£5m National Lottery funding helping tackle the big issues across Northern Ireland

The National Lottery Community Fund has today announced grants totalling £4,978,381 benefiting 117 projects across Northern Ireland.

Projects being supported include activity connecting people and communities, improving mental health and supporting the environment. See table for full details of all grants awarded, broken down by Council area.

Belfast Interface Project have received a £253,776 grant to bring together local people in Belfast and Derry/Londonderry using state of the art augmented technology, to help plan and redevelop where they live.

Joe O’Donnell, Director, Belfast Interface Project explained: “Thanks to this National Lottery grant, we will bring our augmented reality toolkit to communities allowing people living there to work together. The toolkit lets them visually look at how their area is now and design what it could be like to benefit them, with things like green spaces, changes to roads and access, new facilities and community buildings.

“Everyone can take part from their phone or tablet and can make suggestions and vote on what they want. It links areas and people, giving them an opportunity to have a say, without physical or social barriers.

“So far through the toolkit, we have brought together hundreds of community groups and community stakeholders in East and West Belfast who normally wouldn’t be in contact, building new relationships, and they have been planning together. Young people involved have become leaders in their community for change and thanks to this grant, we can now take the next steps in making them a reality through further work with Councils and policy makers.”

Thanks to National Lottery players more than £30 million a week is raised for good causes with the majority being awarded as small grants. Of the 117 grants awarded today, 105 are for under £10,000, going to the heart of communities to make a big difference.

Lilac Cancer Support in Cookstown is using an £8,800 grant to develop Coalisland and Loughshore Men’s Shed, supporting good mental health for members and their families.

Stephen Mc Cleary, Coalisland and Loughshore Men’s Shed Facilitator said: “Thanks to this money we will be able to run craft and woodwork activities which will reduce anxiety and isolation especially for older people. We will offer new projects to our local community, including schools and nursing homes, empowering members and breathing new life into the whole area. Thank you for believing in us, this National Lottery grant will make such a difference.”

AuSome GrowSome CIC in Belfast is also using a £10,000 grant to run a pilot project for young people with additional needs to learn about growing food, improving their wellbeing and awareness of environmental issues.

Dr Anita Yakkundi, Director, AuSome GrowSome CIC said: “We’re delighted to receive this funding and are excited to start setting up our own hydroponic unit, which will allow us to grow plants without using soil.

“Our project will provide training opportunities for young people to use this innovative method and help develop sustainable, cultivation of green produce locally, showing families another way. We thank the National Lottery Community Fund and National Lottery players for making it possible.”

Paul Sweeney, The National Lottery Community Fund’s NI Chair, said: “I’m proud to see the impact every day that our funded projects have across communities in Northern Ireland.

“These new grants are supporting a diverse range of projects, who are meeting the needs of people, helping them to rebuild and thrive.”

For more information on National Lottery funding visit our website www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/funding/northern-ireland or social media.