National Lottery: Over £500,000 funding for groups across Falkirk Council area

Over £500,000 has been awarded to 11 organisations across the Falkirk Council area in the latest tranche of funding from its Community Fund which is being shared amongst 384 projects across Scotland.

An award of almost £150,000 will allow Westfield Park Community Centre to employ a manager, caretaker and cleaner for the next three years, as well as develop its community programme.

The Braveheart Association will be able to run their ‘Feel Good Falkirk’ programme for the next three years thanks to £145,397, helping to promote positive heart health and wellbeing for people across Falkirk district. The group can now employ a Healthy Living co-ordinator who will run a programme of activities including weekly moveability and Be Active exercise classes.

Anne Black, The Braveheart Association general manager, said: "Our Connections Hub in the Howgate Shopping Centre will be a central place to connect people, communities, and services where local people will be able to take greater control of their own wellbeing.”

”Feel Good Falkirk promises not only to reinforce the foundations laid by our previous projects but also to bring innovative ideas to the forefront and enable us to extend our reach and diversify and provide valuable opportunities for volunteering whilst making good use of community resources and assets.”

Thanks to an award of £18,000, Falkirk and District Association for Mental Health (FDAMH) will set up a growing project in the middle of the town to help promote positive mental health. This funding was made possible due to the recent changes to National Lottery Awards for All meaning groups can now apply for up to £20,000 for a project lasting up to two years

Welcoming the award, Michele Reap, Social Spark manager, said: “Over the next two years we will have our community garden complete, vegetables planted, and more people engaging in outdoor activities.

“Skills will be learned, confidence gained, friendships formed and reduction in poor mental health. The produce grown in the community garden will be available to the wider community, with workshops and talks taking place in the local libraries on how to grow at home, how to cook the produce and we will also produce videos to help people too. All this is possible thanks to The National Lottery Community Fund and players of The National Lottery.”

Announcing the funding, Kate Still, Scotland Chair, The National Lottery Community Fund said: “This latest round of National Lottery funding will be distributed to groups across Falkirk who are providing a range of essential services and support for thousands of local people, helping to make a real difference to their lives.

“As The National Lottery prepares to mark its 30th birthday later this year, today’s investment is a timely reminder of the difference that National Lottery players continue to make to communities across the country.”

The National Lottery Community Fund distributes funding on behalf of National Lottery players who raise more than £30 million each week for good causes throughout the UK.

The full list of local winners are: Bainsford Hall Community Group – £10,000 to make improvements to their community hall, making it more energy efficient and affordable to run; Head of Muir PTA – £9311 to expand their free community clothing bank for families in Head of Muir and Dennyloanhead; The Braveheart Association – £145,39 to employ one Healthy Living co-ordinator to organise and facilitate free community led activities to promote positive heart health and wellbeing for people across Falkirk; Forth Valley Sensory Centre – £8910 to upgrade their sensory room to engage people with sensory processing and development disorders; Home 2 Hospital – £10,000 to recruit and train volunteers to drive cancer patients from Larbert and Stenhousemuir to treatments; Made by the Forge – £4165 to allow group to run free, weekly table top games sessions in Bainsford Community Centre; First 4 Kids – £20,000 to support and build confidence in children during after school activities to be held in Falkirk; Airth parish community council- £1100 to plant a community orchard in Airth; Falkirk and District Association for Mental Health – £18,000 to establish a two year community growing project in central Falkirk to promote positive mental health and combat social isolation; Westfield Park Community Centre- £149,995 to employ staff to support the ongoing running of the community centre and the development of the community programme; Central Wellbeing – £128,111 will develop peer support groups and befriending services to build confidence and social connections for people facing health challenges.