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EMBARGO: 00.01hrs Thursday August 3, 2006

NI GETS ACTIVE THANKS TO CASH WINDFALL FROM BIG LOTTERY FUND

Some of Northern Ireland’s most disadvantaged communities are set to get more active thanks to a cash windfall from the Big Lottery Fund.

The largest of the National Lottery Good Cause distributors today announced grants totalling Ł404,480 under the Active Lifestyles programme to fund innovative physical activities at to boost the health of people across Northern Ireland.

Seventeen projects have been awarded funding including a late night soccer scheme to get east Belfast teenagers off the streets and an innovative mobile play unit across north Belfast to create outdoor play and physical activities for families.

Playboard has secured a grant of Ł29,935 to develop a vital scheme to deploy a mobile play unit across north Belfast to create outdoor play and physical activities for families.

Mum of one Kelly Gill, from Twadell Avenue near the Ardoyne interface, is full of praise for the Playboard scheme – Reclaiming Playspace – operating in several sites across the city.

“I come from an area where some children think playing is about rioting and throwing stones. There’s also almost a stigma among kids that playing isn’t hip but this project has shown them the fun they can have playing outside,” said Kelly, whose daughter Chloe Jade loves to join in with games like French skipping, ‘kribby’ two-ball and chalks.

Louise Tohill from Playboard believes parents’ fears over the safety or suitability of outdoor play areas adds to the play deprivation that youngsters suffer.

“Particularly in areas touched by conflict, children grow up thinking that the outdoor environment isn’t safe. This project enables them to take back ownership of their community spaces,” she said.

In another sectarian interface at the bottom of the Albertbridge Road, the Inner East Youth Project is using a grant of Ł26,275 to target some of the most deprived young people – particularly young women and disabled people – in east Belfast through a late-night soccer school.

Not only will the Friday night scheme take them off the streets, but leader Raymond Laverty hopes it will also give them ‘a start in life’.

“We’re working with young people on the bottom rung, who have fallen through the net for whatever reason. They need sport and physical activity – it’s a release and shows them they don’t need drink and drugs to get high. It’s about realising personal development too,” he said.

Local dad Colin McCready agrees. His son Dylan, a pupil at Cedar Lodge Special School, has a learning disability which has prevented him from making many friends. However, during the three years he’s attended the soccer scheme at the youth project his father has seen a marked improvement in his ability to mix with other youngsters.

“We were driving to a football match the other day with a couple of the other team members in the car and Dylan asked them if they’d seen something he’d been watching on TV the night before. Dylan would never have initiated a conversation like that before. This scheme has given him great confidence, as well as being a healthy outlet,” said Colin.

Belfast Activity Centre will be taking its message of healthier lifestyles across the province through a range of adventure programmes for young people.

“”We want to get these young people more active and to get then doing something positive with their time. It’s about getting them outside and putting their minds to something worthwhile,” said Catherine Charlton from the centre.

“The young people we target are disadvantaged for many reasons. They might have disabilities, they may be at risk through drugs or alcohol, they mightn’t have great family support structures, they may be at risk of offending or even homeless.”

The Senior Citizens’ Consortium received Ł27,070 towards delivering a one-year programme, including walking and Boccia, under its Active Ageing programme, which is currently delivering a staggering 4,000 hours of activities to its members in Fermanagh, Omagh and Castlederg.

“If it wasn’t for the Big Lottery Fund we just wouldn’t be able to survive and we are a thriving organisation with over 2,000 members,” said Theresa McVeigh of the consortium.

Stanley Millar describes himself as ‘a younger older person’. A wheelchair user as the result of a rugby accident, he is one of the consortium’s most active members.

“It’s down to the support of the Lottery that we’re able to provide such a wonderful programme and the take up this year has been really,” he said.

Big Lottery Fund Northern Ireland Board Member Dr Sam Burnside welcomed the announcement: “The Active lifestyles Programme has already made a significant difference to the health and well-being of the local people across Northern Ireland. This programme has adopted an innovative and holistic view of active lifestyles and I hope the grant announced today encourage many more people to increase their quality of life by taking part in more physical activity.”

Further information:

Amanda Doherty Press Office Big Lottery Fund: 028 90551472

Mobile: 07760 171434

Full details of the Big Lottery Fund programmes and grant awards are available on:www.biglotteryfund.org.uk

Project	Area	Project Description	Grant
Action Mental Health	Armagh	The Action Mental (Physical) Health project will deliver 20 physical activity programmes for people with mental illness. Activities include walking, dancing, cycling, tennis, tai chi and football. The programmes range from 4-20 weeks and will be delivered in eight of Action Mental Health's New Horizons Units across Northern Ireland including Armagh. The project aims to attract 284 participants over one year.	Ł29,991
Armagh & Dungannon HSST	Armagh and Dungannon	This one-year project aims to increase physical activity with vulnerable older people living in the Armagh & Dungannon area by delivering a range of monthly gentle physical activity classes/ activities and additional support services across 17 community venues and four nursing homes. The project will specifically target 600 older people aged 65 and over.	Ł16,500
North Eastern Health & Exercise Association	Ballymena, Ballymoney, Carrickfergus and Magherafelt	The Active Ageing initiative will employ six part-time co-ordinators to develop physical activity opportunities for older people living within the Antrim, Ballymena, Ballymoney, Carrickfergus, Magherafelt and Newtownabbey council areas. These Co-ordinators will be responsible for developing new activity programmes for older people. They will work closely with health professionals to develop a physical activity recommendation scheme for older people. 1,194 beneficiaries will be targeted.	Ł30,000

Kilcooley Women's Group	Bangor	This one-year project will provide affordable physical activity to socially excluded and marginalised women in a safe and local environment. The project will target 40 women, addressing issues such as financial and childcare support to increase participation in physical activity. Activities to be provided to participants will include yoga and kick-boxing.	Ł25,615
Inner East Youth Project	Belfast	The project will target 150 young people, who do not normally take part in structured sport, to take part in a soccer scheme on Friday evenings between 6pm-10.30pm. The project will also provide coaching sessions for young women and young disabled people. The project will be delivered in the inner East Belfast area.	Ł26,275
Ashton Community Trust	Belfast	Healthy Living Through Dance will increase physical activity among children aged 5-16 through delivery of a one-year dance workshop programme.	Ł11,070
Playboard	Belfast	The 'Reclaiming Playspace' project will deploy a mobile play unit to create outdoor play and physical activity opportunities for 600 6-14 year olds living in Ardoyne, Woodvale, Ballysillan and Westland, Ligoneil, New Lodge and Cliftonville, Alexander Park, Skegoneil and Mount Vernon. Participants will develop physical, social and educational skills and community capacity and project sustainability will also be enhanced through provision of training and development opportunities for local volunteers.	Ł29,935
Church of the Holy Name	Carrickfergus	Get Greenisland Going will provide a health promoting Active Lifestyles programme with five strands. Each strand will be targeted at a specific group and will include alternative sport taster sessions, creative dance, all age indoor bowling for families, an under-20s sport week and senior adult tea dances. In total 290 beneficiaries and 36 volunteers will participate in the project over one year.	Ł22,675
Border Arts 2000	Castlederg	Come Dancing on the Border will provide weekly ballroom dance tuition over 40 weeks across four community venues in the Castlederg area. 60 participants will be offered classes in a variety of ballroom dances, for example, waltz, quickstep, jive or tango, and every 10 weeks a dance night will be held to enable participants to showcase their talents. The project will be targeted at people aged 40+ in the local populations of Killeter, Aghyaran and Spamount.	Ł9,570
Senior Citizens' Consortium	Fermanagh, Omagh and Castlederg	This one-year project will deliver training and a physical activity programme to 800 older people within the Fermanagh, Omagh and Castlederg areas. A group of 36 volunteers and 15 older person's member groups will receive training in the delivery of boccia. Activities to be provided for older people will include walking, boccia and the Sports for all programme.	Ł27,070
Moira Friendship Group	Lisburn	The Promoting Active Lifestyles project is a community led initiative developed by Moira Friendship Group targeted at people aged 50+ living within the Moira and surrounding areas of Lisburn City. It will employ a Programme Co-ordinator to develop a diverse range of activities including walking, dance and information services to promote and ensure long-term active living.	Ł27,578
Atlas Women's Group	Lisburn	The Energetic Lives project will provide dance, aerobics, martial arts and swimming in local venues for people living in the Poleglass, Hillsborough, Aghalee and Maghaberry areas of Lisburn. The activities will be targeted at parents with pre school children, elderly people and families. The project will benefit an estimated 336 participants over a period of six months	Ł18,177

Termoneeny Community Association	Magherafelt	This project will provide a range of sport and physical activities for people within the Magherafelt area. It will target young people, females, elderly and ethnic minorities. Proposed activities will include monkeynastix, the formation of an after schools sports club, sports specific coaching, female aerobics, men's fitness classes and training courses. A total of 1,020 beneficiaries will be targeted.	Ł27,500
Down Clubmark Sports Association	Newcastle and Killyleagh	This project will provide community-based physical activity and training schemes for 60 sedentary older people, 25 disabled people and 16 local community leaders in the wards of Flying Horse, Cathedral, Murlough and Killyleagh. The project will also train community leaders, coaches and care workers to provide future opportunities for older people and disabled people and create new working relationships.	Ł17,521
Loughgiel Community Association	North Antrim	This one-year award will improve the well-being of the residents of Loughgiel, Armoy, Dunloy and Ballymoney. The project will train eight volunteers in physical activity and employ professional coaches to deliver physical activities, targeting 830. Activities will include keep-fit classes, badminton, armchair aerobics, table tennis and kick-boxing.	Ł29,963
Belfast Activity Centre	NI-wide	This scheme will deliver a range of summer adventure programmes to 150 young people from across Northern Ireland. The scheme will introduce participants to a broad range of activities and opportunities that will encourage healthy and active lifestyles.	Ł25,167
Beragh Red Knights GAC	Omagh	Beragh Red Knights Gaelic Athletic Club wish to employ a full time Community Development/Sports Officer to deliver a mixed activity programme for people aged 25 and over living in the rural areas of Beragh and Sixmilecross. Aerobics, pilates, yoga and senior citizens activities will be provided to an estimated 600 beneficiaries and 20-25 local volunteers will be trained and supported in delivering some of the activities.	Ł29,873

Notes to Editors

Big Lottery Fund is the joint operating name of the New Opportunities Fund and the

National Lottery Charities Board (which made grants under the name of the

Community Fund).

The Big Lottery Fund, launched on 1 June 2004, is distributing half of all National

Lottery good cause funding across the UK.

The Big Lottery Fund is building on the experience and best practice of the merged

bodies to simplify funding in those areas where they overlap and to ensure Lottery

funding provides the best possible value for money. To date, the two merged

Funds have committed more than Ł6 billion to initiatives with national, regional

and local partners from the public, voluntary, charity and private sectors, with a

particular focus on disadvantage.