Coleraine groups get Lottery grants

Causeway Volunteer Bureau, which trains local people and gives them the opportunity to volunteer in their communities, has been awarded a grant of £5,320 to develop their befriending service for people with physical and sensory disabilities.

The organisation will use the grant to train more volunteers to provide support on the service which covers the Coleraine, Ballymoney and Moyle areas.

Building Ballysally Together, which works to improve the lives of people in the Ballysally estate, has also been awarded a grant of £3,816 to develop their healthy eating cafe. Fresh produce from the group’s garden will be served in the cafe which will offer local people healthy meals at reduced prices.

The small grants programme is awarding grants totalling over £9,000 to the local groups as part of a grants roll-out of £564,137 to 73 groups across Northern Ireland. (See separate attachment for full list of awards).

Awards for All offers community, voluntary and statutory groups the chance to apply for small grants of between £500 and £10,000 that will have a big impact on local communities and the lives of people most in need.

Frank Hewitt, Big Lottery Fund NI Chair, said: “The Big Lottery Fund’s NI Awards for All programme funds health, education, environment and community projects that help people bring about positive change in their lives, improve health and well-being, develop skills and create safer communities.

“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.”

Application forms and guidance notes are available to download at www.awardsforall.org.uk