National Lottery grants to help domestic violence victims

Lottery funds will provide back packs, clothes and toys for children in Women's Aid refuges

Children forced to flee homes because of domestic violence are among those who will benefit from extra support in the latest round of lottery grants.

More than £3.7m from the National Lottery Community Fund has been shared out between 116 charity and community projects across Northern Ireland.

Fermanagh Women's Aid has been granted almost £500,000 to help abuse victims.

Belfast and Lisburn Women's Aid got £9,600 to provide "buddy back packs" for children sheltering in its refuges.

'Cuddly toys'

"When children come to the refuge it is new and scary for them, and it's really important that they start to feel like it's home as soon as possible," said Noelle Collins from Belfast and Lisburn Women's Aid.

"Some have left all their belongings behind and the 'buddy back pack' is brilliant, as it gives them something that is theirs and they can keep it.

"We try and include things that will help them settle in, such as comfy PJs and some cuddly toys and a tooth brush.

"They can also use the bag as a school bag."

Ms Collins added: "We have trialled the back packs on a small scale but with this National Lottery grant we can support so many more children that come to our 106 beds in our three refuges every night."

'Crisis intervention'

More than 400 children and 600 women stayed in Women's Aid refuges across Northern Ireland in 2018-2019.

Mid Ulster Women's Aid is set to be refurbished with an £8,000 grant from the community fund.

Fermanagh Women's Aid will use its £498,237 grant to fund its Safety and Wellbeing Support project over the next four years.

The project provides "tailored crisis intervention support" for victims of domestic violence and aims to help women "understand the patterns of abusive behaviours".

The 116 grants range widely in value, with the largest sum of £500,000 allocated to the Children's Law Centre, while the smallest award of £1,920 was given to the Whitecity Community Development Association in Belfast.

The list of recipients includes youth clubs; senior citizens' organisations; community groups; sports grounds; interface projects; GAA clubs; Orange Halls and an Irish language group.

Some of the organisations run projects that aim to improve mental health, tackle loneliness and reduce social isolation.

'Amazing ideas'

Almost £200,000 has been allocated to the Wave Project, a UK-wide organisation which provides "surf therapy" for children and young people aged eight to 18 who are vulnerable, isolated or struggling with mental health issues.

Over the next four years, a total of 240 children and young people will learn to surf off the coast of Portrush, and be given the chance to become surf mentors.

Mental health initiatives, such as Bikes and Minds in Dunmurry, are also in line for lottery support.

Bikes and Minds is among several mental health projects that received lottery funding

"Men in particular are not good at talking about feeling lonely or admitting there is something wrong or worrying them," said the group's co-founder Robert Guiney.

"We started off with me and my mate in our shed helping someone we knew who had depression by bringing them to fix motorbikes.

"The group was just what he needed and we have moved twice to bigger premises since."

Bikes and Minds has been awarded a £10,000 grant to purchase tools and equipment for bicycle and motorcycle repairs as well as the general upkeep of the club.

"Our experience of working with communities is that when you listen, people have amazing ideas to make things better," said Kate Beggs from the National Lottery Community Fund.

"Whether it's small pots of funding or larger grants, people are being brought together to make good things happen and change lives."