5 August 1999

New grants to Local Charities

The National Lottery Charities Board will today award nearly £2.6 million to 18 groups in West Yorkshire to help them improve the quality of life for some of most isolated and disadvantaged communities in the region.

The grants form part of a £5.6 million range of awards to 42 groups by the Charities Board in Yorkshire and the Humber under its Community involvement and Poverty and Disadvantage programmes.

Charities Board Regional Awards Committee Chair Martin Wainwright, speaking at the end of his four-year term of office, said: " I would like to encourage anyone who is active in their local community to apply for a grant to support the activities of their group. The Charities Board supports projects run for local people by local people, and is particularly keen to reach groups who have not benefited from public money in the past. Ring 0845 7919191 for an application pack."

The largest grant awarded today was £423,315 to Chrysalis Youth Project on the Airedale estate in Castleford, towards the construction of a go-kart track. Young people will be involved in managing the project, giving them a chance to learn new skills as well as having an exciting new facility.

Legrams Lane Under 5s and Women’s Centre, whose clients are mostly Asian women and children from inner city Bradford, will receive £19,350 to run English, maths and sewing classes, buy new play equipment and install a telephone.

All enquiries: Charities Board regional office
Helen Wollaston, Regional Manager 0113 224 5300

Martin Valentine, England Media Manager 0116 258 7023

Notes to editors

1. The Charities Board distributes money raised by the National Lottery to charities and voluntary and community groups. The Board distributes grants to help meet the needs of those at greatest disadvantage in society and to improve the quality of life of the community.

2. The Board receives 4.7p of every pound spent on National Lottery tickets or 16 2/3 per cent of all the money that goes to the ‘good causes’.

3. Nearly 11,000 new jobs have been created as a result of Charities Board awards.