Thanks to National Lottery players £16 million of funding distributed to East Midlands communities since start of the pandemic

Charities and community groups across the East Midlands have received more than £16 million in much-needed funding since the COVID-19 crisis and lockdown began* – all thanks to National Lottery players.

The money, distributed by The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest funder of community activity in the UK, has reached over 400 community organisations across the region, funding activities ranging from mental health support to helping local charities make better use of technology.

Relate Northamptonshire is one of the good causes stepping up to support people during this challenging time. It has been awarded £10,000 of National Lottery funding to deliver remote counselling and helpline support to people across Northamptonshire who are facing difficulties with their mental wellbeing as a result of the COVID-19 crisis.

Carolyn Benjamin, Chief Executive of Relate Northamptonshire, said: “Many local people are struggling with their mental health at this difficult time. Factors like the lockdown, fears about becoming sick, concerns about family and friends, bereavement, relationship issues and domestic abuse are all having a negative impact on wellbeing.

“Thanks to National Lottery funding, we’ve been able to launch a new helpline that enables people to talk for half an hour about their concerns, and we provide them with strategies to help them cope with their immediate issues without them needing to commit to longer-term counselling.

“We’ve also used the funding to provide in-depth counselling support for couples struggling with their relationships during lockdown. There has been a sharp rise in the incidents of domestic abuse and we are a first point of call for people who seek support in their relationships before they get to the point of becoming abusive and negative. We’re therefore very grateful for this vital funding from The National Lottery Community Fund.”

Newark and Sherwood CVS in Nottinghamshire has been awarded almost £45,000 of National Lottery funding to set up ‘The Phoenix Project’, which will help local charities and community groups use digital tools to adapt to the challenges posed by COVID-19.

The project will focus on the role of technology and ‘digital enablement’ in the local charity sector, as well as develop volunteer services and provide infrastructure support to local charities and community groups. Over 100 volunteers are expected to get involved.

Madeleine O’Sullivan, Chief Officer at Newark and Sherwood CVS, said: “It became apparent very quickly at the start of lockdown, that many community groups and organisations lacked the resource, technology and support necessary to continue in a rapidly changing environment.

“Since March, we have contacted and supported around 150 groups and over 400 individuals, through a number of community schemes. Planning services and future-proofing are essential for the survival of voluntary organisations at present, and the new funding will enable us to help make this possible.”

The East Midlands isn’t alone in benefiting from vital National Lottery funding. Today it was announced that £300 million has been distributed to over 7,400 community organisations across the UK since the COVID-19 crisis and lockdown began.

Grassroots groups, small local charities and UK-wide charities have been awarded this funding to enable them to continue their fantastic work supporting communities through these unprecedented times.

Almost 20% of this life-changing money (£53 million) has gone to micro (annual income of less than £10,000**) and small groups (income between £10,000 and £100,000**) and a further £120 million to medium-sized organisations (income between £100,000 and £1 million**), as communities rally to recover from the impacts of the crisis.

Nicola Thurbon, Senior Head of Funding for the Midlands at The National Lottery Community Fund, said: “Money raised by National Lottery players has been vital in helping people and communities across the East Midlands support each other through the pandemic. Volunteers and charity workers have played an incredible role in keeping people safe, supported and connected. Over the coming months National Lottery funding will continue to bring people and communities together to build solutions and recover from the crisis.”

Thanks to National Lottery players, £30 million is raised every week for the UK’s good causes, and £41 billion has been distributed to 565,000 good causes across the UK since 1994.

In addition, since May, The National Lottery Community Fund has been responsible for distributing £200 million in coronavirus community support on behalf of the Government. This funding closes to applications on 17 August.

To find out more visit www.TNLCommunityFund.org.uk