- Area:
- North East England
- Programme:
- Reaching Communities
- Release date:
- 17 7 2012
Sunderland men who feel isolated, unmotivated and lack self-esteem will benefit from a £144,682 grant from the Big Lottery Fund that aims to improve their confidence, aspirations and social lives through involvement in transforming an unused local allotment.
Participants will learn how to grow fruit and vegetables, maintain plots and attend healthy cooking classes.
The funding comes from BIG’s flagship Reaching Communities programme, which aims to help those most in need and build stronger communities.
The Youth At Risk group, which has experience of working with disadvantaged young people, will work with adults from the Red House estate on its new project - specifically men who are unemployed and on a low income with poor self esteem. The project aims to make them more employable, build their confidence by giving them responsibilities, teach new skills and also how health eating is good for them.
Jon Down, Head of Development and Innovation at Youth At Risk, said: “We aim to reach out to those adults that are the most excluded from the community who are living their lives on their own. We hope to engage with people who would not normally get involved in this kind of group activity. We have consulted with resident groups and we came up with the idea to use the allotment which hasn’t been used for years and is a bit of an eyesore. We aim to make the allotment the focus of community activity and build up a community spirit. We will be increasing aspirations, changing mindsets, encouraging individual responsibility and the ability of people to take control of their own lives.”
Also receiving funding today is a project by SixtyEightyThirty which, thanks to a grant of £262,966, will continue to offer support to women in Northumberland who have suffered from domestic abuse.
Staff or volunteers from the organisation will accompany women to court, tribunals, child protection meetings and also assist with legal, financial, benefits and medical and housing advice. The organisation provides counselling, group support, and courses on parenting skills, further education and entering the job market.
The service covers both urban and rural areas and has developed discreet ways of reaching out to women in remote communities who fear someone in the community may tell the perpetrator that they are seeking help. The organisation aims to help 750 women over the next three years.
James Turner, Big Lottery Fund Head of Region for the North East, said: “It is very satisfying working with projects that come up with imaginative ways to bring the best out of people. Youth At Risk’s idea of transforming an unused piece of land into an attractive allotment by bringing members of the community together is a great one.
“Our Reaching Communities programme aims to help those most in need and the SixtyEightyThirty project epitomises the kind of vital work going on in communities that deserves funding.”
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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