Groups cash-in on grants

Funding boost

Christmas came early to Plains as a local organisation hit the lottery jackpot.

The village’s Community Futures group is receiving a grant of £9400 from the Big Lottery Fund to expand its gardening project and to run a special festive event for the village.

Green- fingered group members have already created a community garden, planted 500 trees at a new community woodland and put in place dozens of barrel planters throughout the village.

Meanwhile, Coatbridgebased group Opportunities for Adults Social Integration Society (OASIS) will receive £6990.

The organisation runs activities for older people in their community, and the lottery funding will allow them to expand their programme over the next year.

Muirhead and District seniors forum will also be running two trips for older people in the area, thanks to their £2210 award, with the project aiming to “reduce social isolation and improve health and wellbeing”.

The groups were among five in North Lanarkshire to receive grants in the latest round of Awards for All funding.

A National Lot t e r y spokesperson said: “Each group will use its funding to bring people together to share new skills, make friends and become more connected to services and activities; and we look forward to seeing the impact over the coming months.”

For details on applying to Awards for All, visit www. biglotteryfund. org. uk/ awardsforallscotland or call 0300 123 7110.