Lottery cash gives deaf a voice in Cambridgeshire

Area:

East of England

Programme:

Reaching Communities

Release date:

20 2 2007

The five-year grant of £312,449 to Cambridge based advocacy group, Our Voice, will provide support and information for deaf people in the county. The project, in partnership with Cambridgeshire Deaf Association (CDA), will ensure deaf people have a voice and receive the benefits, support and advice they are entitled to. An advocate service will also be provided as part of CDA’s fortnightly deaf drop-in services in March, Cambridge and Peterborough.

Sue Billam, Director of Our Voice, said: “Our Voice is delighted to be awarded a grant from the Big Lottery Fund’s Reaching Communities programme.  This funding will enable us to provide a one to one advocacy service to people who are deaf and who use British Sign Language as their first language.  

“The specialist advocates, with fluent British Sign Language skills, will effectively be able to break down the communication barriers and will ensure that deaf people are able to make informed choices and have their voice heard.  This in turn will mean that deaf people will feel more confident, have lesser feelings of isolation and overall have an improved quality of life.”

In Peterborough, St Theresa’s House will use its £154,043 grant to fund a five-year project, providing a range of services to help homeless people look after their health. Personal issues such as drug and alcohol related problems and mental health often have a significant impact on a homeless person’s ability to look after themselves.

Doug Styles, St Theresa’s House, Centre Manager, said: "Our Healthy Lifestyles project will enable us to recruit a Co-ordinator to help build the capacity of our homeless client group. There will be initiatives which include encouraging clients to become more active; quit or significantly cut down their smoking; learn more about healthy eating on a budget and become more aware of risks to their personal health and safety, while at the same time reaching personal goals to improve their health and wellbeing.

"Our Project will empower our clients to lead healthier lives increasing their prospects of a better life by gaining opportunities for work and contributing to a vibrant local community."

Sara Betsworth, Big Lottery Fund Head of Region for the East of England, said: “These latest awards in Cambridgeshire are amongst £1.5 million announced across the East of England today, to fund vital projects that reach out to some of the region’s most vulnerable groups. Whether it’s providing services for the deaf or looking after the health of the homeless, these kinds of projects are essential in helping those facing disadvantage lead a better quality of life.”

Further information

Big Lottery Fund Press Office: 020 7211 1888
Out of hours contact: 07867 500 572
Public Enquiries Line: 08454 102030
Textphone: 0845 6021 659
Full details of the Big Lottery Fund programmes and grant awards are available on the website: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk

Notes to Editors

• Reaching Communities is part of the Big Lottery Fund’s portfolio of new programmes. Following an intense and comprehensive process of consultation with stakeholders and the general public over the last year, the Fund has undertaken to distribute 60-70% of its funding to the third sector.  At least one-third of BIG funding will be demand-led and lightly prescribed.  In England, this will amount to at least £600 million over the period 2005-2009. This commitment will be met from a variety of funding streams, including, Reaching Communities, Awards for All, part of the Young People’s Fund, Community Buildings, Advice Services and the People’s Millions.
• The Big Lottery Fund rolls out close to £2 million in lottery good cause money every 24 hours which together with other Lottery distributors means that across the UK most people are within a few miles of a Lottery-funded project.
• The Big Lottery Fund, the largest of the National Lottery good cause distributors, has been rolling out grants to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK since its inception in June 2004.
• On 1 December 2006 the Big Lottery Fund was officially established by Parliament and at the same time assumed the residual responsibilities of the dissolved National Lottery Charities Board (Community Fund) the New Opportunities Fund, and the Millennium Commission. The Fund is building on the experience and best practice of the merged bodies to simplify funding in those areas where they overlap and to ensure Lottery funding provides the best possible value for money.

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