YOUR CHANCE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
#CELEBRATENATIONALLOTTERY25 IS OFFERING UP TO £1,000 FOR COMMUNITY PROJECTS THAT BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER
The National Lottery has raised an extraordinary £40bn for good causes since the first draw in 1994. And to celebrate the huge impact it has had on UK life over the years, they are running #CelebrateNationalLottery25, a £2m fund giving people the chance to apply for grants of between £100 and £1,000 for an event, activity, or item to purchase, that brings their community together in 2020. Last year Pete Horton, 70, applied for funding from The National Lottery to host a community BBQ to tackle loneliness. “Loneliness can affect people of all ages. It doesn’t care how old you are, what your job is or where you’re from,” he explained. “I’ve lived in the Erdington area of Birmingham for more than 25 years, and for the past four I’ve been involved with St Martin’s Social Care Project, where we’re working hard to try to bring people together and build friendships across the community. “When I joined we were running workshops and events aimed at men aged 50 plus struggling to cope with social isolation and the mental health conditions and anxiety it may lead to. “In May 2018 the charity applied for funding from The National Lottery to hold a community BBQ. “We invited around 80 people from the local community. People of all ages – some are on their own, others have families, all have known loneliness. “We wanted to break down barriers, get people chatting with others they’d never met and to share good food. It’s so rewarding seeing people enjoy the garden and building friendships. To anyone considering applying for National Lottery funding, I’d say don’t wait. If you have the time and enthusiasm to invest, the benefits to your local community can be huge.”
We wanted to break down barriers, to get people chatting with others they’d never met PETE HORTON St Martin’s Social Care Project