A Keady group which aims to improve the emotional wellbeing of young people while promoting understanding of others has scooped a major National Lottery payout.
‘Don’t Box Me In’ will receive £175,214 from the National Lottery Community Fund.
It is one of three cash awards being made in the Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council area which will share in a total of £193,727.
The fund aims to support learning and improve wellbeing for children and young people.
Don’t Box Me In Support Group, based in Keady, has been awarded the cash to run a project over the next three years, to improve the emotional well-being of local young people.
Through peer lead groups they will take part in drama, visual art, music and movement or multimedia workshops, to explore different ways of communicating, to learn skills in resilience and to promote personal development, tolerance and understanding of others.
The project will bring young people from a variety of backgrounds and abilities together to explore their feelings, and the impact of how they feel on physical and emotional well-being.
Broomhedge Orange Lodge, based near Moira, will use a £10,000 grant to build a disability toilet block in their hall, to create a safer shared meeting space that is accessible to everyone in the community.
The upgrades allow them to better facilitate group activities and use the hall to host larger social gatherings and occasions, all within an
accessible, safe environment.
Also to benefit is the The Friends of St Francis PS, based in Lurgan, will which will get an £8,513 grant to purchase tablets, dongles and online books and licences for accelerated reading to support vulnerable children returning to school and help recover lost learning due to the pandemic.
The project supports pupils and parents who found isolation and the challenges of COVID-19 particularly difficult. The new equipment is also being used to connect with others in the community, including older people’s groups.
The National Lottery Community Fund is happy to talk to anyone in the Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon areas about their ideas and give advice. Since March, it has given over £14.2 million in grants to 524 new projects in Northern Ireland, as well as supporting current grant holders with additional funding.
Kate Beggs, Northern Ireland Director of The National Lottery Community Fund said, “It’s inspiring to see projects rising to the challenges of COVID-19, supporting well-being now and looking to the future, helping people in need. The wide range of projects funded demonstrates the strength of their members and the importance of staying connected with each other in these unprecedented times.
“People know best what is needed in their area and we want to talk to anyone who has an idea or wants more information on funding to support their community. National Lottery players can be proud to know that the money they raise is making such a difference across Northern Ireland.”
If you would like to talk about an idea you have or applying for funding, please phone The National Lottery Community Fund on 028 4378 0003 or visit www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/funding/northern-ireland.
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