COMMUNITY projects across Warrington have received more than £870,00 of National Lottery funding since the COVID-19 lockdown began – all thanks to lottery players.
The funding was distributed between 14 community projects and charities across the town, all of which are doing their bit to help local people during the pandemic.
Among the 14 projects are:
Warrington Voluntary Action – £26,670
The group provides information, guidance, training and resources to local voluntary, community and faith organisations in the area so they can deliver quality services. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 crisis the organisation provides food deliveries, prescription collection and befriending services to those that need it most. Funding will enable the group to expand their vital services to support even more local people.
St Joseph’s Family Centre – £50,432
The organisation provides a variety of family support services, from counselling to parenting and welfare courses. During the COVID-19 crisis, the group has continued providing its services remotely. Funding will enable the group to continue to provide much needed support, ensuring the IT system can keep up with the increased demand.
Armed Forces Community Support Hub – £9,500
The funding will be used to establish a range of online activities and a buddy system to support veterans during the coronavirus pandemic. Activities will include online bingo, coffee mornings, mindfulness sessions – encouraging those who are most isolated to get online and helping those who are at high risk with shopping and essential tasks.
The John Holt Cancer Foundation – £9,942
The project aims to support patients with cancer, or family members who are shielding, or in isolation themselves, and offer any support they need while observing the current restrictions. The funding will be used to offer a dedicated support line, signposting and group chats as well as Tai Chi and meditation sessions on social media. A helpline for bereavement support will also be set up.
MacIntyre Care – £2,250
The organisation will purchase iPads for people with learning disabilities or autism to stay in touch with their families whilst shielding as a result of COVID-19, with the aim of reducing anxiety and isolation.
Warrington isn’t alone in benefiting from vital National Lottery funding. Some £300 million has been distributed to more than 7,400 community organisations across the UK since the COVID-19 crisis and lockdown began.
Grassroots groups, small local charities and UK-wide charities have been awarded this funding to enable them to continue their fantastic work supporting communities through these unprecedented times.
Rosanna Kyme-Wright, centre manager at St Joseph’s Family Centre said: “The National Lottery Community Fund have helped to ensure we are able to deliver much needed support services to families living in Warrington. The funding is supporting us to improve our IT connectivity to enable better remote working, is extending the delivery of our Family Advocacy Service, providing us with resources to deliver emergency food parcels and helping us to stay afloat during a time where we have not been able to undertake normal fundraising activities.”
Gillian Halliwell, head of funding for the North West at The National Lottery Community Fund, said: “Money raised by National Lottery players has been vital in helping people and communities across Warrington support each other through the pandemic. Volunteers and charity workers have played an incredible role in keeping people safe, supported and connected. Over the coming months National Lottery funding will continue to bring people and communities together to build solutions and recover from the crisis. We will carry on getting vital funding out to charities and voluntary sector organisations, so they can continue to overcome these obstacles caused by the pandemic and help their community to rebuild and recover.”
