14 June 2001

Main grants in North Wales

As the latest round of Main grants are announced by the Community Fund in Wales, groups across the principality are celebrating.

The services of Vision Enhancement Services Ltd. based in Mold and serving North East Wales will be expanded thanks to a grant of £279,346 towards the cost of a fully equipped mobile unit, seven part time workers and training.

Originally founded in 1876, the organisation provides practical support for visually impaired people of all ages across the area and aims to enhance people's quality of life by promoting independent living and raising awareness of the needs of visually impaired people in general.

Vision Resource Centres in Mold, Rhyl and Wrexham provide specialist support and advice as well as adapted equipment such as information technology aids, talking watches and microwave ovens, big button telephones and eye drop dispensers, to help visually impaired people with everyday life. With the help of the mobile unit, these services will be taken out to reach people in rural areas.

Chief Officer, Wendy Wedmore says the charity is overjoyed at the news of the grant: "The money will be used to meet the needs of people in rural areas who may not be able to come to our Resource Centres. The mobile centre can go to people's front doors and for elderly and isolated people this is an invaluable service.

"As an organisation we support people to make their own decisions. We offer home visiting and befriending, social and leisure activities as well as supported employment, practical help, benefits advice, support and counselling."

Population-wide an estimated 1 in 6 has a visual impairment and currently the organisation helps 3,000 people across North Wales and Cheshire.

Elsewhere in North Wales other organisations have benefited from the latest round of main grants. Across the principality 18 organisations share a total of £2,285,104.

On the Isle of Anglesey Cymdeithas Hamdden Esceifiog Leisure Society receives £40,105 for the construction of a playground with play equipment for local children and across Wales Contact a Family is awarded £351,453 to expand the provision of information and support to families caring for disabled children through the appointment of five additional volunteer local representatives.

In total more than £115 million has been distributed to voluntary groups by the Community Fund in Wales (previously National Lottery Charities Board) to tackle poverty and promote community involvement.

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

Notes to Editors

1. For media enquiries or group contact numbers please call Debbie on 01352 700208.
2. The Community Fund is the operating name of the National Lottery Charities Board, 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 Community Fund's grants programmes 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 Fund'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 Community Fund under main grants, has awarded over £109 million to 1086 groups in Wales. Over £5.8 million has been awarded to 2,131 groups under the Small grants scheme. This brings the total distributed in Wales, over five years, to over £115 million.
6. Full lists of Community Fund's grants are published on the internet at www.community-fund.org.uk and full lists of all Lottery distributors grants are listed at www.lottery.culture.gov.uk

Note to Designers

The Community Fund logo is as it appears on this press release. (The "crossed finger" logo is a trade mark for the National Lottery is therefore not for the Community Fund use).