Almost £400,000 has been ploughed into vital community groups across Renfrewshire thanks to funding from the National Lottery.
All over the local authority, a variety of groups are celebrating receiving a share of the £13million community fund.
A cancer support group; groups which provide music tuition; organisations tackling the cost-of-living crisis and those planning to make improvements in the community were just some of the good causes given a share of the cash.
And in East Renfrewshire, three groups were given £30,000 to support projects in the community.
Receiving an amazing £106,926 funding grant was the Paisley-based The Brick Lane Music Academy.
The Weir Street group will use the funding to provide music tuition for people in and around the Renfrewshire area, with a primary focus on children and young people and those who are economically disadvantaged.
Kirsty Ward, office manager at the academy, told the Paisley Daily Express the group is “over the moon” with the funding.
She said: “We are absolutely delighted, over the moon. Coming out of covid, we struggled a bit so this will massively help us to improve on what we offer and reach out to more people in the community.
“It will really help us moving forward and it will give us more time and more funds to reach out to everyone.
“When we heard we were getting the funding, we were all gobsmacked. We just couldn’t believe it was us. But we are really delighted, appreciative and excited. It’s fantastic.”
Also receiving funding is the new Tannahill Centre Limited. The centre has been awarded a grant of £39,960 which it will use to deliver a cost-of-living response project for the people of Ferguslie Park.
The Oakshaw Trinity ‘Friendly Hour’ which meets in Oakshaw Trinity Church, received a grant of £1,000 to purchase equipment to enhance their programme of activities.
A spokesman for the group said: “We were delighted, our application was successful. Our members meet every Tuesday from October to May and the equipment we will purchase with the money will enhance the programme of activities we provide.
“Our organisation started in 1957 in St James Church and moved to Oakshaw Trinity Church following the dissolution of St James Church in 2016.
“After 66 years, we continue to provide an afternoon of social entertainment, fellowship and friendship for men and women over 60 years of age to which all are welcome when we commence again in October.”
The Village Storytelling Centre in Barrhead received £8,650 in funding and they aim to use the money to create storytelling and folk music workshops that will be based in the community centre in Dunterlie.
And Renfrewshire charity, Rays of Hope, that provides practical and emotional support to the cancer community received an incredible £108,176 grant.
Founded by Linda O’Malley in 2015, the Elderslie-based charity has become a lifeline for people devastated by cancer and the ramifications that come with diagnosis.
The charity will use the funding to continue and develop their suite of activities supporting people with a cancer diagnosis, helping with both physical and mental wellbeing.
The National Lottery Community Fund made the grant announcements on the day it launched its new UK-wide strategy ‘It starts with community’ which sets out its ambitions as a funder of community-led activity from now until 2030.
It distributes funding on behalf of National Lottery players who raise more than £30m each week for good causes throughout the UK.
Announcing the funding, Kate Still, Scotland chairperson of The National Lottery Community Fund said: “I am delighted to see £13m of National Lottery funding going to projects where connections and community action are central to happier, healthier lives.
“I am delighted to tell you that today we launch our new UK-wide strategy – it starts with community - which sets out our direction of travel and ambitions as a funder from now and until 2030.
“We will increase focus and investment in creating lasting change that tackles inequality and most importantly improves lives for more people and communities across Scotland.”
Other local groups that benefited from the funding were, East Renfrewshire Good Causes, who received £9,999 from the fund. The group will use the funding to provide boxes of household goods to families in need.
Friends of Howwood Park also received a grant of £10,000 which they will put towards developing a derelict pavilion.
The Inchinnan Development Trust were granted £9,360 to cover staff costs for a development officer who will maintain their current projects, run their organisation and develop their plans for newly purchased land.
And Eat Up, a food, furniture and music charity, also received £6,000. The group who have recently secured a lease for The Cellar Bar on Lady Lane in the town, will use the grant to expand their Kindlift service by paying for rental costs.
Once open, people will be able to come in and select free furniture for delivery, connect with the group to become volunteers or arrange collections of items from their homes.
See www.TNLCommunityFund.org.uk
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