£150,000 given to East Antrim projects last year

A suicide prevention training scheme at Carrickfergus College was just one of the East Antrim projects which benefitted from a National Lottery grant last year.
Carrick CollegeCarrick College
Carrick College

Across the area, 20 grants totalling £150,000 were awarded to local arts, sports and heritage projects alongside community groups helping those most in need.

Some £8,150 was awarded to Carrickfergus College to provide suicide prevention training to staff and pupils.

These projects, or any organisation that has ever received Lottery funding, have the possibility of gaining national recognition through entering the National Lottery Awards 2015.

Last year, Belfast’s St George’s Market was named best heritage project while Limavady-based crime prevention organisation Be Safe Be Well were runners-up in the community/voluntary category.

John Barrowman, presenter of last year’s National Lottery Awards show, said: “Every National Lottery player should feel proud of the incredible difference they are making to the local community. They raise an astonishing £33 million every week for a huge variety of life-changing projects.

“The National Lottery Awards offer a chance to celebrate the fantastic work of Lottery-funded projects. If you know of a great project that deserves to shine, then please nominate them for an Award.”

The National Lottery Awards have seven categories to reflect the range of areas that the Lottery funds - sport, heritage, arts, environment, health, education and voluntary/charity.

The winners of the National Lottery Awards will receive a £2,000 cash prize and national recognition at a star-studded ceremony broadcast on BBC One later this year.

If you want to nominate your favourite project or enter your own project in this year’s National Lottery Awards, visit www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk or call 0207 293 3599 to find out more. Entries must be received by midnight on March 25.