Larne Adult Centre awarded £10,000 by Big Lottery

The centre, which supports people aged 19 and over with physical and learning disabilities, will use the £9,990 grant to run a series of activities including music therapy and circus skills to increase their skills and confidence.

The award is part of a grants roll-out of £786,503 to 90 groups across Northern Ireland.

The Awards for All scheme offers community, voluntary and statutory groups the opportunity 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 in need.

Secretary of Friends of Larne Adult centre Jayne Mayberry said that the money would enable the centre’s members to undertake a programme of beneficial activities beginning at the end of January.

She told The Times: “We will be able to provide our members with sessions in art therapy with Jumping Clay, gardening therapy or social and therapeutic horticulture at Blossom’s garden centre, and eighty hours of music therapy sessions with Music Therapy Connections NI. Streetwise Community Circus will also come in to teach them how to juggle balls and clubs, playing with diablos, stilt walking and going on unicycles. It helps with concentration and balance and they can get involved in everything.

“Friends of Larne Adult Centre are absolutely delighted to be offered the money. It means so much as it allows us to provide extra curricular activities which we normally wouldn’t be able to do.”

Big Lottery Fund NI Director Joanne McDowell 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.”

Grant application forms and guidance notes are available to download at www.biglotteryfund.org.uk. For more details call 028 9055 1455, or e-mail [email protected]