Three community groups across STV East have each won up to £50,000 of National Lottery funding to make an extraordinary difference to their local communities.
Parents and Tots Loanhead Community Learning Association, Bee Buddies and Royal Blind School, won the most public votes in The People’s Projects, which saw five community groups within the region compete for a slice of £150,000. This new funding will help them to continue their work to bring people together, build stronger communities and make a difference to people’s lives.
For 13 years, the Big Lottery Fund, STV and The National Lottery have teamed up to give the public a chance to decide where National Lottery money should go in their local area. The Big Lottery Fund distributes money raised by National Lottery players to communities across the UK.
Designed to celebrate some of the incredible projects the Big Lottery Fund has supported over the past year, 95 community groups across the UK were shortlisted, with five groups going head to head in each region. The entire amount that was for grabs across the UK was a life-changing £3 million.
The three community groups that received the most public votes in STV East region are:
The Grow Together project by Parents and Tots Loanhead Community Learning Association in Loanhead, Midlothian, which received £50,000 to expand the activities they offer locally to pre-school children. They will also provide a new service with sessions to support primary school children and parents as well as developing their outdoor space to offer a bigger range of outdoor play activities.
The Bees Knees project by Bee Buddies in Leven, which was awarded £49,400 to buy a mobile education centre with a live beehive so they can plan and deliver more workshops in nurseries, schools and community groups throughout Fife to promote greater awareness of the importance of bees and their ecological impact.
The Royal Blind School Courtyards Project by the Royal Blind School in Edinburgh, which got a grant of £45,799 to continue the development of their outdoor courtyard space to provide more opportunities for outdoor learning for pupils who attend the school. They will also be able to buy a range of equipment to help them create a sensory garden, an active playground, kitchen garden and chill out zone.
Martin Cawley, Director for Scotland, Big Lottery Fund said: “The People’s Projects highlights the incredible things people and communities are doing across the UK.
“From rural villages to towns and cities, local people are working together to help each other lead happier and healthier lives. We’re really excited to see this year’s winners using National Lottery funding to take their projects further, bringing more people together to make a life changing difference in their local area.”
Gerry Cassidy, Senior Producer at STV2, said: “Congratulations to the winners and a big ‘thank you’ to STV2 viewers for tuning in to Live at Five and voting for their favourite good cause.
I got the opportunity to meet and interview the shortlisted groups, who all do incredible work in their own areas. The People’s Projects is a great opportunity for STV2 viewers to support some of Scotland’s many fantastic projects and help make an impact on local communities.”
Since 2005, around £42 million has been awarded through the Big Lottery Fund, National Lottery and ITV/STV partnership to 960 Good Causes across the UK.
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