130303 £5m of Lottery money for groups in Yorkshire & the Humber

Groups that received grants include:

In North Yorkshire: York Community Furniture Store - awarded £107,536

The Community Furniture Store provides a valuable service for people on low incomes in York and the surrounding area. The grant of £107,536, over three years, will pay for the full-time salaries of an administrator, a driver and a warehouse worker.

The group's Manager, Keith Hicks, said: "We cannot begin to express the elation we all felt when we received the news of the successful application for a community fund grant. This grant will now enable the Community Furniture Store to use its resources more efficiently and help more low income families and individuals. Our funding will be used to expand the area we can serve, both in collections and clients who desperately need our services who at the present time have no access to the service that we provide."

The Community Fund particularly wants to fund projects that work with people living in areas disadvantaged by social or economic change, older people and their carers, children and young people, black and minority ethnic communities, and refugees and asylum seekers.

For further information on York Community Furniture Store, contact Mr Keith Hicks on: 01904 426444

In South Yorkshire: Remedi (South Yorkshire Victim Offender Mediation Service) - awarded £297,422

This project will develop the organisation's previous grant, providing mediation services for offenders and victims across South Yorkshire, including working in schools with children and young people. Remedi aims to increase the understanding about balancing the concerns of the victims and the communities, with the need to reintegrate offenders into society.

The grant of £297,422 over two years will pay for staff costs, training and general running costs.

The groups Director, Philip Gilbert, said: "This grant will enable Remedi to put Restorative Justice firmly on the map in South Yorkshire through a range of initiatives working with offenders, their victims, Criminal Justice agencies, communities and young people. We believe that restorative approaches offer a viable alternative in dealing with difficult issues facing our society and would like to thank the Community Fund for providing us with this opportunity."

The Community Fund particularly wants to fund projects that work with people living in areas disadvantaged by social or economic change, older people and their carers, children and young people, black and minority ethnic communities, and refugees and asylum seekers

For further information on Remedi (South Yorkshire Victim Offender Mediation Service), contact Philip Gilbert on: 0114 2493496

In East Yorkshire: Boothferry District Citizens Advice Bureau - awarded £54,711

The project will provide financial literacy training and preventative anti-poverty work with a range of beneficiaries from disadvantaged rural areas.

The grant of £54,711, over three years, will pay for one part time salary, running costs, training, line management and office equipment.

Speaking from the group, Bureau Manager, Mrs Celia Evans, said: "Goole & Howdenshire is a very economically disadvantaged and rural area with poor public transport lines. People feel isolated and poorer families have great difficulty accessing advice and services. This project will enable us to reach clients in this location. The element of preventative work, liaising with clients and enabling them to develop budgeting skills, will allow clients to have greater control over their own lives and avoid the consequences of multiple debt. This is a project that we have wanted to undertake for some time and we are thrilled that it will finally come to fruition."

The Community Fund particularly wants to fund projects that work with people living in areas disadvantaged by social or economic change, older people and their carers, children and young people, black and minority ethnic communities, and refugees and asylum seekers.

For further information on Boothferry District Citizens Advice Bureau, contact Mrs Celia Evans on: 01405 762054

In West Yorkshire: Belle-Isle Foundation - £59,948

The project will deliver training in basic literacy and numeracy skills through a variety of teaching methods to those members of the local community who have low levels of these basic skills.

The grant of £59,948, over two years, will pay for two part time salaries, running costs, training, line management overheads and accommodation costs.

The Belle-Isle Foundation Business Manager, Nora Gauder said: "Every journey starts with a single step, and the help offered from the Community Fund means that many more local residents will be given the opportunity to embark on a journey to change their lives through learning and empowerment. Many, many thanks from the Foundation and Beneficiaries."

The Community Fund particularly wants to fund projects that work with people living in areas disadvantaged by social or economic change, older people and their carers, children and young people, black and minority ethnic communities, and refugees and asylum seekers.

For further information on the Belle-Isle Foundation, please call Mrs Nora Gauder on: 0113 2760008

In Doncaster: Doncaster Rape and Sexual Abuse Counselling Centre - awarded £86,246

The project will provide a counselling service to men who have been raped and/or sexually abused, through face to face counselling, telephone counselling, a telephone help line as well as provide information, support, referrals, education, awareness raising and training for other agencies.

The grant of £86,246, over three years will fund salary costs of two new part time Counsellors, running costs, training for staff, travel, producing information and external supervision.

Penny Flintoff, the groups Development Officer said: "This is wonderful news. We have been providing this service for women for over 15 years, and this grant will now enable us to extend it to men. It has never been easy for women to acknowledge they have been sexually abused and to ask for help, but in some ways it has been even harder for men. Our society has relatively recently begun to accept that this abuse happens at all, and even more recently that it happens to men and boys. Thankfully, things are beginning to change; we believe that we are contributing to that change with the education and awareness raising work that we do and we will now also be able to provide a much needed specialist service for men as well as women."

The Rape and Sexual Abuse Helpline number is: 01302 3602421
The Rape and Sexual Abuse Minicom Number: 01302 556455

Doncaster is one of the Community Fund's fair share areas and we are keen to fund the work of community and voluntary groups in these areas. The fair share scheme is aimed at communities, which have high levels of disadvantage and have missed out on lottery funding in the past and we want to ensure that these areas catch up.

In the Doncaster area, over the next 3 years there will be £5,569,000 available for voluntary and community groups working with disadvantaged people applying to the Community Fund. As part of this ongoing fair share initiative, the Community Fund is actively encouraging groups to apply for funding through seminars and events in the Doncaster area.

For further information on Doncaster Rape and Sexual Abuse Counselling Centre, contact Ms Penny Flintoff on: 01302 341572

In Wakefield: Eastmoor Community Project Limited - awarded £139,195

The community centre will provide a 'one stop shop' for the long-term unemployed, older people and young adults in the community providing greater access to education, training, community health, and information and advice services.

The group will receive a grant of £139,195, over two years, which will pay for salaries, rent, training and other general running expenses.

The project will be part funded by the Community Fund with other funding coming from Coalfields Regeneration Trust and the Church Urban Fund.

John Milne, Vice Chair of Eastmoor Community Project said: "We are absolutely thrilled to receive the grant from the Community Fund. Together with a grant from the Coalfield Regeneration trust, we will now be able to fully staff the new St Swithun's community centre, and see the local community enjoy maximum use of this exciting new building."

The Community Fund is keen to encourage applications from Wakefield, which is one of the fair share areas. The fair share scheme is aimed at communities, which have high levels of disadvantage and have missed out on lottery funding in the past and we want to ensure that these areas catch up.

In the Wakefield area, over the next 3 years there will be £4,765,000 of Community Fund money available for voluntary and community groups working with disadvantaged people.

As part of this ongoing fair share initiative, the Community Fund is actively encouraging groups to apply for funding through seminars and events in the Wakefield area.

For further information on the Eastmoor Community Project Limited, contact Mr John Milne on: 0777 9226920

In Rotherham: Families of Rotherham East

The project will provide improved communication and parenting skills and opportunities for training and employment for families in the Herringthorpe and Park areas of Rotherham.

The grant of £152,795, over three years, will cover salary and general running costs.

Speaking from the group, Mrs Celia Ogle, the Project Manager said: " This will make a considerable difference to the local people in the area, and will enable us to build and develop upon the existing work with families and young children."

The Community fund is keen to encourage applications from Rotherham, which is one of our fair share areas. The fair share scheme is aimed at communities, which have high levels of disadvantage and have missed out on lottery funding in the past and we want to ensure that these areas catch up.

Over the next 3 years there will be £ 4,046,000 of Community fund money available for voluntary and community groups in Rotherham working with disadvantaged people.

As part of this ongoing fair share initiative, the Community Fund is actively encouraging groups to apply for funding through seminars and events in the Rotherham area.

For further information on Families of Rotherham East contact Mrs Celia Ogle, on: 01709 372075

In Kirklees: Groups in Kirklees are to receive over £1M

Five groups in Kirklees are to receive grants of a combined total of over £1M, announced today by the Community Fund, one of the National Lottery distributors. This means that Kirklees is well on the way to getting its fair share of lottery money.

The North Kirklees based group, SHARE (Dewsbury) will receive a three-year grant of £180,265, which will pay for staff and running costs.

This project will help people with learning difficulties access to leisure activities, which would not otherwise be available, by providing help with travel, access and other matters.

Mrs Sue Crabtree, the groups Service and Development Manager said: "Everyone at SHARE is absolutely delighted that the Community Fund is supporting our shared leisure project. Leisure is an important part of all our lives that we often take for granted, however, many people with learning difficulties are often excluded from leisure activities, because of the support they require. The project will create opportunities and choices for people to participate fully in a range of leisure activities, enhancing quality of life both in the short and long term. Many, many thanks to the Community Fund."

The South Kirklees group, Neighbourhood Learning Centre will receive a grant of £208,063 over three years to cover staff, volunteer and general running costs.

The project will provide better access to learning opportunities for the communities of Thornton Lodge and Lockwood areas in Huddersfield, especially ethnic minorities in order to develop the existing skills and establish new skills to improve their quality of life by increasing participation, increase in employment prospects and reduction in crime and disorder.

Speaking from the group, the Chair Mr Aleem Ahmed, said: " The project started off as a pilot study in October 2001and quickly filled a real community need. We are extremely pleased to receive this grant and we will now be able to develop new and exciting projects. A big thanks to the combined effort of the management committee and the Pakistani Community Alliance who have worked so hard on this for a long time.

Many, many thanks to the Community Fund for making this award."

Home-Start Kirklees will receive a grant of £287,766, over three years, which will pay for salary and general running costs. This will enable the group to increase the scope of its service provision through establishing a base suitable for housing clothing and nursery equipment store and a dedicated drop-in centre.

The project is part funded by the Community Fund, with other funding coming from Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council.

Speaking from the group, Senior Co-ordinator, Jill Long said: "We are all absolutely delighted. Our grant from the Community Fund will secure our future for the next 3 years and will allow us to reach even more families under stress. It will give us long-term security to search for more family-friendly premises where we can offer a wider range of services, that we know families want, including a nursery goods recycling scheme and improved drop-in facilities."

Kirklees is one of the Community Fund's fair share areas and we are keen to fund the work of community and voluntary groups in these areas. The fair share scheme is aimed at communities, which have high levels of disadvantage and have missed out on lottery funding in the past and we want to ensure that these areas catch up.

These grants mean that Kirklees is now almost half way to meeting the fair share target of £4,221,000 of Community Fund money available for voluntary and community groups working with disadvantaged people applying to the Community Fund. As part of this ongoing fair share initiative, the Community Fund is actively encouraging groups to apply for funding through seminars and events in the Kirklees area.

To find out more about the groups, contact:

SHARE (Dewsbury), Mrs Sue Crabtree on: 01924 444545
Neighbourhood Learning Centre, Mr Rashad Bokhari on: 01484 544877
Home-Start Kirklees, Mrs Jill Long on: 01484 480656

	13 March 2003 Over £5m of Lottery money for groups in Yorkshire & the Humber
	Thirty-six groups throughout Yorkshire and the Humber received a grant announced today by the Community Fund, one of the National Lottery distributors. In total, £5,328,162 has been awarded to voluntary and community groups in our region. Groups that received grants include: In North Yorkshire: York Community Furniture Store - awarded £107,536 The Community Furniture Store provides a valuable service for people on low incomes in York and the surrounding area. The grant of £107,536, over three years, will pay for the full-time salaries of an administrator, a driver and a warehouse worker. The group's Manager, Keith Hicks, said: "We cannot begin to express the elation we all felt when we received the news of the successful application for a community fund grant. This grant will now enable the Community Furniture Store to use its resources more efficiently and help more low income families and individuals. Our funding will be used to expand the area we can serve, both in collections and clients who desperately need our services who at the present time have no access to the service that we provide." The Community Fund particularly wants to fund projects that work with people living in areas disadvantaged by social or economic change, older people and their carers, children and young people, black and minority ethnic communities, and refugees and asylum seekers. For further information on York Community Furniture Store, contact Mr Keith Hicks on: 01904 426444 In South Yorkshire: Remedi (South Yorkshire Victim Offender Mediation Service) - awarded £297,422 This project will develop the organisation's previous grant, providing mediation services for offenders and victims across South Yorkshire, including working in schools with children and young people. Remedi aims to increase the understanding about balancing the concerns of the victims and the communities, with the need to reintegrate offenders into society. The grant of £297,422 over two years will pay for staff costs, training and general running costs. The groups Director, Philip Gilbert, said: "This grant will enable Remedi to put Restorative Justice firmly on the map in South Yorkshire through a range of initiatives working with offenders, their victims, Criminal Justice agencies, communities and young people. We believe that restorative approaches offer a viable alternative in dealing with difficult issues facing our society and would like to thank the Community Fund for providing us with this opportunity." The Community Fund particularly wants to fund projects that work with people living in areas disadvantaged by social or economic change, older people and their carers, children and young people, black and minority ethnic communities, and refugees and asylum seekers For further information on Remedi (South Yorkshire Victim Offender Mediation Service), contact Philip Gilbert on: 0114 2493496 In East Yorkshire: Boothferry District Citizens Advice Bureau - awarded £54,711 The project will provide financial literacy training and preventative anti-poverty work with a range of beneficiaries from disadvantaged rural areas. The grant of £54,711, over three years, will pay for one part time salary, running costs, training, line management and office equipment. Speaking from the group, Bureau Manager, Mrs Celia Evans, said: "Goole & Howdenshire is a very economically disadvantaged and rural area with poor public transport lines. People feel isolated and poorer families have great difficulty accessing advice and services. This project will enable us to reach clients in this location. The element of preventative work, liaising with clients and enabling them to develop budgeting skills, will allow clients to have greater control over their own lives and avoid the consequences of multiple debt. This is a project that we have wanted to undertake for some time and we are thrilled that it will finally come to fruition." The Community Fund particularly wants to fund projects that work with people living in areas disadvantaged by social or economic change, older people and their carers, children and young people, black and minority ethnic communities, and refugees and asylum seekers. For further information on Boothferry District Citizens Advice Bureau, contact Mrs Celia Evans on: 01405 762054 In West Yorkshire: Belle-Isle Foundation - £59,948 The project will deliver training in basic literacy and numeracy skills through a variety of teaching methods to those members of the local community who have low levels of these basic skills. The grant of £59,948, over two years, will pay for two part time salaries, running costs, training, line management overheads and accommodation costs. The Belle-Isle Foundation Business Manager, Nora Gauder said: "Every journey starts with a single step, and the help offered from the Community Fund means that many more local residents will be given the opportunity to embark on a journey to change their lives through learning and empowerment. Many, many thanks from the Foundation and Beneficiaries." The Community Fund particularly wants to fund projects that work with people living in areas disadvantaged by social or economic change, older people and their carers, children and young people, black and minority ethnic communities, and refugees and asylum seekers. For further information on the Belle-Isle Foundation, please call Mrs Nora Gauder on: 0113 2760008 In Doncaster: Doncaster Rape and Sexual Abuse Counselling Centre - awarded £86,246 The project will provide a counselling service to men who have been raped and/or sexually abused, through face to face counselling, telephone counselling, a telephone help line as well as provide information, support, referrals, education, awareness raising and training for other agencies. The grant of £86,246, over three years will fund salary costs of two new part time Counsellors, running costs, training for staff, travel, producing information and external supervision. Penny Flintoff, the groups Development Officer said: "This is wonderful news. We have been providing this service for women for over 15 years, and this grant will now enable us to extend it to men. It has never been easy for women to acknowledge they have been sexually abused and to ask for help, but in some ways it has been even harder for men. Our society has relatively recently begun to accept that this abuse happens at all, and even more recently that it happens to men and boys. Thankfully, things are beginning to change; we believe that we are contributing to that change with the education and awareness raising work that we do and we will now also be able to provide a much needed specialist service for men as well as women." The Rape and Sexual Abuse Helpline number is: 01302 3602421 The Rape and Sexual Abuse Minicom Number: 01302 556455 Doncaster is one of the Community Fund's fair share areas and we are keen to fund the work of community and voluntary groups in these areas. The fair share scheme is aimed at communities, which have high levels of disadvantage and have missed out on lottery funding in the past and we want to ensure that these areas catch up. In the Doncaster area, over the next 3 years there will be £5,569,000 available for voluntary and community groups working with disadvantaged people applying to the Community Fund. As part of this ongoing fair share initiative, the Community Fund is actively encouraging groups to apply for funding through seminars and events in the Doncaster area. For further information on Doncaster Rape and Sexual Abuse Counselling Centre, contact Ms Penny Flintoff on: 01302 341572 In Wakefield: Eastmoor Community Project Limited - awarded £139,195 The community centre will provide a 'one stop shop' for the long-term unemployed, older people and young adults in the community providing greater access to education, training, community health, and information and advice services. The group will receive a grant of £139,195, over two years, which will pay for salaries, rent, training and other general running expenses. The project will be part funded by the Community Fund with other funding coming from Coalfields Regeneration Trust and the Church Urban Fund. John Milne, Vice Chair of Eastmoor Community Project said: "We are absolutely thrilled to receive the grant from the Community Fund. Together with a grant from the Coalfield Regeneration trust, we will now be able to fully staff the new St Swithun's community centre, and see the local community enjoy maximum use of this exciting new building." The Community Fund is keen to encourage applications from Wakefield, which is one of the fair share areas. The fair share scheme is aimed at communities, which have high levels of disadvantage and have missed out on lottery funding in the past and we want to ensure that these areas catch up. In the Wakefield area, over the next 3 years there will be £4,765,000 of Community Fund money available for voluntary and community groups working with disadvantaged people. As part of this ongoing fair share initiative, the Community Fund is actively encouraging groups to apply for funding through seminars and events in the Wakefield area. For further information on the Eastmoor Community Project Limited, contact Mr John Milne on: 0777 9226920 In Rotherham: Families of Rotherham East The project will provide improved communication and parenting skills and opportunities for training and employment for families in the Herringthorpe and Park areas of Rotherham. The grant of £152,795, over three years, will cover salary and general running costs. Speaking from the group, Mrs Celia Ogle, the Project Manager said: " This will make a considerable difference to the local people in the area, and will enable us to build and develop upon the existing work with families and young children." The Community fund is keen to encourage applications from Rotherham, which is one of our fair share areas. The fair share scheme is aimed at communities, which have high levels of disadvantage and have missed out on lottery funding in the past and we want to ensure that these areas catch up. Over the next 3 years there will be £ 4,046,000 of Community fund money available for voluntary and community groups in Rotherham working with disadvantaged people. As part of this ongoing fair share initiative, the Community Fund is actively encouraging groups to apply for funding through seminars and events in the Rotherham area. For further information on Families of Rotherham East contact Mrs Celia Ogle, on: 01709 372075 In Kirklees: Groups in Kirklees are to receive over £1M Five groups in Kirklees are to receive grants of a combined total of over £1M, announced today by the Community Fund, one of the National Lottery distributors. This means that Kirklees is well on the way to getting its fair share of lottery money. The North Kirklees based group, SHARE (Dewsbury) will receive a three-year grant of £180,265, which will pay for staff and running costs. This project will help people with learning difficulties access to leisure activities, which would not otherwise be available, by providing help with travel, access and other matters. Mrs Sue Crabtree, the groups Service and Development Manager said: "Everyone at SHARE is absolutely delighted that the Community Fund is supporting our shared leisure project. Leisure is an important part of all our lives that we often take for granted, however, many people with learning difficulties are often excluded from leisure activities, because of the support they require. The project will create opportunities and choices for people to participate fully in a range of leisure activities, enhancing quality of life both in the short and long term. Many, many thanks to the Community Fund." The South Kirklees group, Neighbourhood Learning Centre will receive a grant of £208,063 over three years to cover staff, volunteer and general running costs. The project will provide better access to learning opportunities for the communities of Thornton Lodge and Lockwood areas in Huddersfield, especially ethnic minorities in order to develop the existing skills and establish new skills to improve their quality of life by increasing participation, increase in employment prospects and reduction in crime and disorder. Speaking from the group, the Chair Mr Aleem Ahmed, said: " The project started off as a pilot study in October 2001and quickly filled a real community need. We are extremely pleased to receive this grant and we will now be able to develop new and exciting projects. A big thanks to the combined effort of the management committee and the Pakistani Community Alliance who have worked so hard on this for a long time. Many, many thanks to the Community Fund for making this award." Home-Start Kirklees will receive a grant of £287,766, over three years, which will pay for salary and general running costs. This will enable the group to increase the scope of its service provision through establishing a base suitable for housing clothing and nursery equipment store and a dedicated drop-in centre. The project is part funded by the Community Fund, with other funding coming from Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council. Speaking from the group, Senior Co-ordinator, Jill Long said: "We are all absolutely delighted. Our grant from the Community Fund will secure our future for the next 3 years and will allow us to reach even more families under stress. It will give us long-term security to search for more family-friendly premises where we can offer a wider range of services, that we know families want, including a nursery goods recycling scheme and improved drop-in facilities." Kirklees is one of the Community Fund's fair share areas and we are keen to fund the work of community and voluntary groups in these areas. The fair share scheme is aimed at communities, which have high levels of disadvantage and have missed out on lottery funding in the past and we want to ensure that these areas catch up. These grants mean that Kirklees is now almost half way to meeting the fair share target of £4,221,000 of Community Fund money available for voluntary and community groups working with disadvantaged people applying to the Community Fund. As part of this ongoing fair share initiative, the Community Fund is actively encouraging groups to apply for funding through seminars and events in the Kirklees area. To find out more about the groups, contact: SHARE (Dewsbury), Mrs Sue Crabtree on: 01924 444545 Neighbourhood Learning Centre, Mr Rashad Bokhari on: 01484 544877 Home-Start Kirklees, Mrs Jill Long on: 01484 480656		To find out more about the Community Fund call our Enquiries Officer on: 0113 2245301.