£200,000 National Lottery funding providing intergenerational workshops in Enfield

‘For me the most important thing was giving back to my community and using my spare time to help people’

Helping build on the strengths and potential of local people, North London charity Niburu Recordings, is using over £200,000 from The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest funder of community activity in the UK, to provide volunteering, training, and development activities in the area.

Niburu Recordings, based in Enfield, has been developing and implementing community-based activities for over 15 years. This new National Lottery funding will allow it to expand the Society Working Intergenerationally Towards Community Harmony (SWITCH) project which aims to build on local talents, interests and strengths through music and media activities, health and wellbeing activities and volunteering.

The intergenerational project, which brings together people of all ages, will support more than 300 people in the community over the next three years. The aim is to provide workshops that create opportunities for activities and events that involve and benefit diverse local communities, charity sector and statutory organisations.

Laurence Wegner joined SWITCH back in 2020, working on the podcast project and has now since joined the team as a volunteer. He said: “Niburu is brilliant, they want to give people the skills that will help them in the future. A lot of the people they work with don’t get to leave their homes often and can get very lonely. These groups encourage people to come together, to form new relationships and it becomes like a social session for many. Not only does the group help people gain new skills but it also offers them the chance to socialise and spend time with others in their community.”

Laurence added: “I’ve really enjoyed my time as a volunteer, it’s great to hear from people as young as six-years-old who have wonderful stories to tell and great stories to share. For me the most important thing was giving back to my community and using my spare time to help people. Volunteering helps bring people out of their shells, and that certainly was the case for me. It has given me the chance to meet people in my community, older and younger, as well as to learn new skills.”

Niburu Recordings is one of more than 430 charities and community groups across London to have been awarded almost £20 million of National Lottery funding over the last three months*.

Colin Francis, Chief Executive at Niburu Recordings, said: “SWITCH is a project for individuals and groups to perceive themselves in a way that gives them increased confidence and self-esteem. We will use this project to build on the strengths of local people by developing their talents, interests and strengths to help them reach their potential.

“Thanks to National Lottery players we are able to run activities that support local need, across ethnicities, gender, age, economic groups and social standing. For an area like ours the opportunity for a project like this to take place is truly wonderful.”

Over the last three years, funding from The National Lottery Community Fund has reached every constituency and every local authority in the UK.

Helen Bushell, Senior Head of Regional Funding for London, South East and East of England at The National Lottery Community Fund, said: “Thanks to National Lottery players, this vital funding will have a huge impact on people’s lives across London. Our funding plays a big role in helping communities to unleash their potential and it is great to see groups, like Niburu Recordings, making a positive difference and continuing to support people in their communities to thrive.”

National Lottery players raise over £30 million each week for good causes across the UK. In the last 12 months we have given out nearly £600 million to 12,500 organisations reaching every local authority and constituency in the UK.

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