East Sussex community projects handed £5 million National Lottery lifeline

The National Lottery Community Fund has awarded 107 community projects and charities across East Sussex a share of £5 million already this year as it continues to support communities affected by the impact of COVID-19.

Grants have been awarded to a range of projects in the area, including supporting people experiencing mental health issues , social exclusion among Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) groups and the impact of lockdown on children and young people, to name just a few.

More than 570 projects in the wider South East region have been awarded a total of over £28 million of funding so far this year by The National Lottery Community Fund*, the largest funder of community activity in the UK.

Across England, almost £200 million has been shared out among more than 4,500 projects already this year.

One of the biggest areas of concern over the last 12 months has been the extent to which children have missed out on social interactions, as a result of successive lockdowns, and the impact this may have on their development of social skills.

A number of projects in East Sussex are working to address this issue, including Defiant Sports in Eastbourne, which runs inclusive sports sessions for people with various physical and learning disabilities.

The project was born out of frustration after Managing Director, Loretta Lock, struggled to find a place in sport where her son, Callum, could thrive. Playing tennis with cerebral palsy and autism, Callum often found himself at a disadvantage against non-disabled players, and the only advice given was to play in a wheelchair, which is inappropriate for his needs.

Determined to provide her son with the right setting, Loretta set up Defiant Sports, which runs a variety of clubs and sports sessions, including boccia, visually impaired tennis, table cricket and football for adults with disabilities.

The community interest company is now celebrating after receiving over £70,000 from The National Lottery Community Fund, which it will use to add more sessions and buy new equipment as it looks to encourage more people to get involved in sports and reduce the barriers to entry.

Loretta said: “We are extremely thankful to The National Lottery Community Fund and National Lottery players for seeing the potential of Defiant Sports and believing in what we do. With this support we hope to grow and provide inclusive sports for all to a wider reaching audience, ensuring everyone with a barrier to participation can enjoy the benefits of an active lifestyle.”

Another project that is helping to get kids active again after lockdown is Moonlight Dreams, also in Eastbourne, which hosts circus skills workshops for children, which are designed to improve their fitness as well as provide opportunities to socialise.

The idea was conceived by circus skills instructor Renato Pires, who realised that there were children in Eastbourne and Hastings that would benefit from a more active lifestyle but were perhaps reluctant to participate in more traditional activities and sports.

Thanks to a £10,000 grant from The National Lottery Community Fund, Renato now plans to offer free workshops in trapeze, juggling, and aerial agility, as a way of building confidence, physical co-ordination, and social skills among the kids taking part.

Renato says: “Many kids feel reluctant to participate in physical exercise because they either feel self-conscious, do not like competitive sports, or are temperamentally unsuited to it. Circus skills are not only a great way for kids to become more active, but also encourage them to work together as they master the skills involved. We are extremely grateful to The National Lottery Community Fund and its players for making this work happen.”

Another project that has benefit from funding from The National Lottery Community Fund is The World Food Project in Brighton, which received a grant of almost £10,000 to continue providing accessible cookery courses for groups, including refugees and asylum seekers, or anyone cooking on a budget.

Elsewhere, music for dementia organisation Movingsounds in Lewes received just under £10,000 to help it offer extra music workshops to older people and their carers.

Helen Bushell, Senior Head of Regional Funding for London, South East and East of England at The National Lottery Community Fund, said: “I am incredibly proud to see the amazing impact that money raised by National Lottery players is having in communities in East Sussex and the wider South East.

“Recent challenges have shone a light on the inspiring volunteers and groups, which have been dedicated to helping their communities to thrive. This funding has given a much-needed boost to community spirit this year after what has been an extremely difficult time for many.”

The National Lottery Community Fund distributes money raised by National Lottery players for good causes. Thanks to National Lottery players, last year over half a billion pounds (£588.2 million) of life-changing funding was awarded to communities across the UK.

Over eight in ten (83%) grants are for under £10,000 – going to grassroots groups and charities across the UK that are bringing to life amazing projects that matter to their communities.

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