Dr Neil Hudson, Member of Parliament for Penrith and The Border is thanking National Lottery players for their role in raising much-needed funding for local charities and community groups. The heartfelt thank you came as local groups received £39,481 of National Lottery funding, supporting them as they seek to overcome social and economic challenges caused by the pandemic and build back stronger.
Dr Hudson was delighted with the grants and wants more local good causes to apply for National Lottery funding, saying it could be a lifeline as they begin to recover from the impact of the pandemic.
One such example of a beneficiary of the funding is Orton Parish Council, which has received £9,106. The funding will be used to improve accessibility to the path that runs through Orton Community Woodland for wheelchair users and parents with pushchairs, allowing the whole community to enjoy the woodland.
Last year, The National Lottery Community Fund awarded over half a billion pounds (£588.2 million) of life-changing funding to communities across the UK. Over eight in ten (83%) of its grants are for under £10k – going to grassroots groups and charities across the UK that are bringing to life amazing ideas that matter to their communities.
The funding is being distributed by The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest funder of community activity in the UK, which distributes money raised by National Lottery players. National Lottery players raise £36 million* each week for good causes throughout the UK.
Information about how to apply for funding can be found at The National Lottery Community Fund’s website: www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk.
Dr Hudson said:
“It’s heartening to see community groups benefitting from £39,481 of National Lottery funding in Penrith and The Border. These groups are inspirational in the great work and support they provide to local people and their community through what have been some extremely difficult times.
It was great to hear Orton Parish Council’s plans to improve accessibility for wheelchair users and parents with pushchairs to the Community Woodland, opening up that area for more residents to enjoy the outdoors and the beautiful countryside.”
John Mothersole, Chair of England Funding Committee at The National Lottery Community Fund, said:
“Thanks to National Lottery players, we have been able to award almost £65 million across England in the past three months, supporting communities to build back from the pandemic, prosper and thrive. Through more than 1,700 charities and community groups, we have funded issues that matter to and are at the heart of communities, including employability, mental health, supporting young people and building connections to tackle loneliness. It’s brilliant to see that this money is making a significant difference to people’s lives, helping to address priorities for both local communities and the UK as a whole.”
