£44m jackpot for local good causes

MORE than £44 million has been awarded to good causes and community projects in Oldham by the National Lottery.

Since its launch in 1994, a total of 827 grants have been distributed throughout the borough, worth £44,447,058.

Funding goes to a wide variety of groups and projects, reflecting the National Lottery’s commitment to benefiting all sections of society.

The three biggest awards, totalling £5,613, 754, have gone to Oldham Council for individual projects. They were:

::£2,386,700 in 1997 from the Heritage Lottery Fund for the regeneration of Alexandra Park.

::£1,878,000 in 1999 from the New Opportunities Fund for an indoor athletic hall and reception area at the Radclyffe School.

::£1,349,054 in 2002 from Sport England. The council was awarded the money on behalf of Failsworth Sports College for a new tennis court and sports hall.

Grant awards vary from millions of pounds for large-scale projects to just hundreds of pounds for small-scale community projects or individuals.

In the last year alone, funding has gone to a variety of schemes in the borough including a mentoring programme to help teenagers stay away from gangs, summer activity camps for children, and a group to support Bangladeshi women cope with cultural issues such as forced marriage.

A spokesman for the national Lottery said most people in Oldham will be touched by Lottery funding in some way without realising it.

Michael Thompson, spokesman for The National Lottery Good Causes, said: “Millions of pounds have been invested into high profile facilities that are treasured by the local community.

“These include the OBA Millennium Centre, the athletics centre, and play facilities for children throughout the borough.

“Everyone who plays the National Lottery in Oldham should be proud of the contribution they are making to improving life in their home town.”