The Big Lottery Fund is providing some leap year inspiration to groups in Yorkshire and the Humber to help improve local communities and the lives of people most in need. More than £3.5 million will be shared between 105 organisations, including projects in Kirklees, North Lincolnshire, Leeds, Hull, and Rotherham.
The awards have been made through the Big Lottery Fund’s Awards for All and Reaching Communities programmes. Awards for All provides grants between £300 and £10,000 to voluntary and community organisations and Reaching Communities awards larger grants of £10,000 and above for more long term projects.
Lyn Cole, Big Lottery Fund, England Grant Making Director, said: “It’s great to see so many inspirational projects being funded this month, whether it’s bringing communities together through healthy activities or helping people to be more skin cancer aware. They are all excellent examples of people working together, often as volunteers, to support others in their community to build on the skills they have and reach their potential.”
Several of the local community groups, projects and charities who will benefit from this award include:
Streetbikes
Streetbikes CIC in Kirklees has received £499,208 to continue providing people from a range of backgrounds with access to bikes and cycling in order to address long-term health problems as well as wider social issues and concerns.
There will be a specific focus on young people, people with disabilities, Black, Minority, Ethnic (BME) women, although people of all ages and abilities are encouraged to get involved, with standard bikes, trikes, carriages, hand-bikes and wheelchair bikes. There will be 5,500 direct beneficiaries over three years.
Keith Hickley aged 67 said: “I retired as Head of Psychology at University of Huddersfield in 2012. I am the main carer for my wife and I was suffering from stress and put on some weight. Being involved in Streetbikes has given me an outlet where I can learn and be active and have more social contact which has helped me become more positive, constructive and relaxed.”
Gill Greaves, Streetbikes Coordinator said: “This half term week we will be running some of our regular sessions. No bike is needed as people can lend one from our bike library and we’re also giving some recycled bikes away to the children. It’s really great to see how something as simple as a bike can bring so much joy to so many different people.”
Please visit www.streetbikes.org.uk for more information about the project.
Fresh Start
The Meridian Centre in Bradford has been awarded £9,400 to run a programme of social, learning and enrichment activities aimed at economically inactive and isolated BAME Women in the local community. This will provide advice and guidance with the aim of reducing isolation and improving confidence and self esteem to access community activities and learning.
Communities United Project
In Kirklees, the Communities United Project has received £310,030 to develop a pilot project providing sporting and development activities for young people and will be delivering this alongside volunteering and learning opportunities for local adults. They aim to engage young people in positive activities and involve older people in volunteering to help bring communities together.
S.W.I.T.C.H.
This new project (which stands for Support with interventions to counter homelessness) run by Hull Community and Voluntary Services Limited has received £500,000 to help vulnerable people take the steps to break the cycle of homelessness through a befriending scheme which will give them support to access a broad range of services.
Purplehouse
Hull and East Riding Bangladesh Association
The organisation has been awarded £10,000 and will use the funding to bring together families from disadvantaged and BAME communities to share ideas with one another, discuss local issues and concerns, and learn from one another. This will encourage wider community cohesion and empowered people to question and challenge their circumstances in order to improve their quality of life.
Ecc Flicks
Eccleshill Community Association Limited have been awarded £9,716 to implement a community cinema for older people in the area. This will provide beneficiaries with the opportunity to socialise and meet new people, whilst discussing the film, with the aim of reducing loneliness and isolation.
The Big Lottery Fund supports the aspirations of people who want to make life better for their communities across the UK. They are responsible for giving out 40% of the money raised by the National Lottery and invest over £650 million a year in projects big and small in health, education, environment and charitable purposes. Since the National Lottery began in 1994, £34 billion has been raised and more than 450,000 grants awarded.
For more information on funding available visit: https://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/funding
