Article from Leicester Mercury
Thursday, January 21, 2010, 09:30
More than £1m of lottery money has been shared between
community groups in Leicestershire over the past 18 months.
Sports clubs, village halls, theatre groups and allotments
are among 132 projects to receive cash from the Awards for All fund
since June 2008.
For many, the cash is vital.
They have since been played by some of the 30 members in
many competitions and contests.
Chairman Dan Baker said: "It was really helpful to get the
money.
were trying to raise £25,000 for new instruments to
safeguard the future of the band.
"With the Awards for All money, we had enough to buy a
tuba, which cost between £5,000 and £6,000, as well as some percussion
equipment, three cornets and two horns, and had just enough for a
euphonium as well.
"We get sponsorship money, which keeps us ticking over,
but this was something extra to pay for the instruments we really
needed."
Another of the projects to get a share of the £1,016,960
since last year is Whitehouse Allotment Society.
In July last year, the group, based in New Parks,
Leicester, received £10,000 for a mobile building, which has been put up
at the allotments and acts as a tea room, meeting room and office.
Allotment society secretary Nick Hill said: "We had an old
hut which was fine four years ago when we had 25 members.
"But now we are fully booked, with 115 plots, so we needed
something else. It's been great. I don't like to think about how long we
would have been waiting if we hadn't had this money."
In this month's round of Awards for All handouts, more
than £35,000 was given out to county groups.
Sport in Desford received £10,000 for gym equipment.
Clubhouse chairman Dave Bielby said: "We desperately need
a new treadmill because ours is past its sell-by date.
"Our clubhouse is being extended, and the gym will extend
as well. Work should start soon and be done in six months."
Also receiving money this month is Thorpe Langton
Parochial Church Council, which has been given £10,000; HFM Radio, in
Market Harborough, which received £9,834, and Coleorton Women's
Institute, which has had £7,507.
Mick McGrath, the Big Lottery Fund's head of the East
Midlands, said: "We would love to see more people in the