Charities can win with lottery

LOCAL charities and community groups are being encouraged to apply for funding of up to £20,000 from a pot worth over £3 million that has been raised by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.

A wide range of community organisations, from registered charities, to community groups and social enterprises, can apply for grants of between £500 and £20,000. Applications are open from Wednesday July 31 for two weeks, until August 14.

The funding is available through three different trusts, all of which are funded by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.

Each trust supports projects focussed on specific themes:

● People’s Postcode Trust wants applications from projects aimed at promoting human rights, combatting discrimination and the prevention of poverty

● Postcode Community Trust supports initiatives working to improve the health and wellbeing of communities, including arts and physical recreation projects, as well as those with a focus on reducing isolation

● Postcode Local Trust provides funding to groups that are dedicated to improving outdoor space, in addition to increasing access to it. Groups working on flood prevention measures and looking to implement renewable energy strategies are also eligible to apply.

More than 300 groups were awarded grants earlier this year, with sports groups for military veterans, counselling support services for young carers and sensory gardens for people with dementia among the groups that benefitted.

It’s not just players who win with People’s Postcode Lottery – over £3 million in grants will have a tremendous impact on the fantastic work that grass-roots groups are doing in communities across Britain.

Between the three trusts, there’s scope for a huge array of projects to benefit and I would urge all groups to look at the funding guides and apply.

A minimum of 32% from every People’s Postcode Lottery ticket goes directly to good causes. To date, players of People’s Postcode Lottery have raised over £450 million for more than 6,500 good causes across Great Britain and internationally.

For more information, to view the funding guides and to apply please visit the trusts’ websites directly: www.postcodetrust.org.uk, www. postcodelocaltrust.org.uk, www. postcodecommunitytrust.org.uk. Laura Chow

People’s Postcode Lottery head of charities