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30 November 1999 £1 million Christmas Cracker!Lottery funds will provide Christmas parties and outings, Hogmanay celebrations and Millennium commemorations in virtually every part of Scotland thanks to a £1.1 million grants package announced today from Awards for All. And Christmas stockings will be bulging with sports equipment, musical instruments, audio and video recorders for groups who have taken advantage of the easy to access lottery scheme for small organisations. The St. Andrew's Day announcement also brings good news for groups who explore their local culture and heritage. Awards for All brings together four lottery distributors in Scotland and additional funding has been made available by the Millennium Commission. Grants from £500 - £5000 can support community, arts, sports and heritage activity as well as commemorative events for the Millennium. Amongst the special events which today’s announcement will make possible are a Hogmanay Ceilidh on Islay, Highland Games in Kirkintilloch, a Millennium mural in Scottish Borders, a four-day flower festival based on local historical events in Argyll and Bute, and a celebration Millennium scout camp for young people in Ayrshire. One group in South Lanarkshire will design and make a stained glass panel illustrating local history, while another in Inverness will perform a programme of Celtic music. Several disadvantaged groups throughout the country will brighten their winter with special Christmas events and outings, and a host of sporting activities - from water aerobics to weight lifting and swimming to shinty - receive support. A number of groups receive funds to provide sports opportunities for people with disabilities - the Scottish Hand-cycling Club in Aberdeen receives £3,702 for bikes and safety equipment, the Edinburgh Deaf Bowling Club receives £500 to fund competitions, and the Friends of the Leisure Bug Club for People with a Disability will use a grant of £800 to fund coaching fees and venue hire for their competitive gymnastic activity. Awards for All manager, Stephen Shields said: "It’s always a pleasure to announce grants for community organisations, but more so at this significant festive time. "Grants will enable disadvantaged groups to have something extra this Christmas and many local communities will commemorate the Millennium in a special way. "Awards for All lines will be open as usual for groups who’d like to apply for funding. They should ring 0645 700777." Further information from Kirsty Mullan or Kay Caldwell on 0131 221 7100 or 0468 583441 Note to editors:
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