WIREDGOV

CHILDREN and adults affected by abuse, maltreatment or neglect could be offered fresh hope with the announcement yesterday of an investment of more than £1 million by the BIG Lottery Fund in emotional and practical support.

More than £1.1million is going to help those who have been experiencing domestic violence, often at the hands of someone close, or living with the repercussions of substance abuse in the family.

Three good cause organisations working in the field are sharing funding from BIG’s Reaching Communities programme.

Families in Bradford who have had their lives turned upside down by sexual abuse will receive vital support with a grant of £474,826 to the Mosaic II project, allowing the organisation to help parents of abused children.

Linda Colclough, Director of Mosaic II, said: “This award will give us the security of four years funding, enabling us to establish a service to support families whose lives have been affected by sexual abuse by offering a range of services including counselling, group work, telephone support, and a variety of complementary therapies.”

There will be more help for children from East Kent to deal with the stresses and strains caused by their parent’s substance misuse with a funding award of £452,687 for KCA UK’s Sunlight Project.

Children growing up in these circumstances often experience a disordered and unpredictable lifestyle. Trusting relationships, structure and opportunity are key to helping them cope with their home lives and achieve both academically and socially. KCA will engage young people in confidence building activities like drama, sport, art and music with an aim of helping them develop coping skills and give them an understanding of their parent’s problem.

Director of Young Person’s services for KCA, Claire Goulding, said: Children from families where substance misuse is a big problem are among the most vulnerable and disadvantaged in our society. We are thrilled to be able to continue and expand the work that we have been doing in deprived areas of Kent, where this work is vital to the well-being of these children".

BIG has also awarded £240,519 to Oasis Independent Domestic Violence Advocacy Service in Thanet, Kent, supporting outreach services to counter the impact of Thanet’s high levels of domestic violence with practical and emotional support for hundreds of people in the area

Tina Alexander, Oasis Independent Domestic Violence Advocate, said: “Unfortunately Thanet has the highest level of domestic abuse in Kent, 24 per cent higher than the national average. There are hundreds of women, men and children in the area who are suffering from sometimes life-threatening abuse at the hands of someone whom they believed loved them.”

“Part of the lottery funding will ensure our invaluable service will continue for a further five years, enabling many families to remain here in Thanet with appropriate security measures, legal protection and the financial and emotional support needed to live independently.”

Drop-in services around the region can offer the chance for victims to discuss their issues, encouraging them to take part in a risk assessment and support plan that includes increasing safety, offering timely intervention and the opportunity for survivors to meet.

Sanjay Dighe, Chair of the Big Lottery Fund’s England Committee, said: “These are great examples of how BIG’s Reaching Communities programme is helping some of the most vulnerable people in our society. The hundreds of people receiving support from these groups have effectively had their lives turned upside down and the services they offer could be the key to getting them back on track.”

Further information

Big Lottery Fund Press Office: 020 7211 1888
Out of hours contact: 07867 500 572
Public Enquiries Line: 08454 102 030
Textphone: 0845 6021 659
Full details of the Big Lottery Fund programmes and grant awards are available on the website at www.biglotteryfund.org.uk

Notes to Editors

• Under Reaching Communities, the Big Lottery Fund awards grants between £10,000 and £500,000 to projects that offer people better life chances, build stronger communities, develop improved rural and urban environments and improve health and well being.
• The Big Lottery Fund rolls out close to £2 million in Lottery good cause money every 24 hours, which together with other Lottery distributors means that across the UK most people are within a few miles of a Lottery-funded project.
• The Big Lottery Fund, the largest of the National Lottery good cause distributors, has been rolling out grants to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK since its inception in June 2004. It was established by Parliament on 1 December 2006.
• Since the National Lottery began in 1994, 28p from every pound spent by the public has gone to Good Causes. As a result, over £20 billion has now been raised and more than 280,000 grants given out across the arts, sport, heritage, charities, health, education and the environment.