National Lottery players thanked by Henry Smith MP for helping to support communities

The heartfelt thank you came as local groups in Crawley received £694,537 of National Lottery funding, supporting them as they seek to overcome social and economic challenges caused by the pandemic and build back stronger.

The Crawley MP has expressed his delight with the grants and wants more local good causes to apply for National Lottery funding, saying it could be a lifeline as they begin to recover from the impact of the pandemic.

Groups to have benefitted so far include Crawley Community Youth Service.

Henry said: “It’s heartening to see that community groups in Crawley have benefited from more than £690,000 of National Lottery funding.

“These groups are inspirational in the great work and support they provide to local people and their community through what have been some extremely difficult times.”

The funding is being distributed by The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest funder of community activity in the UK, which distributes money raised by National Lottery players. National Lottery players raise £36 million each week for good causes throughout the UK.

Information about how to apply for funding can be found at The National Lottery Community Fund’s website: www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk

Elly De Decker, England Director at The National Lottery Community Fund, added: “I am incredibly proud that we have awarded almost £200 million across England so far this year, responding to needs and changes in our communities brought on by the pandemic.

"We know that people care about issues including employment and employability, supporting young people, supporting the vulnerable and creating better connections within communities to tackle loneliness.

“It’s fantastic to see that this funding, raised by National Lottery players, is having a significant impact on people’s lives across the country, helping to build back stronger communities.”

Last year, The National Lottery Community Fund awarded over half a billion pounds (£588.2 million) of life-changing funding to communities across the UK.

Over eight in ten (83 per cent) of its grants are for under £10,000 – going to grassroots groups and charities across the UK that are bringing to life amazing ideas that matter to their communities.