Grants totalling £1,000 have been awarded to a number of causes and projects in Pudsey by the town’s lottery.
Proceeds come from Pudsey Lottery’s ‘good causes pot’, which has this week distributed £200 grants to five projects.
The lottery was set up last year to boost businesses aiming to bounce back during the Coronavirus crisis.
WLD reported in July that the scheme, run by the Pudsey Business Network Forum, paid out 11,933 Pudsey Pounds in its first year, which can be spent in local businesses and encourages people to shop locally.
The first recipients of £200 grants announced today include:
- Pudsey Community Project for paint and materials to decorate their new community space in Fartown.
- Swinnow Community Centre towards its summer ‘week at the seaside’ event.
- Invisible Pain Theatre Company to help pay for costs including room hire, Zoom membership, public liability insurance and more.
- Fish On Angling Supplies to buy a shelter for older fishermen during free outings to combat isolation and loneliness.
- MHA (formerly Pudsey Live at Home Scheme) to support older people to become digitally active.
Cllr Trish Smith, who originally came up with the idea of the Pudsey Lottery, chairs the Pudsey Business Network Forum. She said:
“Following a very challenging 12 months, we are amazed and delighted to be able to support these groups with grants totalling £1,000.
“We hope this will be the first of many grants the Pudsey Lottery can make to local community good causes in the Pudsey area. As a not-for-profit group, we are proud to support both our local independent businesses and our amazing community groups in this way.
“The 20% of the proceeds from the Pudsey Lottery are not paid out in prizes, they accumulate to form a cash reserve for costs. The balance is then paid out as grants to applicants from community groups in need of funding. We would like to thank everyone who has supported this amazing initiative since we launched.”
Lottery tickets can be bought at participating Pudsey businesses for £1 each and the draw takes place on the first Tuesday of the month.
Further details can be found on the Pudsey Lottery Facebook page.
