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A range of vital community projects, including schemes supporting people living with cancer, has received more than £4 million from the Big Lottery Fund today.
The grants, totalling £4,386,306, are being announced under the Big Lottery Fund’s Reaching Communities Northern Ireland programme that will distribute £18 million to support a wide range of projects that bring changes to people’s lives, creating stronger communities and improved local environments.
A variety of projects have benefited from the grants windfall including an initiative working with the deaf community, schemes working with people suffering from chronic respiratory disease and a project tackling the isolation of older people in remote areas.
Northern Ireland Chest, Heart and Stroke Association has been awarded a grant of £497,579 to support people suffering from respiratory disease Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and their carers by creating networks delivering training, education, therapy and respite sessions.
Director of Health, Myrtle Neill, said the grant will help the organisation target disadvantaged communities across Northern Ireland. “COPD is a progressive illness and with modern medicine we can provide sustained support, but sufferers live in constant breathing difficulty. We want to educate people in local communities and create awareness and tolerance of the disease,” she said.
“We will provide classes where people can do controlled exercises under professional guidance that they can then do at home. There is also a big education component that teaches them to understand how to use the medicines more effectively and how exercise and health can make a difference.”
Seventy-six-year-old Jackie Kinnen, from Antrim, discovered he had COPD after having heart problems and undergoing a quadruple heart bypass. Shortly after surgery he collapsed and was rushed to hospital where it was discovered his lungs had been badly scarred.
Jackie added: “The disease means I can’t do anything strenuous or I am struggling for breath and end up completely exhausted. I got so bad that I could not even walk upstairs and I had to get a stair lift fitted in my house. I would also suffer from panic attacks where I could barely breath and sometimes, when I went to bed, I wasn’t sure if I would see the next day,” said Jackie.
“Then I got involved with Antrim Respiratory Group, affiliated to Northern Ireland Chest Heart and Stroke. I wasn’t sure if it was my sort of thing but my daughter said I should give it a go. Since I got involved in the group my outlook on life has changed massively. It means you get out to socialise and it shows you there are other people with this disease.”
Cancer Lifeline has been awarded a grant of £460,028 for a project that will develop the group’s existing work and benefit 500 people affected by cancer in North and West Belfast by offering access to support services and providing training, information workshops, library services, awareness raising and peer support.
Mum-of-three Bernadette Montgomery, 46, has first hand experience of the effects of cancer, having been diagnosed with very aggressive breast cancer ten years ago.
Bernadette, who is Chairperson of the organisation, explained that she had been left feeling very isolated and depressed during her treatment and did not feel the support structures available suited her needs.
“I was diagnosed with a very aggressive form of cancer at the age of 36 and was given a 16 per cent chance of survival. I had a double mastectomy and underwent a year of aggressive chemotherapy and a month and a half of radiotherapy,” she said.
“Physically, I was completely exhausted and was very ill from the chemotherapy. Mentally I was very frightened and so scared of dying and leaving my three children who were aged 8, 10 and 12 at the time. My body image was very low as I had no hair from the treatment and both my breasts had been removed.
“I responded to the treatment and I wanted to talk about my experiences with other people who had been through similar experiences, but I did not feel the services on offer that suited my needs. I realised that there were other people out there who wanted to share their experience and needed support too and that is where Cancer Lifeline came from.
“The grant will allow us to offer support on many levels to people in the area. We will help people access the support services available by working with them to give them the confidence to bring up any questions they have with doctors and other health professionals.”
The National Autistic Society received a grant of £345,114 to provide support, advice and information to parents of people diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and raise awareness and understanding of autism amongst professionals in order to improve access to services.
Regina Cox, National Coordinator in Northern Ireland, said: “There is a real lack of autism specific services for the estimated 16,000 families living with autism in Northern Ireland, with the North East and Western regions having been identified as areas of particular need. This leads to huge problems for families, including long waits for a diagnosis, limited choice over educational placements and little out of school support.
“This project will provide direct information and support to people with autism, their families and carers, however they will also help statutory bodies review autism services and make recommendations for improvements in their area.”
Big Lottery Fund Northern Ireland Board Member Breidge Gadd, said: “I am delighted that the Big Lottery Fund has supported such a diverse range of projects. It is heartening to see so many projects supporting disadvantaged groups within our society.
“The Reaching Communities NI programme is very effective in ensuring that lottery cash reaches strong and innovative projects which have a real and lasting impact on people lives and this round of grants represents a large vote of confidence for the work the voluntary and community sector.”
Other Awards Announced
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