£1m of National Lottery funding for communities across Wales

Today The National Lottery Community Fund announced £1 million in funding for 34 community groups across Wales.

Thanks to National Lottery players, communities across Wales are making a positive, life-changing difference to people’s lives through the COVID-19 crisis and beyond. National Lottery money is putting people in the lead to look to the future and support their communities to thrive. 

Vision Support’s Community Information Service in Denbighshire visits places where people usually go such as supermarkets, libraries and GP surgeries to provide information about a wide range of services for people with sight loss. They will use £86,688 to provide a mobile information service providing people with sight loss in Anglesey, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Gwynedd and Wrexham with accessible information including a knowledge of adaptive aids and assistive technology.

Janette Williams, of the project, said: “Thanks to The National Lottery Community Fund we will be able to provide this service in North Wales five days a week and reach more vision impaired people, their families and friends and make even more connections with other organisations.”

Swansea-based charity, Mental Health Football in Wales, will use £9,950 to train 12 individuals as co-founders of the charity, who will in turn organise activities and events for people experiencing mental health difficulties in South Wales.

Rosa May-Harris of Mental Health Football in Wales, said: “We're absolutely delighted to start growing the charity and supporting our community with the help of National Lottery funding. Thank you!”

Llanybydder Family Centre will use £97,994 to further develop the Centre's services. It will work to improve families’ health and wellbeing and the relationships within the family unit whilst supporting transition to school for children. It will increase social interaction and reduce isolation through increased, intergenerational activities bringing the whole community together.

Sarah Davies, Chair of Trustees at Llanybydder Family Centre, said: "We are absolutely delighted that we have secured National Lottery Funding amounting to £97,994 and this will enable us to plan for the future. It has been a difficult year for many and here in Llanybydder we serve a large rural, Welsh-speaking community so this funding will provide financial security for the next 3 years to work with our families and older generation in enhancing everyone's lives."

Gentle Radical in Riverside, Cardiff will use £39,852 to engage with their community to move forward post-COVID-19. They will gather stories and perspectives from residents about how they experienced life during the first lockdown and consider ways to support them in the future.

Rabab Ghazoul, of the project, said: “We’ve been working in Riverside for years, but so much is now on hold under COVID-19. This grant helps us keep the conversation going, hear the less-heard stories, and understand from residents first hand what’s needed in these times. Doorstep Revolution enables us to deepen this work of hyper-localism – which we believe is the future of cultural and community work - plus we get to involve residents in creative possibilities - their own neighbourhood podcast, or publication – that opens up community exchange, long term.”

Rookwood Sound Hospital Broadcasting in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan receive £10,000 to upgrade equipment, which will result in a better service helping address isolation experienced by patients during COVID-19.

Lesley Fowler, of the project, said: "We are thrilled to have been awarded this grant. This will enable us to facilitate more patients and staff to hear their very own dedicated radio station. Music is so important in the recovery process and Rookwood Sound Hospital Radio provides a wide range of programmes across the week".

Autistic Spectrum Disorder Employment Support (ASDES) in Swansea will use £1,835 to hold various activities for small groups of individuals with Autism, to help increase their confidence and well-being through COVID-19 crisis.

Judith Thatcher, of the project, said: "ASDES is delighted to receive this funding from The National Lottery Community Fund. This is going to be used for participants to develop their own unique social sessions during these very different times. The funds are vital to support the work that ASDES carries out encouraging participants with hidden impairments to engage back into communities after lockdown."

Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Trust will use £10,000 to hold a series of outdoor play activities to bring families together and help grow their confidence following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Graham Peake, Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Discovery Team Leader , said: “We are really looking forward to delivering our First 1000 Days project. We know that time spent outdoors is really valuable for young children and their parents, but we also know that there is good evidence to suggest that spending time outdoors is becoming much less of a feature in the lives of many young children across the United Kingdom.

“We plan to create opportunities for pre-school children to spend time in awesome places in and around Pembrokeshire Coast National Park with the aim of establishing long lasting connections between local families and the outdoors, with the anticipated benefits that should bring to the health and wellbeing of all involved.

“The First 1000 days project team will be offering an exciting programme of activities with support aimed at addressing the barriers that many disadvantaged families encounter in trying to spend time outdoors. We will be exploring nature, trying our hands at environmental art, discovering new places to play and probably getting quite muddy as part of the project.”  

John Rose, Wales Director at The National Lottery Community Fund, said: “These awards, made possible by National Lottery players, recognise the incredible work happening in our communities the length and breadth of Wales.

We owe a huge thank you to National Lottery players who support and contribute to projects like these every time they buy a ticket. Since April this year we’ve awarded over £15 million to charities and communities across Wales who are saving lives and offering hope to many those affected by the pandemic.”

Read about all 34 grants worth £1,070,870 awarded here. 

The National Lottery Community Fund’s grant programmes remain open and are prioritising COVID-19 related activity. Find out more by visiting  www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/wales .   

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