Charities get early Christmas present with new cash
By Two Bristol-based charities have been given an early Christmas present, with hundreds of thousands of pounds of Lottery cash to help vulnerable and disadvantaged people in the city.
Volunteering and training charity CSV have received £173,905 to help create a team to deliver a non-profit gardening service to elderly and disabled residents who experience poverty and social isolation, helping them to enjoy and benefit from use of their green space.
The scheme will also provide a low-cost service to groups and organisations who would like to manage their green spaces themselves.
Anthony Meese-Kennedy of CSV said: “With this grant we will be able to make a significant difference to the living environments of people in Bristol.
“The money will be used to build a team of volunteer community gardeners, as well as providing tools, training and resources. We will support people who, through disability or mobility issues, are unable to maintain and enjoy their green spaces.
“Focusing on the most deprived areas of the city, the team will transform neglected or overgrown green spaces and gardens into places people can access and enjoy.”
Meanwhile, Contact a Family Incorporated get a grant of £288,601 to support families caring for a disabled child in North Somerset and Cornwall, particularly targeting those from minority ethnic communities and living in
debt.
The project aims to reduce the financial exclusion, poverty and isolation faced by these families, by running training workshops to increase their capacity to tackle debt, and access support.
The cash comes from the Big Lottery Fund’s Reaching Communities programme, which funds projects that strengthen communities, offer people better life chances, improve environments, and promote health and well-being.
Mark Cotton, the Big Lottery Fund’s Head of Region for the South West, said: “We are delighted to be able to give the good news to these fantastic projects, just in time for Christmas. Each of these projects will have a genuine impact on people’s lives.”
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