The ten grassroots projects each getting a £1,000 grant thanks to players of The Health Lottery

Following February's successful nomination round ten charities have been selected to receive a grant of £1,000 through The Health lottery Foundation's Community Choice initiative.

This funding round offered charities and CICs with an annual income of £300,000 or less the opportunity to receive a £1,000 grant. It was designed to be a quick and easy way to put an organisation forward for funding.

We are delighted to share the organisations who were selected, with information about how they will spend their grant.

AdSurf

Subsidising the session costs for those accessing surfing experiences who have disabilities, neurodiversity or mental health conditions. The funding helps to avoid cost becoming an additional barrier to participation. 

ASCape

Offering social activities and peer support for autistic and socially anxious children and young people aged 0-25. This includes woodworking workshops, after-school art and craft clubs, cooking lessons, social evenings for young adults and family activity afternoons. 

Levels (trading as The Shed)

Delivering taster sessions that will enable people to participate in a range of free therapeutic crafting activities. This allows them to gain skills to improve and manage their wellbeing more effectively and helps them ‘wait well’ for more traditional health services.

Mayfield & Five Ashes Community Services (MAYFACS)

Developing a community lunch club, enhancing opportunities within dementia support and allowing more intergenerational projects in the community. 

Orkney Foodbank Group

Supporting the health and wellbeing of volunteers at Orkney Foodbank. This project is run almost entirely by volunteers, who deliver food parcels and support so those in poverty can eat well. This funding will show volunteers that their wellbeing matters too. 

Team Charlie

Funding leisure passes for a year, so that families can participate in activities onsite at Charlie’s Retreat, Hoburne Cotswolds, where the organisation offers free respite holidays for children living with cancer, along with their parents and siblings. 

Team Tutsham Charitable Trust

Supporting an animal/farm-based intervention programme for young people. The grant will provide equipment, materials and animal care costs to deliver practical activities, therapeutic horsemanship and safe outdoor spaces. 

The Gina Project CIC

Offering immediate specialist counselling sessions to support young women with the impact of sexual harassment, violence and abuse on health and wellbeing. This support comes at the earliest stage to reduce the long-term impacts of sexual trauma on wellbeing. 

The Harwich Festival

Continuing work in the local community at an arts venue which acts as a warm space during the winter and hosts everything including, cooking classes, safety courses, arts classes and singing lessons. 

Wildmill Youth Club

Delivering resources and workshops to benefit children and young people’s health and wellbeing across the Wildmill community.

Paul Davies, Operations Manager of The Health Lottery Foundation, said:

“Our first Community Choice round has been hugely successful and we plan to build future nomination rounds into our funding calendar. Although these grants are small, it’s been humbling to hear from the successful charities how much difference this money will make. One charity had a turnover of £4,000 last year, so £1,000 represents a quarter of their charitable income.”

Feel free to learn more about AdSurf, ASCape, MAYFACS, Orkney Foodbank Group, Team Charlie, Team Tutsham CharitableTrust, The Gina Project, Harwich Festival and The Health Lottery Foundation.