WIREDGOV

A cancer charity is one of 80 projects across Northern Ireland sharing a major grants windfall from the Big Lottery Fund.

A full list of projects is available here

The small grants programme has awarded £9,996 to Action Cancer which operates programmes across Northern Ireland. The grant will be used towards its Helping Build Healthier Communities project. This is part of a grants roll-out of £666,241 to 80 groups across Northern Ireland.

Awards for All offers community, voluntary and statutory groups the chance to apply for small grants of between £500 and £10,000 that will have a big impact on local communities and the lives of people most in need. 

The grant to Action Cancer will be used to offer its Big Bus Service to six areas across Northern Ireland not normally covered by the resource.

“Since it was launched in 2006 the service has literally saved lives. We have provided over 24,500 breast screenings and 13,500 MOT health checks in that time and our figures show that from every 1,000 breast screenings, six cancers are detected,” said Sean Conlon, Big Bus Co-ordinator.

“Now, thanks to the funding, we are able to take the bus service to areas that we wouldn’t normally reach – outlying areas or places we haven’t been able to visit before. We offer services to complement the NHS programmes so we provide breast screening for women aged between 40 and 49 and those aged over 70, while our health check MOTs check things like people’s blood pressure, cholesterol.

“The service is popular because it makes looking after your health very straightforward and convenient. There’s no need to wait for an appointment at a surgery and perhaps have to take time off work to go along. With the bus parked in the heart of the community people can nip out in their lunch hour and be back at work or home again in 20 minutes.”

Mum-of-three Majella McKenna from Silverbridge in Co Armagh had her breast cancer detected on board Action Cancer’s Big Bus when it visited Warrenpoint in late 2011.

She said: “When I was 40 I had my first mammogram. This was on board the Big Bus and I received a letter within a few weeks saying that everything was clear. It was on my second visit to the Big Bus that my breast cancer was detected and I was told further tests were needed.

“I had been referred to the Belfast City Hospital. I naturally felt very frightened. I drove up to Belfast and visited the hospital where the breast nurse explained to me that a shadow had been detected in my left breast and that further investigation was needed. That day I had another mammogram, a needle biopsy, a tissue biopsy and an ultrasound, it was all very overwhelming. I then waited for a week before my results came back.” 

Majella was diagnosed with breast cancer but it was seated very far back into the left breast, which the surgeon told her could not have been found by self checking. The cancer had been detected at an early stage and was therefore treatable.

“For this reason I am very grateful to Action Cancer, the Big Bus really did save my life,” said Majella.

She then had a lumpectomy in January 2012, followed by radiotherapy. During the operation some of Majella’s lymph nodes were removed to test to see if the cancer had spread.

She added: “Following the operation the oncologist told me that I was border line for needing chemotherapy. Being a single mum I needed to think of my future. Having done some research and after seeking the advice of friends I decided to go for it. Having the treatment was a struggle and as my hair started to fall out my confidence took a big hit but the whole time I kept thinking I’m doing this for my kids.

“In January of this year I had a mammogram and I am pleased to report that I am cancer free. The next step for me is to potentially look at reconstructive surgery. My journey has been a difficult one but I am still here and my kids still have a mum. I can’t thank Action Cancer enough.”

The Northern Ireland Mixed Marriage Association also received £8,750 to publish a book that will share the experiences of 10 children of mixed marriages in Northern Ireland.

“This book will be a follow-up to one we published in 2012 called ‘Mixed Emotions’, which gave local people the chance to tell, many for the first time, how they were affected when they put love before tradition and married ‘across the divide’,” explained Ken Dunn, chairman of NIMMA.

“We’ve known for a long time that there is a tremendous demand for information about mixed marriage from prospective couples, the press, the churches, community groups and the education sector. Now this new book will be a natural follow-on, telling the story and recounting the experiences of children from mixed marriages.

“These will be individual stories, real people, with real life experiences, telling their stories in their own words - stories that speak of hope and courage, compromise and determination, but mostly of love and how it can bridge division.

“We feel that these shared experiences can make a real difference to so many in our community, particularly our young people whom we aim to reach through partnership with educationalists throughout the island.

“I look forward to the day when this book is regarded as standard reading for young people in all of our schools and an organisation such as NIMMA is no longer needed.”

Joanne McDowell, Big Lottery Fund NI Director, said: “The Big Lottery Fund’s NI Awards for All programme funds health, education, environment and community projects that help people bring about positive change in their lives, improve health and well-being, develop skills and create safer communities.

“The application process is simple and accessible and shall remain so, making it easy for applicants to successfully apply for small pots of funding that can have such a big impact on local communities and lives.”

Application forms and guidance notes are available to download at www.biglotteryfund.org.uk. For more details call us on 028 9055 1455, or e-mail us at enquiries.ni@biglotteryfund.org.uk

Further information

Lucy Gollogly, Big Lottery Fund Press Office: 028 90 551 432 (office hours)
Out of hours contact: 07740 284 404

Notes to editors

• The Big Lottery Fund (BIG), the largest distributor of National Lottery good cause funding, is responsible for giving out half the money raised for good causes by the National Lottery.
• BIG is committed to bringing real improvements to communities and the lives of people most in need and has been rolling out grants to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK since June 2004. The Fund was formally 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 £25 billion has now been raised and more than 330,000 grants awarded across arts, sport, heritage, charities, health, education and the environment.