21 February 2001

Major Grants for South Wales.

A charity supporting disabled people in the Swansea and Neath Port Talbot area is celebrating following the latest round of Community involvement and Poverty and disadvantage grants announced by the Charities Board in Wales.

DIAL, the Disability Information and Advice Line based in Swansea receives £71,000 to expand the services it offers and to employ a full-time co-ordinator. DIAL offers a telephone helpline to people who are disadvantaged by disability, supporting them to lead active and fulfilling lives, integrated in society.

Chairman Tony Beddow said: "This grant is very welcome and enables us to consolidate our services for disabled people in this area of South Wales. Last year the number of calls we received rose by 40 per cent on the previous year and that figure is still rising.

"We are here for any enquiries relating to disability and are often the first port of call for people who need help. We are able to give advice on benefits and welfare rights and can also help people to fill in forms. Other enquiries may relate to issues such as discrimination, aids and adaptations, wheelchair access, transport provision, education, holidays and housing. When appropriate we direct callers to community disability groups for more specialised support."

There is no charge for calls and the helpline is open 5 days a week, between 10am and 3.30pm.

Elsewhere in South Wales other organisations have benefited from the latest round of main grants. Across the principality 30 organisations share a total of £4,837,711.

A grant of £161,295 to Senghenydd Youth Drop-in Centre in Caerphilly offers greater access to activities, information, support and training and the Phillipstown Residents and Community Association receives £192,795 to establish a community house to provide a range of services and advice.

In Cardiff, Headway receives £60,428 to continue and develop current activities and to provide a day of activities to stimulate the senses and to give support in a specialist day centre to people with head injury.

Voluntary Action Merthyr Tydfil receives £184,395 to improve access to resources, outreach services and practical support for voluntary and community groups based outside the main conurbation of Merthyr Tydfil and in Rhondda Cynon Taff Valleys Furniture Recycling is awarded £83,479 to hold furniture displays in isolated communities to enable people on low income to buy affordable goods. In Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan Llamau Limited gets £170,410 to develop a support and information service for homeless people.

Newport Action For The Single Homeless gets £416,686 to provide an arts-based day centre for the homeless and in Swansea XL Wales receives £297,126 for a project to enable children, parents and grandparents to work together to develop their science, information technology and life skills through a Family Inventors Club.

Other main grants across South Wales include £153,508 to the Black Environment Network to improve the lives of people in ethnic groups, many of whom are disadvantaged and live in poverty and £142,582 for Age Concern Cymru over three years to enable the organisation to appoint a Political Affairs Officer to raise the profile of older people with the National Assembly and the Government.

The British Deaf Association receives £188,000 to develop the Wales Deaf Youth project and in Cardiff the Community Foundation in Wales gets £193,311 to improve access to community groups Wales-wide.

In total more than £109 million has been distributed to voluntary groups by the Charities Board in Wales to tackle poverty and promote community involvement.

Groups seeking application forms for Charities Board main grants or further information should call : 0845 791 9191 (English) or 0845 727 3273 (Welsh).

Note to editors:

1. For media enquiries or group contact numbers please call Debbie on 01352 700208.
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 £104 million to 1050 groups in Wales. Over £5.4 million has been awarded to 1,993 groups under the Small grants scheme. This brings the total distributed in Wales, over five years, to over £109 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:

1. 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).