- Area:
- UK-wide
- Programme:
- Millennium Now
- Release date:
- 25 3 2013
Charity Papworth Trust is celebrating after farmer and TV presenter Jimmy Doherty helped them secure £2 million from the Big Lottery Fund to develop a farm offering free short breaks to disabled people and their families.
The funding will enable the Cambridge-based Papworth Trust to renovate the 16th century Kerry Farm in a beautiful part of mid-Wales and start welcoming families from late summer this year.
The decision was made in last night’s episode of the brand new TV series, The Secret Millions. The series sees the Big Lottery Fund (BIG) team up with Channel 4 to highlight radical ideas for tackling some of Britain’s big issues. The projects are secretly assessed by BIG and if successful they can turn their ideas into reality with a share of The Secret Millions £10 million funding pot, the largest amount ever handed out on a Channel 4 series.
In this episode Jimmy helped test a new way of giving a much-needed break to families which include a disabled person. Joining forces with charity Papworth Trust, Jimmy offered his own farm to families needing respite, teaching them new skills and offering quality time without the stress of their everyday caring routine.
19-year-old Luke from Peterborough took part in the filming with his parents Chris and Jane. Luke has Down’s Syndrome and was quite shy when the project started but since filming wrapped, he has become much more independent, taking part in local amateur dramatics and setting his sights on a role in Eastenders one day.
Dad, Chris, said: “I thought Luke was going to struggle but he just took to everything. He amazed me. I think the farm experience proved to us that Luke can do things that we didn’t think he could, and perhaps sometimes we were holding him back slightly. It said to us now we can let him go that little bit more. So I think it was well worth going on the farm for that confidence boost.”
Adrian Bagg, Papworth Trust Chief Executive, said: "This is fantastic news. Disabled people and their families will now be able to apply for funded short breaks thanks to the Big Lottery Fund.
“At Papworth Trust we know that for disabled people and their families, it can be hard to have quality, stress free time together. The pilot shown in The Secret Millions was an amazing experience for the families involved. Papworth Trust will now be able to offer that farm experience to disabled people of any age, wherever they come from in the UK.”
Mike Theoudolou, Big Lottery Fund Committee Member, said: “It was inspiring to see the difference that just a few hours on Jimmy’s Farm made to the young people and their families. It’s a fantastic project and the Big Lottery Fund is delighted to be able to fund the creation of a beautiful, permanent respite destination in the Welsh countryside.”
Channel 4’s Documentaries Commissioning Editor, Emma Cooper, said: “It has been fantastic to watch Channel 4 talent get behind these amazing causes. In such austere times these projects are making a real difference to people in the most far-reaching ways. We are proud to have been involved and this series highlights just how important it is to support ideas for successful, sustainable and social enterprises.”
Over the series, five projects will work with an enthusiastic and experienced team of Channel 4 experts – Gok Wan, Katie Piper, Jimmy Doherty, Dave Fishwick and George Clarke. www.channel4.com/secretmillions
The 5 x 60m series is produced by RDF Television (a Zodiak Media company) and Twenty Twenty (a Shed Media company). The executive producers are Tayte Simpson (RDF Television) and Meredith Chambers (Twenty Twenty).
Channel 4 for The Secret Millions: Cécile Quinney: 020 7306 1095 or cquinney@channel4.co.uk
Papworth Trust: Helen Sampson 01480 357259 or helen.sampson@papworth.org.uk
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
Follow the Secret Millions on Twitter at #secretmillions
Find BIG on facebook: www.facebook.com/BigLotteryFund
Notes to Editors
About the £10 million from the Big Lottery Fund
As part of the Big Lottery Fund making the £10 million available, the public was given a say on which issues they wanted to see funded. Launching a call-out in 2011, Channel 4 and the Big Lottery Fund asked people how they would spend £10 million of Lottery money in the current climate – via channel4.com/thebigdecision and commissioning a UK-wide Ipsos-Mori Poll of 2000 people. The results helped the Big Lottery Fund identify five charities who had devised exciting and innovative projects.
About the Big Lottery Fund (BIG)
• 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 its inception in 2004 BIG has awarded close to £6bn.
• 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 £29 billion has now been raised and more than 383,000 grants awarded across arts, sport, heritage, charities, health, education and the environment.
This is the first time BIG has asked the public to help design and develop a grant programme from choosing the programme themes to the types of projects and beneficiaries they want funded.
About Papworth Trust
Papworth Trust has been working with disabled people for almost 100 years, and we know that small changes can make lasting differences to people’s lives. Our essential services support people to learn new skills, live as independently as possible in suitable homes and look for work.
We help people of all ages and with any kind of disability, impairment or long term illness. Many people come to our centres, cafés and youth clubs or we support them in their homes and communities.
You can call us for support or information on 0800 952 5000. To find out more about Kerry Farm please visit www.papworth.org.uk/kerryfarm or click like at www.facebook.com/papworthtrust.
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