Big Lottery Fund: Pom poms poised as wheelchair cheerleading group bags big funding
Halifax Wheelchair Tag Rugby League Club has plenty to cheer about with the news it has received £8,000 of Lottery good cause cash to set the wheels in motion for its wheelchair cheerleading group.
It is one of 120 projects in Yorkshire and the Humber receiving funding this month from the Big Lottery Fund’s Awards for All programme, with over £1 million being shared out across the region.
The cheerleading group will give local young disabled people the chance to get involved in a fun, new activity and once established the group will perform at all of the rugby team’s games.
Malcolm Kielty of the Halifax Wheelchair Tag Rugby League said: “Cheerleading has supported sporting activities for many years but we believe our wheelchair cheerleading group is very rare. We hope it will enable disabled and non-disabled cheerleaders to work together.
“We want our cheerleaders to help create that exciting atmosphere at all the wheelchair rugby league games. This will help to break down barriers to participation, extend healthy activities for people with disabilities and inspire others to get involved with this exciting, inclusive activity.”
£10,000 also goes to Citizens Online in Barnsley, which they will use to run computer classes and offer IT support to local older people, to help them feel more confident in this area. Also working with older people is Bradford City FC Community Foundation, who receives £4,555 to offer a series of healthy activities and days out for local older men to help them socialise and to make sure they don’t feel isolated.
Also receiving funding this month is Northdale Horticulture Ltd in Hambleton, which receives £9,561 to construct a fitness trail for adults and young people with learning and physical disabilities. This will give participants increased opportunities for low impact exercise and help them to develop their strength, balance and co-ordination.
Meanwhile in Grimsby, the East Marsh Community Trust will use their £8,560 to deliver debt management training to people who currently come to them for advice. They will work with participants to help them set up their own peer support groups so they can share skills to get themselves out of debt. While in Halifax, WomenCentre Ltd has been awarded £10,000 to run music therapy workshops to women who have experienced abuse or who have mental health problems. It is hoped these sessions will improve their emotional and physical wellbeing.
Vanessa White, Head of Region for Yorkshire and the Humber said: “It’s great to see such a variety of projects receiving funding today, all addressing a wide range of issues; from financial problems to isolation to poor mental and physical health. This vital work does so much to help people realise that there is somewhere in their community they can turn to for help.”
A full list of grants announced in Yorkshire and the Humber today is attached
Further Information
Big Lottery Fund Press Office: 020 7211 1888
Out of hours media contact: 07867 500 572
Full details of the Big Lottery Fund programmes and grant awards are available on the website: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk
Ask BIG a question here: https://ask.biglotteryfund.org.uk
Follow BIG on Twitter: www.twitter.com/BigLotteryFund #BIGlf
Find BIG on facebook: www.facebook.com/BigLotteryFund
Notes to Editors
• The Big Lottery Fund (BIG), the largest distributor of National Lottery good cause funding, is responsible for giving out 40% of the money raised for good causes by the National Lottery.
• BIG is committed to bringing real improvements to communities and the lives of people most in need and has been rolling out grants to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK. Since June 2004 BIG has awarded over £4.4bn.
• The Fund was formally established by Parliament on 1 December 2006.
• Since the National Lottery began in 1994, 28p from every pound spent by the public has gone to good causes. As a result, over £28 billion has now been raised and more than 383,000 grants awarded across arts, sport, heritage, charities, health, education and the environment.
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