Community groups to compete on TV to win cash

Five groups in total have all been shortlisted as part of this year’s The People’s Projects – a partnership between The National Lottery Community Fund and ITV, which gives the public a say in where National Lottery money should go in their area.

All five will have the opportunity to showcase their work on prime time TV as they go head to head in a public vote to help them make an difference to their community.

ITV Central West regional evening news will feature the projects at 6pm over five nights, starting on Monday when Coventry Community Heritage Café by Coventry Priory will be featured.

On Tuesday it will be the turn of Growing Together by The Crafty Gardener in Wolverhampton.

They hope to receive £44,250 to extend a fruit and vegetable garden and develop a community café. People with learning disabilities, autism and mental health problems will deliver the project, where they will meet new friends and learn life skills.

A wider range of food will be grown reflecting the local diverse community and training on food safety, nutrition and cooking within a budget will be funded.

Wednesday it will be Help A Squaddie Veterans Support by Help A Squaddie in Rugeley. They are competing for £48,400 to improve the lives of veterans and their families.

Support sessions will be provided to help tackle issues, such as social anxiety, and teach new skills, including budgeting and CV writing, which brings veterans and their families together to meet new people and share experiences. Therapeutic activities will also be on offer such as fishing and gardening.

Thursday’s programme will feature Ovarian Cancer Support by Ovacome, which hopes to receive £49,420. This community group wants to use the funds to provide community support hubs in Birmingham, Sutton Coldfield and Dudley for people affected by ovarian cancer across the West Midlands.

Women diagnosed with the disease, as well as their families, will be provided with support groups and information. This will reduce isolation by bringing families together and raise awareness of the symptoms of ovarian cancer.

The final project to be shown on Friday will be Wyred and Creative by Kidderminster & District Youth Trust.

Joe Ferns, UK funding director at The National Lottery Community Fund, said: “As the largest funder of community activity in the UK, we are proud to support groups that are led by the vision, determination and drive of local people to strengthen communities.

"In previous years we have seen a wide range of successful projects, from a café supporting young carers to animal-assisted therapy for people living with dementia and the development of a bee-friendly orchard. The People’s Projects is a chance for you to have your say on how National Lottery funding can help your community to thrive.”

In total, 95 community-based groups are now shortlisted across the UK. In each region, the three with the most public votes will receive grants of up to £50,000. This will help them to continue their work to bring people together, build stronger communities and make a difference to people’s lives. The entire amount up for grabs across the UK is £3 million.

Voting opens at 9am on Monday at thepeoplesprojects.org.uk and closes on April 15.