The National Lottery Community Fund Northern Ireland Blog

Every so often we hear some of the myths that people believe about The National Lottery Fund Northern Ireland and our funding. We’re here to clear up six of the most common! And don’t worry if you believed these too – everyone makes myth-takes!

• “If rejected you can’t reapply for 12 months”

If your application is unsuccessful, you can reapply as soon as you are read. If you’re applying for the same project, we do recommend you address any feedback we gave you before applying again. If you aren’t sure why your application was unsuccessful, or if you just want advice on making a stronger application, just ask! We’re always happy to chat about your ideas.

• “We don’t fund your area of Northern Ireland”

We fund projects right across Northern Ireland and are glad to see applications from any part of Northern Ireland. We’re working more locally than ever – contact us on the details below and we can put you in touch with the team that works in your area.

• “You shouldn’t discuss your idea with us before applying”

This couldn’t be further from the truth! We’d love to talk to you about your project before you apply. We can give you advice on getting your community involved in your project, what funding programmes might suit your project best, how the application process works – and anything in between. In our experience, applicants who talk to us before they apply are much more likely to avoid common pitfalls. So don’t be shy – get in touch with us at any point in the application process.

Whatever your idea is, we’re here to chat!

• “We only fund projects in areas seen as ‘deprived’”

While we certainly consider levels of deprivation when targeting our funding, it is definitely not the only thing we care about. We understand that communities face issues that aren’t related to economic deprivations and we want to know what your community thinks is important to them. That’s why it’s important to us that the projects we fund have been designed in a way that includes the voices and opinions of the people taking part – we want to ask communities what matters to them, not what’s the matter with them.

• “We don’t like giving away money”

We love giving money away! It’s the best bit of our job and is the reason The National Lottery Community Fund exists. Obviously, we have a responsibility to make sure that our funds are spent well. But we can’t keep the money for ourselves, so we are always looking for great new projects to support.

• “Only registered charities can apply”

You don’t have to be a registered charity to apply to any of our funds! We don’t fund individuals, and there are a few basic things your organisation needs in place before it can apply, such as a committee, a governing document, and a bank account.

Above all, we want you to talk to us. No matter what your question, whether you’re thinking of applying to us or if you’ve been funded by us before, we’re always happy to chat.

Email us at enquiries.ni@tnlcommunityfund.org.uk or phone us on 028 9055 1455.

You can also talk to us on social media: @TNLCommunityFundNI on Facebook and @TNLComFundNI on Twitter.

We want to fund projects that build on the strengths and skills a community already has. Communities thrive when projects start from the strengths that already exist.

What this looks like in practice is different for each application we receive. It isn’t ‘one size fits all’ – your project should be shaped by the people it helps.

First of all, explore the strengths your community already has. Ask people, “What is working well?” and “What is important to you?” Then take stock of what resources and skills you have.

Portglenone Community Workshop and Men’s Shed

Portglenone Enterprise Group uses the strength of local groups in their ‘Unity in the Community’ project to improve health and well-being in the community.

The group brings together smaller community groups in the area to run activities for local people based on ideas from the community themselves. The activities they run include gardening, line dancing, a history and literacy group, and social activities.

The groups who make up the Portglenone Enterprise Group include Portglenone Arthritis Group, Bannside Eco Buddies, Bannside Stitchers, Bannside & District Beekeepers, Portglenone Bowling Club, Portglenone Community Workshop and Men’s Shed, Monday Club Portglenone, and Portglenone Senior Citizens Arts and Crafts.

By coming together as a collective, these smaller groups are made stronger by sharing resources and having access governance training and support.

We asked our Funding Officer Chris McClure what makes this a good example of a strengths-based project.

Chris said, “Portglenone Enterprise Group is a good example of a number of smaller groups coming together to assess their strengths and weaknesses, how they can support each other and where they need additional help.

“They have over 100 volunteers delivering the project. By coming together like this, the groups can share resources and skills. Portglenone Enterprise Group share their experience and their venue is available to other groups. The men’s shed use their skills and equipment to support the Eco-Buddies and Beekeepers group with small scale building projects.

The Bannside Stitchers

We asked Nora O’Neill from Portglenone Enterprise Group about the strengths of their project.

“Volunteers are a real strength; our project couldn’t run without them. The Unity in the Community project brings groups together and brings in more volunteers and people with skills.

“Our idea is to have taster sessions and more cross-over between groups – to open up choices for people. It’s better for health and well-being. It gives the community what it wants.

“It’s good to listen to other opinions and people’s experiences and try out new ideas. People bring fresh ideas and energy.”

If you are based in Northern Ireland and want to apply to our People and Communities programme, you can talk to us about your ideas before sending in an application form. Give us a call on 028 9055 1455 or email enquiries.ni@tnlcommunityfund.org.uk

“Find your circle of support and you can achieve anything.” These are the words of Tasleem Billal, 37, from east Belfast. In 2012, tragedy struck Tasleem and her family, leaving her vulnerable, isolated, and unsure where to turn. But thanks to GLOW, a Belfast-based group using funding from The National Lottery Community Fund to help women to reach their goals, Tasleem was able to turn her life around. 

Mum of three Tasleem moved to Belfast after marrying her husband, Billy, in Pakistan. She and Billy had two children together, Mohammed and Jamal, but Tasleem struggled with the language and depended on Billy for everything. 

“Moving here was a big change for me,” said Tasleem. “My English wasn’t great, it was hard for me to understand people especially with the accent. My husband came with me to all my medical appointments and he dealt with all the finances.” 

Tasleem and her children were completely dependent on Billy. But in 2012, after nine years of marriage, Billy passed away suddenly due to a blood clot in his lungs. 

“Billy’s parents moved us to east Belfast after the funeral so we could be near them. I knew I didn’t want to depend on them forever. The boys were struggling and I didn’t know how I was going to cope. 

“It was on one day, when I only had £20 left that I knew I had to do something. Jamal was crying because he wanted food and it was cold and the gas meter was about to run out and I just burst into tears.” 

Tasleem opened up about her problems to another mum at the school gates.  Fortunately for Tasleem, the woman she spoke to was Chara Clarke, the director at GLOW. 

Tasleem and Chara at Tasleem’s home studio

GLOW delivers personal development, life skills and mentoring to women to empower them reach their goals. Since 2012 they’ve received around £150,000 of funding from The National Lottery Community Fund to support their work. 

Tasleem explained: “Chara was amazing. She helped me get a National Insurance number and apply for benefits. When I started receiving job seekers allowance of £70 a week it felt like £70 million.  

“I needed to look for a job but I had no work experience or confidence. Chara helped me realise that I have skills – I can thread eyebrows – and she invited me to GLOW to take part in some classes to get support and improve my confidence. 

“From the moment I walked into GLOW I felt at ease,” said Tasleem. “There were lots of other women in different situations, but we were all there to improve ourselves.” 

Tasleem started a business threading eyebrows, working out of her living room. Since joining the group, Tasleem has gained the skills and confidence to expand her business. She now has a separate studio in her house where she does a range of beauty services, including nails, HD brows, and lashes. Thanks to National Lottery players, Tasleem has been able to come off benefits and support her family through her own earnings. But it’s her family’s happiness that she values most. 

Tasleem has been able to expand her business to include a variety of services

“My family in Pakistan are very proud of me and so are my children – they are what gives me strength,” she said. “Being a single mum is hard so working from home is really handy for me, but as the boys are getting older my next goal is to open up my own salon in east Belfast. 

“I still miss Billy so much, but I found a circle of support and I found myself.” 

Chara Clarke, director of GLOW said: “Having funding from The National Lottery Community Fund over the years has enabled GLOW to support many other women just like Tasleem.  

“We want to give these women confidence and self-esteem so they can discover their potential and go out and live a life that makes them happy and that makes a positive impact on their families and communities.” 

To find out more about GLOW, visit their website: https://www.glowni.com  

To learn about National Lottery funding in Northern Ireland, check out our website: https://www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/northern-ireland  

Guest blog by Niamh Scullion, Eden Project Communities

Applications are now open for the Eden Project Community Camps in Cornwall in September and November 2019 with 12 places available this year for people from all areas of Northern Ireland.
The camps include all return travel to Cornwall, accommodation at Eden Project site, delicious healthy food and a variety of engaging activities, all free of charge to participants thanks to support from the National Lottery.

Camp participants can look forward to three days of inspiring talks, workshops, engagement activities and story sharing with around 60 other community activists and organisers. These can have a life-changing impact on some people as many of our past participants have attested:

Hugh Hegarty from Derry visited the community camp in November 2018 and subsequently set up MENd, a mental health initiative for men in Derry. Hugh said “I must say that all I had been previously told about how good the camp was still didn’t properly prepare me for what I experienced. I loved every second of it, from making new friends from all areas of the UK to learning do much about other aspects of community projects as well as the training we received. Undoubtedly one of the best weekends I’ve ever had.”

Eileen Chan-Hu from Carryduff, Co. Down said “I went to the camp of April 2016 and met many great people from across UK. We still keep in touch today! I had great times learning from each other and the joys of community spirit at such an inspiring place. Eden Project helped to facilitate our thinking and keeping us motivated to always know we can help each other, no matter if it was a small or big project. To imagine, visualise and return from our visit, inspired. Since then at South Belfast Lantern Parade, we keep going each Christmas, the loneliest time at the year for some to have a lantern parade in the park.”

Alison Torrens from Portstewart in Co. Derry attended the Eden Camp several years ago in 2013. She said “It was a truly wonderful experience and I was inspired by a host of amazing community driven ideas and events taking place throughout the UK. An awesome place to explore.
Lee Robb, from Carrickfergus in Co Antrim attended in 2016. She said “The Eden Project community camp was a life changing experience that helped me find my purpose and, I believe, make a real contribution in NI.”

Rosie Finnegan-Bell from South Armagh said: “My visit to the Eden Camp in September 2019 was simply one of the best things I’ve ever done. It really motivated me and helped me crystallize my idea for a community based project. It also helped me to build the confidence to put myself out there to bring the idea of our South Armagh Lace Collective project forward. We are thriving as a group now and have achieved so much in such a very short space of time. We’ve had to think outside the box as we had no funding. But the persistence that I heard people talk about at Eden paid off. The group has become a wonderful reason for us to come together as a community and is a wonderfully diverse group of people of all ages and abilities. I have no doubt that this wonderful group would not exist if it hadn’t been for the Eden Camp. It was a truly wonderful opportunity to meet some of the most innovative, creative and inspiring people. I have made friends that I know will be friends for life. I am indebted to Eden for this and much more.”

Mary McCoy from Dromore, Co. Tyrone said: “Attending the Eden Project was an inspirational experience for me and as a result it catapulted me into working more with my local community of Dromore, Co. Tyrone and encouraging others to get on board to improve our town and get our whole community working together. Very worthwhile and insightful!”

The camps provide opportunities to link in with a network of more than 1000 community organisers across the UK to share ideas, inspiration, and experience, and to re-energise your community project and yourself. The camp attendees usually include Big Lunch organisers, community walk organisers, litter pick organisers, community gardeners, environmental activists, people working to promote diversity, inclusion and equality, civic pride projects, fundraisers, and an array of other community projects. Anyone who is bringing their community together in a voluntary capacity to create positive social change is encouraged to apply. The application is very short and simple and should take no more than 15 minutes to complete.

https://www.edenprojectcommunities.com/community-camps

There are two camps open for application, the first runs from Friday 20 until Monday 23 September and the second camp runs from Friday 22 to Monday 25 November. Applications will be assessed throughout the summer until the places are filled. Those received in July will have the best chance of acceptance.

Camps are specifically for people volunteering in their community or who have set up Social Enterprises or Community business who are hoping to take their project further, looking for inspiration, or be part of a growing network of community activists.

Eden Project Communities also has follow-up events, training, and networking opportunities and a national event for network members each year, so once you’ve attended one of these camps, you can stay connected with even more network members.

For further media information, photo-shoots, interviews and other enquiries, please contact Niamh Scullion on nscullion@edenproject.com or 07850 914533

On June 19, we announced almost £10 million of money raised by National Lottery players for groups who are bringing people together to help their communities thrive.  

A total of 31 groups across Northern Ireland were awarded £9,420,282, with young people and people with learning disabilities among those benefiting from the funding. In case you missed it, here’s a look at some of the incredible groups being funded through our Empowering Young People and People and Communities programmes. 

CAN in Ballymoney are supporting people with learning disabilities to make friends

CAN, based in Ballymoney, are using a £361,297 grant to run their five-year Community LINX Project. The project supports local adults with learning disabilities and autism aged over 18 to take part in different activities, make friends, and build relationships.  

As part of a buddying scheme, some people will be paired with able-bodied buddies to spend time with and do social activities like going shopping or going to the cinema. There will also be a regular social club for people to meet up and make friends, and support and advice on communication skills and keeping healthy friendships. 

Linda McKendry, director of services for CAN, said: “This is an amazing opportunity for our guys to come together with people in their own communities for social and leisure opportunities and expand their networks. The friendship is two-way and as one of our young Peer Buddies said, ‘I never had a friend until I had a buddy’.” 

Family Adoption Services are helping young people learn about their life stories

Family Care Adoption Services is working with young people in the Antrim area. They’re using a0 £500,000 grant over five years for their Life Story Project, working with young people who have been separated from their birth families and don’t have information about their past. 

Project staff will gather information on the young person’s life and work with them to create a Life Story in a medium chosen by the young person. The story includes the young person’s thoughts, memories, artwork, and key events and anecdotes about the young person.  

Maggie McSorley, CEO, Family Care Adoption Services said: “We are absolutely delighted to have been awarded this grant from the National Lottery Community Fund. This project is a unique service which will work with young people across Northern Ireland who are fostered, adopted or have been in care, and are struggling to make sense of their earlier lives. The project will help them to uncover and understand their past in a personal and meaningful way, and gain a greater sense of their identity and their unique value in the process.” 

Easlink are connecting isolated people in rural areas

Easilink Community Transport helped people in rural parts of Strabane, Derry/Londonderry and Omagh get out and about, including older people, people with disabilities, and low-income families. Thanks to National Lottery players, they’re using £452,207 to provide transport to hospitals across the Western Health and Social Care Trust area and services outside the local area. They are also developing a Volunteer Car Scheme, running trips, and training volunteer drivers who will use their own cars and accompany people who need support at different appointments or events. 

Paddy McEldowney, Chief Executive of Easilink Community Transport said: “This is a great opportunity for us to extend our existing local rural transport service to include affordable transport provision for rural people to attend Hospital Appointments across the Western Trust area. We’re keen to recruit additional volunteers to our Volunteer Car Scheme to help us provide this much needed service – working in partnership with Omagh Volunteer Centre and North West Volunteer Centre.” 

Thanks to National Lottery players, these fantastic groups are able to continue working with their communities to bring people together and put the people they help front and centre in their work. 

To read about all 31 grants announced last week, click here. 

Application forms and guidance notes are available to download at www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk. If you have any questions or would like to chat to us about a funding idea, call us on 028 9055 1455, or e-mail us at enquiries.ni@tnlcommunityfund.org.uk.