Event
to celebrate £23m Lottery funding
in Derry to be held at Ráth Mór Centre
A
fun day to celebrate that more than £23
million in Lottery good cause grants has been pumped into
communities across Derry City Council since 1995 is being
held in the Ráth Mór Centre in Creggan
this Wednesday, 28 May.
The Big Lottery Fund, the biggest of the National Lottery
good cause distributors, is holding a celebratory event
in the well-known local shopping centre from 12:30pm – 3:30pm
to highlight the fact that it has made 538 awards totalling £23,252,321
in the Derry City Council area since 1995.
The event has been organised to show the impact of this
funding and to tell Derry’s
National Lottery players about how their £1 is making
a real difference to the lives of people and communities
across Derry City.
The fun-filled event will feature a balloon release, music,
dancing and face painting, and many of the local projects
that have received grants from the Big Lottery Fund will
visit the centre to tell their stories and promote the
vital services that they offer to local people.
The Big Lottery Fund will also officially unveil a wall
display highlighting the impact the funding has had in
the area. The display will feature projects that have helped
transform the lives of thousands of people in the local
area by tackling issues affecting people of all ages such
as physical and mental health, the environment, and education.
Staff
from The Old Library Trust Healthy Living Centre, which
has established itself as a vital resource in the heart
of the Creggan estate, will provide complimentary therapies
to passing shoppers, over 50’s dancing
class demonstrations and displays on alcohol, fats and
sugars.
Members
of Sean Dolan GAC’s YAX project will perform
hip hop and Irish dancing routines, Age Concern staff will
provide demonstrations in New Age Kurling, the centre’s
older person’s group will perform a fantastic line
dancing routine and staff from local group HURT (Have Your
Tomorrows) will give acupuncture taster sessions.
Bogside and Brandywell Health Forum, which works together
with local people to improve health and well-being in the
local community, will also attend the event and staff and
will carry out healthy eating demonstrations and free health
checks.
A range
of other projects that have received grants from the
Big Lottery Fund over the years will also be in attendance
including Creggan Country Park, Altram, Cook It!, the
Da Young Fathers project, Altnagelvin Young Mum’s project
and Foyle Down’s Syndrome Trust.
Conal
McFeely, Development Executive ,Creggan Enterprises,
who manage and own the Ráth Mór
Centre on behalf of the local community, said: “We
are delighted to be working in partnership with the Big
Lottery Fund on this Fun Day to celebrate the positive
role of Lottery funding in helping the process of revival
and renewal of local communities.
“Creggan
Enterprises, as a social economy enterprise initiative,
shares the same ethos of the Big Lottery Fund - the advancement
of positive change where need is greatest. The Fun Day
will showcase how support
for community endeavour builds community capacity.”
Walter Rader, Big Lottery Fund NI Chair,
said: “The Big Lottery Fund, the largest of the National
Lottery good cause distributors, is committed to bringing
real improvements to communities and the lives of people
most in need.
“We are delighted to be holding a celebration event
at the Ráth Mór Centre to highlight that,
to date, more than £23 million in Big Lottery Fund
grants has been pumped into projects to improve health,
education and the environment in communities across the
Derry City Council area.”
BACK
TO NEWS MENU
|
