Groups behind projects ranging from running community hubs and providing transport to maintaining gardens and cafes have hit the jackpot after being awarded National Lottery funding.
A total of 31 groups based across South Lanarkshire are sharing more than £1.1million following the latest round of grants, issued as the lottery gets set to mark its 30th anniversary next month.
Recipients include Larkhall & District Volunteer Group, who will use their three-year grant of £150,000 to benefit 450 local residents and involve 130 volunteers in their work, and the Cambuslang-based Leap Project which has been given £200,000 towards its befriending, leisure and handyperson services for older people.
Larkhall Community Growers will receive nearly £68,000 to expand their community wellbeing project, providing a variety of gardening, growing, educational, training and volunteering opportunities, while The Church at The Cross has been awarded £20,000 over two years for running the nearby Hareleeshill Community Hub and refurbishing its kitchen.
The free cafe in Hillhouse run by Community Links will benefit from more than £18,000 which will also be used to deliver the one-week South Lanarkshire-wide climate action festival, while Stonehouse Business Association will use more than £10,000 to run the community pantry plus healthy eating and cooking workshops.
Also receiving lottery funding are the joint ex-service veterans’ garden at Whitelaw in Hamilton; Stonehouse senior citizens’ pavilion who will run thrice-weekly social meetings, summer outings and dinner dances; the residents’ association at Uddingston retirement complex Springfield Gardens; and Larkhall Probus Club who will run meetings and outings for retired people.
Rutherglen and Cambuslang good cause Healthy ‘n’ Happy have been awarded £90,000 to run their busy programme of weekly classes, workshops and community events at local venue No 18, while Cambuslang & Rutherglen Ethnic Minorities Development Group have a two-year award of £19,950 for its range of activities and trips.
Community organisation Project 31 have been awarded £15,000 for arts and craft classes, campfire cooking sessions and a Christmas celebration for over-60s, while families in Fernhill will benefit from activities and trips run by the Ohana Club with their grant of £12,000 and Rutherglen Community Carers have been given £10,000 to help support people with dementia and their loved ones.
Friends of Cambuslang Park plan to hire a development officer and gather community views using their £8400 award, while grants to Rutherglen groups Bankhead Residents’ Association and Nostalgia will be used to provide meals and socialising for older people in their communities.
In Clydesdale, the largest grants of £20,000 are going to St Bride’s Community Group to encourage greater use of their centre in Douglas, and to Wiston Lodge for seasonal events Halloween, Christmas and Easter.
Law Boxing Club will receive £11,500 to assist their plans for taking on the running of Tom Craig Community Centre as a boxing club, gym and community centre, while Clydesdale Community Initiatives and the area’s Parkinson’s Group are receiving funding support for repair and recycling activities and an exercise and therapy programme respectively.
Rigside Community Nursery Committee will hold a summer fun day, while Lanimer group The Kilninie Club and Thankerton Senior Citizens’ Club also both made successful applications.
East Kilbride group Waist Not Want will receive £20,000 for creative and wellbeing activities in Greenhills, and Drum EK have been awarded £9545 to run a drum circle to reduce social isolation and improve wellbeing.
Across South Lanarkshire, the Family Service Unit has been awarded £200,000 for a support programme for women affected by substance abuse, mental health issues, domestic violence or involvement in the criminal justice system – and Reach Lanarkshire Autism has been awarded nearly £150,000 to support families of children with autism spectrum conditions.
Care and Repair will also receive funding for its home safety and security initiatives, with National Lottery community fund Scotland chair Kate Still saying of the host of local awards: “For three decades, communities have come together, supporting one another and transforming lives through lottery funding – a truly inspiring achievement. National Lottery players can take pride in knowing thatthat their contributions have helped people across Scotland lead more fulfilling and connected lives.”
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