charities, working tirelessly to support their community through these extremely difficult times.

“National Lottery players can be proud that the money they’ve raised is making a real difference at a time when it is most needed. We will carry on getting vital funding out to charities and voluntary sector organisations, so they can step up to overcome obstacles caused by the pandemic and help their community to rebuild and recover in the future.”

The COVID-19 crisis has sparked an influx of groups seeking funding from The National Lottery Community Fund to support their communities through these times. Overall, compared to the same time last year*, requests for funding have increased by 55%, while visits to the funder’s website have shot up by 47%. The most apparent spike in applications has been for smaller grants, with requests for funding up to £10,000 increasing by 51% year-on-year.

Going forward, The National Lottery Community Fund will continue to prioritise getting funding to groups best placed to support their communities at this vital time and also towards those seeking to rebuild as the crisis abates.

The National Lottery Community Fund distributes money raised by National Lottery players for good causes. Last year it awarded £1.4 million a day on average to projects that help people and communities thrive.

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