Community and youth groups get Lottery funds to help tackle issues linked to pandemic

The National Lottery Community Fund announced £35,336 to projects across Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon as part of a £1.8m package for more than 100 projects across Northern Ireland.

Portadown Wellness Centre is using a grant of £9,450 to provide food parcels and an online counselling service to people impacted by the Covid-19 outbreak in Portadown, Lurgan, Armagh, Banbridge, Craigavon. The project provides both emotional and practical support to those in the community during this time.

Richmount Rural Community Association, based outside Portadown, is using a £8,850 grant to produce scrubs, scrub bags and facemasks for the local community.

Clann Eireann Youth Club, based in Lurgan, is using a £9,950 grant to provide food packages to local families as part of the Community Aid initiative during the crisis. Packages are being delivered on a bi-weekly basis or as emergency calls, to ensure no one goes to bed hungry.

Armagh Child Contact Centre is using a £350 grant to provide art supplies to families who use their service, so children can stay connected to parents not living with them during the lockdown. Each week the families are given a new project to complete, to encourage creativity and reduce isolation.

The Heracles Foundation, based in Armagh, offers financial advice and support to young adults. The group are using a £5,150 grant to run a finance and savings project, translated into four languages, so it can be accessed by the diverse population living in County Armagh.

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