£22,000 windfall for Larne organisations

The local windfall is part of

a grants roll-out of £629,806 to 79 groups across Northern Ireland.

Awards for All offers community, voluntary and statutory groups the chance to apply forsmall grants of between £500 and £10,000 that will have a big impact on local communities and the lives of people most in need.

Among the local recipients is Cairncastle LOL 692 Community and Cultural Group which will use its grant of £10,000 to organise a Highland Games Community Festival.

Larne Sea Cadets, an organisation which helps young people develop through the sport of sailing, receives a grant of £9,500 to replace the windows and doors at Sea Cadet headquarters, making the building more comfortable for all the young people who use it.

A grant of £3,179 will allow the Dixon Park Residents’ Association to run a range of community activities.

In Carrick, the Friends of the 36th Ulster Division was awarded £9,992 to run a three-week exhibition showcasing the history of the Ulster Volunteer Force.

Along with those from local groups, Province-wide applications from Autism NI (PAPA), Fibromyalgia Support NI and Down’s Syndrome Association were also successful, with awards of £7,920, £1,950 and £8,992 being given out.

Frank Hewitt, Big Lottery Fund NI Chair, said: “The Big Lottery Fund’s NI Awards for All programme funds health, education, environment and community projects that help people bring about positive change in their lives, improve health and well-being, develop skills and create safer communities.

“The application process is simple and accessible and shall remain so, making it easy for applicants to successfully apply for small pots of funding that can have such a big impact on local communities and lives.”

Application forms and guidance notes are available to download at www.awardsforall.org.uk. For more details call us on 028 9055 1455, or e-mail [email protected]