Community groups get Awards for all windfall

Castletower School, in Ballymena, is using a grant of £9,980 to run music therapy sessions for pupils as well as parent and teacher training sessions.

Ballee Community Childcare, based in Ballymena, used a grant of £10,000 to run a six-week summer scheme for children in the local area which will include cooking classes, team games, and arts and crafts workshops.

Also receiving funding is Templepatrick Action which is using the £600 grant to provide window boxes and materials for people to plant window boxes to make the neighbourhood more attractive.

Rehability is also amongst the 111 groups across Northern Ireland who are sharing £987,687 from Big Lottery Fund’s Awards for All programme.

The organisation, based in Antrim, is using their grant of £10,000 to buy a new minibus for the organisation. The minibus will be used as part of the group’s work running social and educational events for local people with long-term mental health issues.

Antrim Agricultural Show used a grant of £10,000, to support young people in learning the skills involved in planning, promotion, labour organisation, stewarding and overall management of the event, which was held at Shane’s Castle Estate, Antrim.

Julie Harrison, Big Lottery Fund NI Chairperson, said: “I am delighted to announce these grants under the Awards for All programme and I want to say thanks to all the National Lottery players who have helped make this possible. The application process is simple and accessible and shall remain so, making it easy for applicants to successfully apply for small pots of funding that can have such a big impact on local communities and lives.

Awards for All Application forms and guidance notes are available to download at www.biglotteryfund.org.uk