- Area:
- East Midlands
- Programme:
- Reaching Communities
- Release date:
- 14 8 2012
A volunteer driving scheme to support isolated older people in Glossop and a new project to empower women in Charnwood to become role models in their communities are sharing in Lottery good cause funding.
Today’s funding from the Big Lottery Fund’s Reaching Communities programme aims to help people most in need and build stronger communities.
Glossop and District Volunteer Bureau receives £154,736 for its Community Companions befriending scheme. At the heart of the new initiative is a volunteer car pool where individuals will be matched with older people to not only provide a car service but provide support and friendship. The Bureau hopes older people will be able to visit relatives and attend social events and vital medical appointments through the car scheme helping to reduce any feelings of isolation.
Maggs Winterbottom, Volunteer Centre Glossop said: “This is excellent news for the residents of Glossop. The funding from Reaching Communities is vital in enabling Volunteer Centre Glossop to combine and develop its existing projects into Community Companions. This comprehensive service will improve the health, wellbeing and independence of the most vulnerable members of our community by offering companionship and practical support. At the same time Community Companions will offer a diverse range of worthwhile volunteering opportunities for those wishing to be involved in their local community.”
Empowering women the South Asian communities in Loughborough to become role models within their community is central to a new project from Human Rights & Equalities Charnwood (HR&EC) which today receives £255,714. The new project will equip them with the skills and knowledge to help them deal with issues facing their families such as gambling, drug and alcohol abuse and the lack of achievement by children at school. Through courses and training they will receive information to enable them to resolve worries within the family unit including how to handle domestic violence and forced marriages. The women will also be encouraged to participate in sports and other physical activities to encourage healthier lifestyles.
Debbie Green, Chair of HR&EC said: “The women in Loughborough’s minority communities represent respresent an untapped resource; our project will unlock their potential, bringing benefit to the communities, families and their individual families. The project aims to empower women, especially from South Asian communities in our most deprived wards. It aims to do this by helping women learn about rights, responsibilities, services, healthy living and by building the confidence and skills to play an active role in our community. We hope to make local women as skilled and capable as possible to make the most of opportunities available to them and deal with issues facing their families.”
Mick McGrath, Big Lottery Fund Head of Region East Midlands said: “Today’s Lottery awards show the breadth of voluntary and community organisations that can apply to BIG’s Reaching Communities fund which offers grants of between £10,000 to £500,000 for projects working with communities most in need. We’d be delighted to chat to projects who feel that they have projects which would help others in the East Midlands.”
Further Information
Big Lottery Fund Press Office: 020 7211 1888
Out of hours media contact: 07867 500 572
Full details of the Big Lottery Fund programmes and grant awards are available on the website: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk
Ask BIG a question here: https://ask.biglotteryfund.org.uk
Follow BIG on Twitter: www.twitter.com/BigLotteryFund #BIGlf
Find BIG on facebook: www.facebook.com/BigLotteryFund
Notes to Editors
- The Big Lottery Fund (BIG), the largest distributor of National Lottery good cause funding, is responsible for giving out 40% of the money raised for good causes by the National Lottery.
- BIG is committed to bringing real improvements to communities and the lives of people most in need and has been rolling out grants to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK. Since June 2004 BIG has awarded over £4.4bn.
- The Fund was formally established by Parliament on 1 December 2006.
- Since the National Lottery began in 1994, 28p from every pound spent by the public has gone to good causes. As a result, over £28 billion has now been raised and more than 383,000 grants awarded across arts, sport, heritage, charities, health, education and the environment.
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