£255,000 lotto funding for equality group
‘Will make a real difference’
EQUALITY Action in Loughborough has been awarded more than £255,000 National Lottery funding.
The money will go to support women from ethnic minority communities who are experiencing mental health problems.
The aim of the special project is to help women lead happier and healthier lives by addressing cultural barriers and providing activities that benefit their health and wellbeing, such as badminton, swimming and netball.
Local women will also be trained to deliver the activities themselves, so they can learn new skills and build their confidence and self-esteem.
Varsha Parmar, executive officer at Equality Action, said: “This is very welcome news and will make a real difference to the local community, especially people from black and minority ethnic backgrounds.
“Mental health is a taboo subject and often people are not aware of where they can get support and what they can do to help their family or friends who may be experiencing mental health problems.
“Thanks to National Lottery players, we will be able to help raise awareness of mental health and encourage people experiencing issues to seek the support offered by local groups.
“We are going to train mental health first aiders and champions in the community to engage with others and maximise the positive impact of this exciting new project. We want to help make mental health something that people are willing to talk about and seek support for.”
James Harcourt, England grant-making director at the Big Lottery Fund, said: “Thanks to National Lottery players, communities large and small are able to get the funding they need to bring their great ideas to life.
“Every time someone buys a National Lottery ticket it raises vital funds that help make a difference to hundreds of people’s lives. We’re delighted to be able to support projects like Equality Action which are fantastic examples of people coming together to use their ambitions and aspirations to create something wonderful for their local community.”