pic to come. Graham is going there at 2pm on Friday feb 27- TODAY
DORSET good causes have been awarded more than £25,000 by the Big Lottery Fund.
The latest round of Awards for All grants saw 87 groups across the South West share a pot of nearly three quarters of a million pounds.
In Dorset groups received £25,436 in total, Piddlehinton Millennium Green received £1,833 which will be put towards play equipment for the village’s children and Lytchett Minster School got £10,000 for an extracurricular outdoor activity project for students.
In the east of the county Hope House in Bournemouth got £9,750 for a numeracy and literacy project for vulnerable adults.
Larkmead School in Oxfordshire received £3,853 to take 140 students on a residential trip to Osmington near Weymouth.
In Piddlehinton, the £1,833 is half the funding needed to buy new timber play equipment for the green.
There will be an adventure trail and a huge see-saw for the children to play on.
The other half of the money was raised by the village hosting an open garden event last year. More than 30 homes opened their gardens to the public for the good cause. The chairman of the trust, Alan Phillips also did a marathon and all the money he raised went into the play equipment pot.
Trustee Sue Hennessy said they were hoping to get work started on the project in March and that hopefully it would be finished in time for the Easter holidays.
She said they were delighted the lottery had chosen to help them out and said they were now ‘friends for the second time,’ after the fund helped them out in 2003 to buy other play equipment.
She said: “The thing is the Millennium Green has been open since 1999 and the older equipment has become rotten.”
She said the new equipment would be exciting. The see-saw will hold four people.
Mrs Hennessy said: “It’s not just a see-saw- it’s some see-saw. It’s made from a whole Robinia tree truck, it’s for four children- it’s going to be absolutely super.”
Deputy England Director of the Big Lottery Fund, Lyn Cole, said they were encouraging small groups to apply for the next round of funding.
She said: “Awards for All is about using small amounts of money to make a huge difference to local communities and people in need. We want to hear from anyone with plans to improve the lives of people around them so please get in touch with our advice line, it could make all the difference.”
Those interested in applying can view a webinar on how to apply for funding and top tips on how to present the project.
These run weekly and last about 30 minutes.
For more information about the Awards for All grants visit biglotteryfund.org.uk.
CONTACT ME:
t: 01305 830981
e: catherine.bolado@dorsetecho.co.uk
twitter: @DorsetEchoCB
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