Plymouth community group secures £20k National Lottery grant

Plymouth PIE club is run by volunteers

A Devon-based community group has secured a £20,000 grant it said meant it could "live to fight another day".

Plymouth PIE club provides a range of services for the most vulnerable across the city, including meal delivery, dog walking, prescription collections, and a befriending service.

The money has come from the National Lottery Community Fund.

Director Claire Chinn said receiving the grant was "a great feeling".

She said: "We live to fight another day and we can continue with this service which is really important to our clients.

"You put your heart and soul into the application and just hope The National Lottery see our vision, and what we are trying to achieve. It is great that they have.

Ms Chinn is encouraging anyone who would like to volunteer to get in touch

The services offered by the community interest company tend to be taken up by the elderly, and can include personal shopping and making welfare calls.

"We generally find there are certain pockets in the city that are more popular than others", Ms Chinn said.

She said the grant will enable them to continue as they are, and also offer some new services to clients.

'Tackle loneliness'

Juliet Williams, head of funding in the South West at the National Lottery Community Fund, said: "We're delighted to award funding to Plymouth PIE Club to help tackle loneliness and improve wellbeing in the community.

"Their passion, creativity and commitment make a real difference locally and they should be proud that their efforts will help to improve local people's lives."