Eight Falkirk projects share £70,000 lotto funding

The National Lottery Community Fund will supply cash to support marginalised communities, helping a number in the Falkirk area.

Allandale Bowling Club, Bo’ness Car 4 U SCIO, Braes High School, Community wellbeing and education CIC, Dennyloanhead Community Hall Ltd, Falkirk Golf Club, Falkirk Vineyard Church, and Neighbourhood Networks in Scotland Limited are the organisations awarded a total of £71,965 to improve the Falkirk community.

Organisations will invest their grants in better service and better infrastructure.

Grants from £3,000 to £10,000 will help the development Falkirk community projects.

Allandale Bowling Club will receive £10,000, which will go towards refurbishing and revamping their hall and social area.

CIC, who were also awarded £10,000, will use the funding to create a safe social space to bring together female survivors of domestic abuse with the purpose of building self confidence through teaching transferable skills.

Another group which will get £10,000 is Neighbourhood Networks in Scotland Limited.

The group will use funding to support their activities over the next year, which include an online dance project, BSL support for a virtual conference, and a motivational workshop.

Bo’ness Car 4 U, which provides free transport for cancer patients, was awarded £9,800.

Rod McNeill, chairman, said: “For our charity to be successful we need two things, volunteers and funding, so we’re delighted that National Lottery helped us in this way.

"People can be at the most vulnerable times in their lives when they’re diagnosed with cancer, and may have to undergo 20 daily treatments and it’s often in places like Glasgow or Airdrie.

"We’re trying to take away the worry of getting from A to B, and we’re glad that this award will help us to continue doing that.”

Announcing the funding, The National Lottery Community Fund’s Scotland Chair, Kate Still, said: “This funding announced today will not only help improve the lives of thousands of people in communities across Scotland but also communities of interest who are facing a set of unthinkable circumstances and challenges on a day-to-day basis.

"It will help projects to inform, educate and build trust so they can begin to change attitudes which will, in time, effect real social change.

“This is all thanks to National Lottery players who are helping communities to thrive.”