COVID-19: More than £830,000 of National Lottery funding awarded to North East & Cumbria community projects

Charities and community groups across North East & Cumbria have been awarded more than £830,000 of National Lottery funding since the beginning of June – providing crucial support to overcome challenges caused by the COVID-19 crisis.

This vital funding is being distributed by The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest funder of community activity in the UK. This latest funding boost now means that, thanks to National Lottery players, over £21 million of funding has been awarded to more than 750 projects in England since the beginning of June.

In this latest round of grant-giving, 32 community projects in the North East & Cumbria are receiving a share, ranging from free transport to hospital appointment for older people, to online singing lessons to reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation.

Leo’s Neonatal, which covers the entirety of the North East & Cumbria, is one of the good causes stepping up to support people during this challenging time. It has been awarded £30,000 of National Lottery funding to provide support for parents, siblings and grandparents whose children are still in a neonatal unit. The aim is to help treat issues such as PTSD, anxiety and depression, as well as infant mental health, child development, with cases increasing heavily during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Leo’s Neonatal Charity was founded by Lottie King, after the tragic loss of her son at the age of just four hours old, having given birth to twins Leo and Oska at North Tees Hospital in Stockton. Lottie’s son Oska shared a room in the neonatal unit with the children of recent mother, Mandy Marsden, who had also given birth to premature twin babies. Mandy struck up a close friendship with Lottie, as they helped each other through the mental and emotional impacts of their ‘neonatal journey’ – as Mandy puts it.

Mandy Marsden, Leo’s Neonatal Trustee, said: “Lottie and I became fast friends and we helped each other through the rollercoaster journey that is a neonatal stay. We have remained friends and confidantes, supporting each other through hospitalisations and struggles with disabilities, the neonatal journey does not end when you get home, the mental health impacts, and the ways in which your life changes are significant.

“When Lottie said she was setting up a charity in memory of Leo and asked me to be a part of it, I immediately said yes. The chance to give support to the neonatal families and to help Lottie build Leos legacy is something I am very passionate about.”

Lottie King, Founder and Leo’s mum, said: “We are incredibly thrilled to be able to launch the Nurture Project as a direct result of the impact COVID-19 has had on neonatal families in the North East. Once lockdown began, our need increased significantly, and we saw new avenues of support which were needed and needed quickly.

“Thanks to National Lottery players we have been fortunate enough to revolutionise the care we provide at Leo’s and offer a new standard of support which looks after not only the parents or carers, but the babies, the siblings and the grandparents.

“This project is the first of its kind in the United Kingdom and is our most ambitious work to date. We cannot thank The National Lottery enough for believing in us, and neonatal families.”

Duncan Nicholson, Head of Funding for the North East & Cumbria at The National Lottery Community Fund, said: “The National Lottery is playing a critical role in supporting people, projects and communities during these challenging times. Groups such as Leo’s Neonatal are making an amazing contribution to the community-level response. We’re incredibly grateful for their dedication and the hard work of thousands of projects across the UK – we’re humbled by their efforts and delighted that our funding is able to help.”

The National Lottery Community Fund distributes money raised by National Lottery players for good causes. Last year we awarded over half a billion pounds (£588.2 million) of life-changing funding to communities across the UK, and supported over 14,000 projects to turn their great ideas into reality and make a difference in their communities.

Across all of the National Lottery distributors, £600 million has been made available to support communities throughout the UK during the coronavirus outbreak. Thanks to National Lottery players, £30 million is raised every week for the UK’s good causes, and £41 billion has been distributed to 565,000 good causes across the UK since 1994.

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