Community groups across Scotland are today celebrating a £794k cash boost, thanks to the generosity of National Lottery players.
A total of 115 groups, from Lerwick to Dumfries, are sharing in £794,384 from National Lottery Awards for All Scotland, which makes grants from £300 to £10,000 to voluntary and community groups across the country.
Edinburgh Diwali will use their award of £7,500 to run the third annual Diwali Festival of Lights in November. The festival will focus on the theme of young people and the group will use the funding to run a series of educational workshops for hundreds of schoolchildren across the city.
Founder and President, Edinburgh Diwali, Mohindra Dhall, says: “We have been able to grow and develop our festival, thanks to previous National Lottery funding. Now, this latest grant will help bring us to the attention of a much wider audience meaning we can bring even more communities together.
“We will work with hundreds of school children across Edinburgh helping them to create their own lanterns for the parade which will start from the City Chambers, ending up in Princes Street Gardens. All the children will then be invited to take part on the day with their families and carry the lantern they have made, it will be a very special experience for them.
“We want people not only in the city itself but across Scotland to come to Edinburgh and experience different cultures from other parts of the world. None of this would be possible without this support from National Lottery players.”
Big Hearts Community Trust, Leith St Andrew’s Playgroup and Edinburgh BATS Rugby were also among fourteen Edinburgh-based projects to receive awards.
An award of £7,500 to Cowdenbeath Community Council will bring colour and life to the town centre by creating a range of murals, which have been designed by schoolchildren from Beath High School.
Alex Haddow, Chair of Cowdenbeath Community Council, says the project will also give local businesses and the wider community a say in the design process. “We are delighted to be awarded this grant, thanks to National Lottery players which allows us to continue our work.
“Working with a wonderful artist, Kerry Wilson, the whole community has gotten 100% behind this project from school children working on the shutters and helping with designs to shop keepers supporting us and even community police helping to wash the shutters.
“Going forward we want to continue bringing colour and creativity to the town and this award will help us to literally paint the town red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.”
Isla Cattanach, 16, from Beath High School, was one of the students involved in the project, says, “Being able to use our town as a canvas is a fantastic opportunity and makes me feel so proud to be part of this doing something that I really enjoy whilst bringing colour to the town. Everyone loves the artwork and I am so glad to be part of such an exciting and creative project.”
In Glasgow, Nordoff- Robbins Music Therapy in Scotland will use their award of £5,454 to host a very special musical event featuring performances from young people who have life shortening conditions.
Executive Director, Nordoff Robbins, Janet Halton, said, “We are delighted to have received this funding for our ‘Moving on with Music’ project, which helps the young people we work with not only to access opportunities to make music but also to showcase their creativity and achievements within the wider community.
“These young people, who can often feel isolated by their conditions, will work together to shape the showcase events. It will be such a wonderful opportunity for their friends and families to be part of the journey and to see the young people perform and share their music on stage. This funding will also help us to produce a CD and film of their music, meaning that the legacy of the project will be long lasting.”
A National Lottery Awards for All spokesperson said, “This is National Lottery money in action, reaching into communities across Scotland making a real difference to the people who live there. The 115 groups receiving funding today showcases the range of projects that can be funded through this programme and the difference that the smallest amounts of money can make.”
National Lottery Awards for All Scotland is now more straightforward to apply to and faster to get funding from. Applications are received on a rolling basis and can be received at any time.
To find out what National Lottery Awards for All Scotland could do for your community visit our website www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/awardsforallscotland or phone 0300 123 7110.
Website: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk
Twitter: #NationalLottery @BIGScotland
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BigLotteryFundScotland
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