27 October 2000

A Grant to Beat the Bullies

Children suffering from bullying, visually impaired, housebound and bereaved people will benefit from the £148,819 awarded to 51 groups by the Charities Board in Wales today.

A £5,000 award was made to Children Under Risk from Bullying (CURB) to improve the administration and cover travel costs for this Wales-wide project. Housebound people in Rhondda Fach will benefit from a new wheelchair and improved support from the Rhondda Fach Housebound Club, awarded £1,250.

In Newtown, £524 was awarded to the Newtown and District Visually Impaired People's Club for transport and speakers fees, while in the Wrexham, Flintshire and Deeside area a £1,500 award to Cruse Bereavement Care will support bereavement counselling volunteers with travel and expenses.

Elisabeth Watkins, Chairman of the Board in Wales said, "Time and time again the Small grant awards indicate the breadth and diversity of voluntary activities in the communities across Wales. The Charities Board responds to needs identified and addressed by groups in their own communities. These Small grants, ranging from £500 to £5,000, can make a significant difference in carrying projects forward and boosting the morale of group members. But it is also hoped that some of the worthwhile projects we have funded will be of interest and inspire similar community involvement in other parts of Wales. Knowing that success rates for applications currently stand at about one in two should encourage many more small groups in Wales to apply to the Charities Board for funding."

Groups seeking application forms for Charities Board grants or further information should call 0845 727 3273.

Notes to Editors

1. For media enquiries or group contact numbers please call Brian on 01248 679003 or 07880 5580361.
2. The National Lottery Charities Board is an independent body set up by Parliament to distribute funds to support charitable, benevolent and philanthropic organisations. There are 17 Board members, including the Chair. Decisions on grants are made by the members in grant-making committees for Wales, England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the UK as a whole.
3. The Charities Board's two main grant programmes: Community involvement and Poverty and disadvantage as well as Small grants are awarded by the Wales Committee. Board Members in Wales are Elisabeth Watkins (Chairman), Jeff Carroll and Rhiannon Bevan. Co-opted Members to the Board are Margaret Dennis, Aled Siôn and Dr Glyn Williams.
4. The Board's main aim is to give grants to help meet the needs of those at greatest disadvantage in society and to improve the quality of life in the community.
5. Since October 1995, the National Lottery Charities Board, under the main grants, has awarded over £95 million to 996 groups in Wales. Over £5 million has been awarded to 1,916 groups under the Small grants scheme. This brings the total distributed in Wales, over five years, to over £100 million.
6. Full lists of Charities Board's grants are published on the internet at www.nlcb.org.uk and full lists of all Lottery distributors grants are listed at www.lottery.culture.gov.uk.

Note to Designers

The National Lottery Charities Board logo is the circular logo that appears on this press release. (The "crossed finger" logo is a trade mark for the National Lottery is therefore not for the Charities Board use).