More than 40 community groups in north Wales have recently been celebrating receiving grants from The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest funder of community activity in Wales. Many of the grants focus on encouraging communities to live healthier lives, developing skills and confidence, as well as supporting people’s wellbeing.
One of the groups successful in applying for a grant was Outside Lives Ltd in Flintshire, receiving £9,967 to deliver community cook days which improve the wellbeing of the community and planet.
Speaking on behalf of the project, Kate Bowyer from Outside Lives said:
“Outside Lives is thrilled to share the positive impact of the generous funding received from The National Lottery Community Fund. This support has been instrumental in launching our community cooking programme, a transformative initiative that not only addresses the nutritional needs of our local community but also empowers individuals through valuable life and employment skills.
“One of the standout achievements of this initiative is the boost in confidence and self-esteem observed among participants. As they master culinary techniques, interact with community members and take on leadership roles within the GRUB HUB team, individuals develop a new-found confidence that significantly improves their outlook on employment and future job prospects.
“The positive ripple effect of our community cooking programme extends far beyond the dining table. The sense of community, collaboration, and shared purpose has brought community members closer together. Through the act of preparing and sharing meals, we’ve witnessed the formation of lasting connections that contribute to the overall social fabric of our community.
“The National Lottery Community Fund’s support has been pivotal in making our community cooking programme a resounding success. We are excited about the continued growth of this initiative and the enduring benefits it brings to our community.”
Steve, a member of the GRUB HUB team, added:
“I never imagined that volunteering for GRUB HUB would be such a game-changer for me. Learning to cook and serve meals for my community has given me more than just kitchen skills; it’s boosted my confidence! Being part of this initiative feels like being part of something bigger, where we not only share meals but also share the joy of learning and growing together.”
Also in Flintshire, 1125 CIC is using a £10,000 grant to offer young people who have experienced homelessness, deprivation and isolation a course to support them through the cost of living crisis.
Lindsay Apsley, Director of 1125 CIC, told us:
“We are delighted that we have received funding for the Independent Living skills project, as we know it will help the young people to learn lots of vital skills. They have been developing their cooking skills so that they can cook independently and learning about the key food groups, how to batch cook, cook on a budget and freeze food to save food waste. We will also discuss budgeting and how to live a healthy lifestyle. Thanks for funding this project, it will help many young people learn life-long skills.”
Another group that will support local people in the Flintshire area is Estuary and Mountain Mission Area. It will use its £10,000 grant to expand ‘The Table’, which addresses food poverty by purchasing fridges, freezers, food and subscriptions to FareShare.
A weekly user of The Table said, “I think this place is amazing, it gets me through the week”. A young mother who also uses the service said, “I’m struggling to make ends meet, but this lets me put food on the table and still be able to put the heating on at home.”
In nearby Denbighshire, Drosi Bikes CIC was awarded a £92,645 grant to design and deliver The Social Re-Cycle Project, providing a bike repair service which will improve the wellbeing and confidence of people of all ages. The project will upskill and empower young people whilst building an intergenerational volunteer community and reducing waste.
Drosi Bikes director, Beth Ward, explained further the aims of their project:
“Drosi Bikes seeks to address the lack of diversity in the cycling community and to offer accessible solutions to climate change by providing cycling education, support and equipment to empower and inspire more people to choose bikes instead of cars.
“The funding we have received from the National Lottery will upskill volunteers and facilitate the recycling of unwanted bikes destined for landfill into low cost, affordable transport for members of our community. In addition, we will be delivering an outreach programme looking to engage and enable a wider range of individuals, including young people and low-income families from across rural north Wales, to choose to cycle.”
Meanwhile in Wrexham, Premier Radio CIC will use £9,997 to extend its live radio coverage, purchasing additional broadcasting equipment which will allow the radio station to further engage with the community and reduce isolation.
Paul Griffiths, director of Premier Radio, emphasized how the funding will develop people’s skills and support the Wrexham community:
“The National Lottery Community Fund grant will allow our volunteers to engage more frequently with live outside broadcasts from around Wrexham at community events. It will also help us to engage with the public and let them know that we can help in many ways. We currently have three volunteers who never had the opportunity to present a radio show presenting their own shows weekly, so the funding we have received will allow them to develop further with presenting live. We encourage those who always wanted to be on the radio to join us and see what it is all about.”
John Rose, Wales Director of The National Lottery Community Fund, said: “It’s great to see so many community groups are enabling people to come together and live healthier lives with their vital work. We are proud to recognise and support these projects’ efforts, with thanks to National Lottery players, who raise £30 million a week for good causes across the UK.”
