Charities and organisations affected by the coronavirus outbreak are being given access to up to £600 million of repurposed money from The National Lottery.
Thanks to National Lottery players, millions of pounds of funding will be distributed over the next few months in Wales alone to help projects most impacted by coronavirus and which support some of the most vulnerable people in our communities. The funding spans the arts, community, charity, heritage, education, environment, and sports sectors.
The funding packages announced to date for projects in Wales, include:
Up to £300 million from The National Lottery Community Fund over the next six months going UK-wide to groups, including those from Wales, best placed to support people and communities at this vital time.
A £50 million Emergency Fund from The National Lottery Heritage Fund UK-wide to address immediate pressures in the heritage sector over the next four months and provide increased investment in essential digital skills.
Together with the Welsh Government, the Arts Council of Wales has put £5.1 million from National Lottery sources into a £7 million Arts Resilience Fund for Wales. The fund will support arts funded individuals and organisations to help them through the crisis.
Sport Wales has launched a Sport Resilience Fund, with £4.75 million from National Lottery sources to provide support across Welsh sport and ensure the nation is able to remain active and enjoy the health and wellbeing benefits of sport.
The British Film Institute (BFI) has made £4.6 million of National Lottery funding available UK-wide to alleviate immediate pressure for organisations and individuals in the screen industries hardest hit by the pandemic, ranging from emergency funding for freelancers whose contracts were suddenly cancelled through to grants for venues which have had to close.
Further funding announcements are expected in the future.
Many National Lottery funded projects in South Wales have already been adapting to the crisis as best they can within the parameters of social distancing, including:
The National Lottery funded The Tool Shed project managed by the Centre for Building Social Action (CBSA) in Carmarthenshire is a tool lending library which makes DIY and repair more affordable for eligible working families throughout Carmarthenshire. Since the outbreak, it has set up a Facebook page providing tips on home DIY and is using its van (normally used to deliver tools) to deliver food parcels and plants and seeds, such as tomato and rhubarb, for people who want to start growing at home. The project has also designed and developed headbands for NHS workers and care staff to prevent the elastic on their face masks from cutting into their skin.
The National Lottery funded Glenwood Church Community Centre in Llanedeyrn, Cardiff, has been partnering with a local independent coffee shop to deliver food to the most vulnerable in the community. Its volunteers are also keeping the Cardiff Foodbank distribution centre in Llanedeyrn open and are working on a buddy-up system for weekly telephone calls.
To find out more about the funding announced by National Lottery distributors across the UK to date, visit the National Lottery Good Causes website www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/coronavirus-pandemic-response
National Lottery players are encouraged to play online at national-lottery.co.uk or by downloading the National Lottery app and only buy their tickets in retail as part of their essential shop.
Photo: The Tool Shed van ready to deliver – CBSA credit
Comments