Corby community groups can bid for health lottery cash as grants up to £40,000 promised to town

Corby community organisations could be in for a windfall as a national health charity is on the lookout for projects to fund with up to £40,000 up for grabs.

People’s Health Trust has launched Active Communities in Corby – a funding programme for people wanting to create fairer places to live, work and grow old.

Using money raised by Health Lottery East Midlands, People’s Health Trust is looking to invest in Corby projects that support people living in neighbourhoods or communities experiencing the most disadvantage.

Local groups and organisations with great ideas to make their communities an even better place to live have been invited to apply for funding to turn their ideas into reality.

John Hume, chief executive, People’s Health Trust, said: “We’re looking to support ideas designed and run by local people which help create even stronger links and ties within communities.

"Whether it’s a women’s volunteering group run by and for Bengali women; a computer skills support group run for and by older people; support for local people to become community organisers; or young people living with mental ill-health wishing to address access to work issues or discrimination, we’re interested to hear about it."

Active Communities is a funding programme for not-for-profit groups with an income of less than £350,000 a year, or an average of £350,000 over two years, seeking investment of between £5,000 and £40,000 for projects lasting up to two years.

A spokesman for the trust said: "Projects could be almost anything that encourages strong connections between people, and that help people to make their communities or neighbourhoods even better places to grow, live, work and age.

"We’re looking for small and local projects, genuinely designed and run by local people. By small, we mean just a small group of people on an estate, in a few streets or villages.

"We’re also looking for great ideas from communities of interest. By this we mean a group of people who have something in common and wish to come together to address something that is important to them. These ideas could be based in one neighbourhood, or cover a wider area, but they must live close enough to each other to meet up regularly."

The closing date for applications is 1pm on Wednesday, February 3, 2021.

Mr Hume added: “Applying couldn’t be easier - it’s about local people telling us what would make their local community an even better place to grow, live, work and age.”

To apply for funding via the People's Health Trust website click here People's Health Trust is an independent charity investing in local communities to help create a society without health inequalities. It works closely with 12 Community Interest Companies raising money through The Health Lottery and distributing grants.

The Health Lottery is an independent British lottery scheme. It manages 10 regional and two country lotteries across Great Britain.

Each month, the money raised is allocated to one of those areas in rotation. This means that across the year, every area of England, Scotland and Wales gets a share of the funds raised. The 12 lotteries are run for one specific purpose: tackling health inequalities in their respective areas.

Over £117 million has been raised so far. Every £1 ticket bought helps raise even more.