Major National Lottery cash boost for NI as £10.5m is awarded to over 120 community projects

The National Lottery Community Fund has announced over £10.5 million of grants, for 123 community projects across Northern Ireland.

The National Lottery cash is going to organisations working in the voluntary and community sector to provide support and services to local people, to improve their lives.

A wide range of organisations are being supported in this announcement across every Council area in NI, from grass roots community organisations delivering vital activities to local people to reduce isolation and build connections, to larger NI-wide charities delivering a range of support tackling issues relating to domestic violence, bereavement and addiction.

Fermanagh Women’s Aid in partnership with Omagh Women’s Aid have received a £500,000 grant to support young people aged 12-18 who have been subjected to domestic abuse, and to change attitudes and behaviours across their community.

Kerrie Flood, Development Manager at Fermanagh Women’s Aid said: “We’re absolutely delighted to receive this National Lottery funding to meet the needs of this specific age group, who are at a transition in life and can fall between services, while experiencing abuse through their family or a partner.

“Women in our rural area are more at risk due to isolation and take longer to ask for help, due to lack of services and support options, so this project really is badly needed.

“Over four years the project will deliver one-to-one trauma-based support, personal safety workshops, wellbeing activities and social events to help the young people cope with their experiences, improve wellbeing and feel confident to plan for their future.

“As well as supporting people now, it will also help them educate and empower others. For the first time, we’re being led by the young people, who know best how to reach their peer group in this rural area, by using platforms like Tik Tok and Instagram, to get the correct messages out there about attitudes and behaviour, as well as how to challenge them safely.

“This project really is a game changer for Fermanagh and Omagh area resulting in recommendations for the whole community to keep people safe and address domestic abuse. Thank you.”

Northern Ireland Blind Golf has also received a £20,000 grant over two years to expand their support for blind or visually impaired people to improve their wellbeing through learning to playing golf with the help of a sighted volunteer.

Kate Daly, Captain at NI Blind Golf, said: “Joining NI Blind Golf was a life saver for me. I lost sight in my right eye when I was a child and my left eye started deteriorating in my 20s, but luckily, I still have part of my central vision. I didn’t think being part of a sports team was for me but I’m so glad that I was encouraged to give Blind Golf a go. Getting out and playing golf feels brilliant - mentally and physically, and I’ve made so many friends too.

“We have a mix of ages, abilities, male, female - from people who were born blind and learned to play blind golf, to sighted golf players who have lost their sight suddenly and had to adapt their skills. But we all understand the challenges each other faces and have all struggled at some point due to our sight - it can be very isolating – but we are a team and we look after each other.

“We are really thankful for this funding. We’re going to be able to raise our profile and increase the number of people we can support. We have a safety motto ‘no guide, no play’ so for everyone to be included in our golf days we need to organise a sighted guide for every player and organise travel across NI for everyone as we visit different clubs every month.”

Other organisations being funded include Funky Kids Workshop in Newtownabbey, DadBods NI in Comber, Portadown Wellness Centre, Streetwise Community Circus in Belfast, Portrush Women’s Institute, Cathedral Youth Club in Derry/Londonderry, Bann Maine West in Cullybackey, O4O Cookstown, and Lislea Men’s Shed. For more information on all projects, download the grant table.

Kate Beggs, Northern Ireland Director of The National Lottery Community Fund, said: “It’s incredible to see this £10.5 million of funding going to the charities, community organisations and voluntary groups which are doing vital work every day to support people in their community.

“We’re proud to invest money raised by people who play the National Lottery back into communities, to strengthen them and improve lives. As part of our new strategy ‘It starts with community’, we’re developing a new large grant programme to continue to reach people most in need which will open in the Autumn.”

Thanks to National Lottery players, £30 million is raised each week for good causes throughout the UK. For more information on National Lottery funding visit  www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/funding/northern-ireland.