The Big Lottery Fund Northern Ireland Blog

‘Most of us will only ever dream about it…’ boomed the tannoy over the cheering crowd.

But as Co. Down’s Fintan O’Connor climbed to the top of the Olympic podium in June last year, he’d made dreams come true.

Arms aloft in a victory salute, the Downpatrick sportsman was crowned undisputed golfing champion at the All Ireland Special Olympic Games in Dublin, held at St Margaret’s championship golf course last summer. In fulfilling his own personal ambitions though, Fintan was also nurturing those of others within his wider autistic community.

Fintan’s mum Celine wasn’t even sure what autism was when Fintan was diagnosed. But now, Fintan is blurring all the boundaries between ability and disability, thanks to Down Special Olympics Club.

The club, based in Downpatrick, are using £37,350 of money raised by National Lottery players to continue and expand their work bringing people with learning disabilities together to learn new sports and build relationships. Members are offered a package of Olympic sports and activities including, bocce, football, table tennis, and golf.

Fintan joined the group seven years ago having discovered his talent for golf when he was 15.

“I used to wallop balls down the fields,” recalls Fintan, nodding towards the countryside around his Ballynoe home.

“That bog down there must be full of golf balls,” laughs Celine. “And sure when he was only a wee thing he used to play what he called his Concrete Golf round the yard with the drains as the holes. He even did his own sound effects and commentary!”

Now 39, Fintan’s come a long way from his concrete golf course – and Down Special Olympics Club have played a crucial role in that journey. Celine says being part of the Club has made a huge difference to aspects of Fintan’s life beyond just his sporting ambitions.

“The social and life opportunities the Special Olympics have brought are so important,” she explains. “Fintan has had experiences which otherwise he probably wouldn’t have had the confidence to tackle.

“For instance, going to the Triple Crown in Dublin was something right out of Fintan’s comfort zone. Then he travelled to the Ireland Special Olympics in June 2018 with the rest of the team on the train and stayed with them in accommodation at Dublin City University – we were able to give him his independence and stay in a separate hotel.”

Thanks to National Lottery players, Down Special Olympics Club can provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults. This provides them with opportunities to develop physical fitness, experience joy and take part in skill-sharing and friendship with their families and other special Olympic athletes.

Chairman of the group, Frank Donnelly said: “As one of our gold medallists Fintan represents everything which Down Special Olympics is about. The new funding from Big Lottery Fund will enable us to help more people develop their talents, building new skills and friendships.”

Portstewart Men’s Shed provides a lifeline to many men who come along each week to take part in activities or just have a cup of tea and a chat. The friendship provided at groups like this are especially vital in the long winter months which can be the loneliest time of the year for older people who have lost a loved one and may be living on their own.

Portstewart Men’s Shed is run by Be Safe Be Well, who are using £500,000 of money raised by National Lottery players to provide spaces for men to meet, take part in activities, learn and share skills, and receive support. As well as the Portstewart Men’s Shed, which was set up 18 months ago, they also run sheds in Forglen, Coleraine and Limavady.

For Stuart McNicholl, being part of the community at the Portstewart shed helped him get through the most difficult time in his life.

Stuart (69), from Portrush met the love of his life Marlene when he was only 12 years old. They were inseparable all their lives until Marlene passed away this June. But the support and friendship from the men at Portstewart Men’s Shed has made every day since a little bit easier.

“It took me a while to pluck up the courage to go to the men’s shed. I wasn’t doing anything else at the time apart from visiting Marlene in hospital but the social worker kept encouraging me. Six weeks after I joined the shed my wee Marlene passed away. I have a close family but the support from the guys here gave me an extra boost,” said Stuart.

“When I come to the shed the boys put an arm around me and ask how I am. It’s nice to come somewhere that people care about you and some may have gone through something similar. Everyone here has a different story, they could have health problems, issues with loved ones, or just want some company. All my life I’ve found that men don’t talk about their problems, but the shed is different.

“I couldn’t recommend it enough to other men in the area. Not only are the people fantastic, but there are computers, you can play pool, do woodwork, play music, cook and we’re going to do art classes soon. It’s only been around six months since I started coming here but it’s been a lifeline to me.”

Thanks to National Lottery players, Be Safe Be Well are supporting men aged over 25 to cope better with issues including bereavement, poor mental health, physical disability or mild learning disability. The men are involved at every stage of the project and are committed to making it a shared space for all members.

The project is making a big difference for men in the area as Catherine Taylor, director of Be Safe Be Well, explains: “The men who come to our sheds are often in a low place with their mental health, but being a member here, getting access to support, and feeling part of our community can help them turn that around.

“Maybe they have been isolated due to retirement or bereavement, but the common factor tends to be loneliness and finding themselves going from having productive lives to feeling hopeless. So coming to the shed can help them find a new meaning in life and a place where they belong.”

To find out more about Be Safe Be Well visit their website: http://besafebewell.co.uk/

We are working locally so we can talk to you face to face about your ideas to use National Lottery funding to improve the lives of people and communities.

This helps us to get local knowledge about what matters to you and to build stronger community connections.

We are working in four teams – Eastern, Northern, Southern and Western. This blog is about our Eastern team who cover Antrim and Newtownabbey, Belfast and Ards and North Down council areas.

Our team is:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can contact any of us if you’d like to chat through an idea that you have that you’d like us to fund.

Here’s a snapshot of what we’ve been doing in your area.

Over the past couple of months our staff based themselves for a day in community venues in Antrim, Bangor, Ballywalter, Glengormley, Newtownards and Portaferry – to provide support to groups who are thinking of applying for funding. Follow our facebook and twitter pages to get updates on future dates and venues.

We are working closer with councils and network organisations to increase our local knowledge and understand challenges, such as those faced by small groups that are volunteer led or supporting people from minority ethnic backgrounds.

Over the past year, we awarded around £1.3m in small grants to projects in the Eastern area through our Awards for All programme. Groups can apply for £300 to £10,000 for projects lasting up to 12 months which involve people in community life and help develop skills, confidence and strength.  Awards for All funding is helping the residents of Towell House care home to celebrate their 60th anniversary year.

We have invested around £600,000 in the Eastern area through our People and Communities programme during the past year.  Ideas for these projects come from the community, involving people from the start. Groups like Newtownabbey Senior Citizens Forum are helping people like Derek to improve their lives and build on their strengths.

We awarded just over £2m through our Empowering Young People programme to groups in the Eastern area in 2018.  We fund projects that give young people the ability to overcome the challenges they face.  Young people and the community are involved in the design.  Northern Ireland Youth Forum are one of the projects helping young people turn their lives around and get back on track.

Groups recently funded by us in this area, met up in September to share learning with each other.  They set the agenda, led the discussions and made lasting connections with other projects.

To get more information about our funding in Northern Ireland see our website.

We are happy to come to your community to chat about the great ideas you have to make your community thrive. You can also contact any of us on the emails above or call 028 9055 1455.

When Sean McGill’s life hit crisis point, he dug deep and found a reserve of energy and dedication he never knew he had. He credits his years of boxing with giving him the strength to keep going. Now he’s sharing his passion through his new business, Rath Mór Warriors, which teaches kids and adults alike the skills and discipline of boxing.

Sean was able to start his business thanks to support from North West Regional Taxi Proprietors, who are using money raised by National Lottery players to run their Community Support Initiative. North West Taxi Proprietors started 17 years ago as an advice group supporting taxi drivers into employment. Today they’re offering their expertise to people interested in starting their own business in other areas – from hairdressing to mixed martial arts.

For Sean, their advice was a lifeline. From riding high with a £40,000 a year job in finance, a dream home, and a happy personal life, Sean lost everything when the property market crashed. The pressure was too much and his marriage broke down as well.

“We lost the house – even though we’d already paid off a substantial amount,” says Sean who had always kept faith with his boxing, never dreaming that one day he’d be earning a living from his passion.

“Back then 34 was the limit for competing at boxing so I then took up kick boxing and worked my way through the grades to my black belt. It was my sensei who suggested I should teach it, and so I started to make enquiries.

“I found the premises in the Rath Mór Business Park in the city and got initial LEDU funding as it’s regarded as a deprived area. But every day there seemed to be some new challenge involved in running my own business.”

That’s when Sean turned to North West Taxi Proprietors. Last year alone, the organisation gave advice over a thousand times to local people looking to start their own business, and help 20 people into self-employment.

The kickboxing and fitness gym, situated in one of the city’s most economically deprived areas, has been a lifeline for Sean – not to mention the scores of kids and adults who attend classes.

“I’d been concentrating on establishing adult classes but they suggested that for sustainability I should target kids too. And that’s what has made this new venture so personally fulfilling for me,” says Sean.

“Some of the kids have very challenging backgrounds. Some have ADHD, others ADD, and Asperger’s Syndrome.

“We’ve young people who have dropped out of education and their leaders can’t believe they’re the same teenagers when they see them training.  Most rewarding is the fact that they tell me the young people take what they’ve learnt in the gym back into their lives.”

For Sean, kickboxing can teach young people important lessons they can take with them into the rest of their lives.

“I can’t sort out kids’ personal problems but I can hopefully give them life skills to help. By the time they work their way up through their grading belts they have learned not just about the sport but about themselves, about how their behaviour impacts on others, about the rewards they can get from life, and realising that they shouldn’t expect reward as a given.”

Thanks to National Lottery players, North West Taxi Proprietors are able to continue their brilliant work supporting local people into self-employment. For Eamonn O’Donnell, project co-ordinator, the project doesn’t just help individuals.

“Unemployment levels are high in Derry, people can’t find jobs, so they are creating their own,” Eamonn said. “Helping local people start their own businesses gives the local community a boost too, more services are available, and people like to support local businesses.

“Over time these businesses will grow and they will be able to provide opportunities for employment for others. So it’s having a positive effect on the local economy and local people’s lives.”