Local groups secure slice of £7m lotto funding pot

Local groups secure slice of £7m lotto funding pot

18 December 2024

SAINTFIELD’S Men’s Shed and Ballynahinch Masonic Lodge have secured slices of a near £7m funding cake from the National Lottery Community Fund. 

The funding is being used for a range of projects, including bringing isolated people together to make connections, building skills to empower people to improve their lives, and supporting people in need over winter and throughout 2025. 

The National Lottery Awards for All programme is accepting applications from community groups for projects lasting up to two years in length.

Funding of between £300 to £20,000 is available for projects that have been developed alongside the local community, for activities that reflect what matters to them.  

This could be through bringing people together to develop or strengthen relationships, improving places and spaces that matter to local people or supporting people in communities to reach their full potential. 

Saintfield Men’s Shed plans to use its £14,369 grant to make improvements to its workshop area to improve accessibility and safety, with the project providing a welcoming and inclusive space for men to connect and learn together. 

Kate Beggs, Northern Ireland Director of The National Lottery Community Fund, said wintertime and the festive season can be difficult for many, but thanks to the various projects which have received funding, people are being supported to cope with the challenges they face and can look forward to a better 2025. 

She added: “As the new year approaches, we’re building on the work and impact already made through these 30 years of National Lottery funding and continuing to meet the needs of communities.”