Groups awarded cash from special lotto fund

May 14 2009 by George Topp, Lanark & Carluke

ELEVEN groups in Clydesdale are celebrating after receiving grants under the Big Lottery Fund Awards for All scheme.

In total, the 11 groups secured funding of £87,825 for a variety of schemes in the area. Individual awards ranged from £2630 to £10,000.

MSP Karen Gillon was delighted so many groups in Clydesdale were benefiting from Lottery grants.

Mrs Gillon said: “I would like to congratulate all of the groups who have been successful in applying to the Awards for All scheme. Their success is testament to the hard work they have put in to their applications and the dedication they show to their respective organisations.

“Funding such as this can make a real difference in allowing groups to achieve a wide variety of goals. For the 11 groups across Clydesdale, the funding will allow for the purchase of new equipment, the offering of educational trips, and the provision of training courses.

“The money will also help to cover the costs of day-to-day running of these groups such as paying for transport and improvements to group buildings and their surrounding environment.

“I have written to all the groups congratulating them on their awards and wishing them every success with their respective endeavours. They have shown what can be achieved if we are willing to put the effort in and I hope they inspire other groups to follow suit.”

The grants have gone to: Evangelical Union Congregational Church, Lanark – £10,000. The Evangelical Union Congregational Church will strip and renew the roof of the church hall. The project meets the Awards for All aim of helping groups to become better organised. This grant will fund a contribution towards roof repairs.

Robert Owen Primary School – £9985. The school will use the grant to fund a trim trail, a sensory garden, playground games, a health day, after school clubs and bus hire.

St Mary’s Primary School – £9000. St Mary’s Primary School will improve the school garden and purchase playground equipment. This project meets the Awards for All aim of bringing people together. This grant is for dual balance beam, wobble walkway, swinging logs, traverse wall, rock and roll log, EPDM wet pour and chasing in, greenhouse, grow tunnels and garden tools.

Forth Primary School – £7297. The school will purchase a range of equipment for extra-curricular clubs and activities. This project meets the Awards for All aim of bringing people together. This grant is for football equipment, basketball equipment, volleyball equipment, netball equipment, badminton equipment, tennis equipment, hockey equipment, nursery play equipment, transport costs, new age curling and new age bowls equipment, playground painting, playground games, coaching costs, electric compressor, cycle racks and laptop.

Braehead Lunch and Leisure Club – £5040. The club will provide members with a week-long holiday to Northern Ireland. Participants will learn about recent Irish history and visit places of interest. The project meets the Awards for All aim of Bringing people together. The award will fund accommodation costs, entrance fees, venue hire, printing costs and DVD production costs.

Biggar High School – £9225. The school will purchase a 20-ft greenhouse with the aim of creating a sustainable environmental area which will be used as a catalyst for learning and addressing issues like environmental conservation. It will be maintained by young people but will be enjoyed by the community as a whole. This grant will be used to pay for a greenhouse, the installation, and a trip to the Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh.

Girls Allowed – £5000. This is a new group aiming to develop volleyball and netball clubs throughout Clydesdale. These clubs will be mainly targeted at women and girls although not exclusively. The project will help to increase physical activity amongst women and girls in Clydesdale. This grant will be used to pay for netballs, volleyballs, ball carry bags, bibs, coaching aids, coach education, hall hire and professional coaching costs.

High Mill Primary School – £8176. This Carluke school will provide a range of after-school clubs for children attending the school. The group will purchase equipment for these clubs that will enable it to offer physical, recreational and educational activities that give the pupils opportunities that are otherwise unavailable. The project meets the Awards for All aim of improving quality of life. The grant will fund sporting equipment, nursery equipment, inclusion equipment, swimming lessons, sports coaches and transport, clothing, three laptop computers, electric compressor, and two CD players.

Carluke Boys Club 99s – £5246. This group will attend a football festival in Blackpool and Ayr in April and May, 2009, providing a fun and sociable sporting environment where young boys can compete against one another and develop their skills. The grant will fund tournament entry fees, bus hire, accommodation costs, playing strips, medical equipment and training equipment.

Law Community Trust – £9938. This group will deliver a range of training courses aimed at promoting participation in a number of areas including drystane dyke building, the design of planting schemes and landscaping techniques. The grant will fund trainer fees, course delivery costs, plants, planters, planter infill and garden seats.

St Athanasius Community Hall – £8270. The grant will be used to pay for kitchen equipment, kitchen furniture, improvements to the car park and improvements to the dance floor. This will allow the hall to continue facilitating social and recreational events.

Awards for All Scotland is supported by the Scottish Arts Council, the Heritage Lottery Fund, sportscotland and the Big Lottery Fund. The group award grants of between £500 and £10,000 for people to take part in art, sport, heritage and community activities, and projects that promote education, the environment and health in the local community. For further details of the scheme including how to apply visit: http://www.awardsforall.org.uk/index-scotland.html