- Area:
- East of England
- Programme:
- Reaching Communities
- Release date:
- 14 8 2012
A gardening scheme supporting people with mental health problems and parenting courses to help families struggling with complex issues are Essex projects receiving Big Lottery Fund grants today.
Both projects benefit from BIG’s Reaching Communities programme which aims to help people most in need and build stronger communities.
Trust Links receives £300,000 in Shoeburyness, Southend, to deliver social and gardening activities to improve the health and wellbeing of adults and young people dealing with mental health issues. The project will develop a new community garden from a disused allotment site where people can participate in structured activities while learning horticultural skills. Trust Links will work with local schools to build the vocational skills of young people through positive alternative education which will include building projects, gardening projects, sales and enterprise projects.
And in partnership with Southend Adult Community College, Trust Links will provide an accredited horticulture diploma course and vocational training including food hygiene and first aid. There will also be training courses to prepare people for work and support given to find work and volunteering placements.
Matt King, Chief Executive, Trust Links said: “We are very excited about setting up the Growing Together project in Shoeburyness, building on the success of our Growing Together project in Westcliff over the last 12 years. When we spoke to members of the community and local partner organisations in Shoeburyness, they were keen to help develop the project with us and felt that this was something that local people with mental health problems would benefit from. This Big Lottery Fund grant will give us a fantastic start and help lead to the development of a sustainable project in Shoeburyness that will benefit people for years to come.”
Extra-Support For Families Community Interest Company will use a £240,000 grant to run parenting courses in Tendring to help hundreds of families struggling with a range of issues.
The project aims to improve the lives of families dealing with poverty, isolation, poor housing conditions and multiple needs such as alcohol addiction, domestic violence or mental health issues. Parenting courses and workshops will look at behaviour support programmes, children's transition to primary and secondary schools, bullying awareness, toddler tantrums, practical parenting and healthy eating.
The project aims to make sure the needs of children are met so that they remain on the right track at school and going forwards. Specially targeted courses will take place to support parents with children who have additional needs, parents of teenagers who display challenging behaviour, families learning about self-harm and families dealing with domestic violence.
Sara Betsworth, Big Lottery Fund Head of the Eastern Region, said: “Enabling people to get the support they need so they can move forwards with their lives in a positive direction is what Reaching Communities is all about. I am really pleased to see Trust Links and Extra Support for Families CIC receiving grants today that will have an enormous impact on families, adults and young people in Essex facing mental health problems and other challenges.”
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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