COMMUNITY projects from Chulmleigh, Chawleigh, Chagford, Okehampton, Exeter, Tiverton and Exeter are among 189 from across the South West to receive National Lottery funding from the Big Lottery Fund.

The projects will share a total of £5,075,689 raised by National Lottery players for good causes.

The funding will support a diverse range of projects enabling people to improve their skills, meet new people, and strengthen their communities.

Chulmleigh Parish Council receives an Awards for All grant of £8,747 for Centenary Refurbishment Work at Davy Park in Chulmleigh.

This group will use the funding to replace a wall in a section of community use land and to repair the wet pour surface to prevent further damage.

The group says this will ensure members of the community can continue using the space safely and prevent imminent closure due to insecurity of the facilities.

CHAWLEIGH

The Amber Foundation at Chawleigh receives an Awards for All grant of £9,974.28 to establish a Green Gym.

Outdoor gym equipment, including an air skier, leg press, exercise bike, hip twister and cross trainer, will be installed at a residential centre for homeless people at Chawleigh.

The group says this will improve the physical and mental well-being for those accessing these new facilities.

Balloons (Bereavement and Loss Looking Onwards) receives a Reaching Communities award of £257,379.

This is to provide a continuation of a service based in Exeter, Mid and East Devon providing one-to-one pre and post bereavement support to children and young people aged five to 25 years.

It also supports their families by providing a telephone helpline, activity days and family events.

The varied activities and events results in enhanced emotional, physical and social well-being, and the chance to be part of a supportive community and have fun.

£496,429

Living Options Devon receives £496,429 from Reaching Communities for it’s Time to Talk project.

The project will tackle loneliness and isolation for people with physical and/or mobility disabilities, living in and around Devon. It will focus on those who experience a visual or hearing impairment, and those who are housebound due to mobility issues.

As well as reducing loneliness, other benefits will include developing coping strategies, dealing with depression, boosting self-esteem, building confidence and acquiring new skills.

Okehampton and District Chamber of Trade receives an Awards for All grant of £1,915 towards the Okehampton Festival of Food and Music.

This group will use the funding to provide a sustainable food and music festival to unite the community and celebrate their rural location.

The event will engage the community with local retailers and producers, to provide long-term economic benefit to the town, and enable the local primary school to provide healthy eating education to the general public.

CHAGFORD

“Chagfarm”, the Chagford Community Farm Renewable Biomass Hot Water Project will receive £9,800.

This group says it will improve its community farm with this funding, by creating a renewable biomass hot water system.

It says this will improve infrastructure, helping to educate the local community about healthy eating and sustainable living in a rural area.

Devon and Cornwall Police Federation receives £6,400 for a Devon and Cornwall Community Suicide Prevention Project.

This police federation will use the funding to train voluntary professionals on suicide awareness and prevention.

It says this will improve the well-being for volunteers from community organisations.

Devon Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Service of Exeter receives £8,000 to increase the skills, knowledge and well-being of volunteers.

The service will use the funding to offer continued professional development to volunteers to increase skills and knowledge, as well as pay for external supervision in order to support volunteer’s health and well-being.

It says this will help volunteers to be more effective in their support roles for service users of the group.

TRANSPORT

TfYC (Transport for your community), based in Mid Devon receives £9,876 towards its Invigorating Communities project.

Transport advocacy services will be provided for the local community with this funding. This will educate people about suitable transport options available to them.

Stop Abuse for Everyone of Exeter receives £298,682 towards its Boys 2 Men Project.

This project has developed from a pilot delivered by Stop Abuse for Everyone in Exeter and Devon, to support the recovery and life chances of boys aged five to 18 who are living, or have grown up in families where they have been abused or impacted by domestic violence.

The group will deliver one-to-one support in a venue where people feel safe, such as the family home, and will build on the child’s strengths and interests to engage them, moving on to focusing on individual needs and safe male role models.

Across England, 1,903 projects are sharing in more than £50 million of National Lottery funding through this latest round of investment.

England Grant Making Director at the Big Lottery Fund James Harcourt said: “It is great to think that National Lottery players have now raised £36 billion for Good Causes and it’s when you hear about projects like these that you realise the incredible impact that funding has had on communities across England.

“Whether the grant is for £500, or £500,000, our funding is used to run amazing projects led by local people. It really is life changing.”

Alan Quick