Local lottery players raise £42,000 for Harrogate district charities

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Nineteen Harrogate district community organisations have shared £42,000 raised by a local lottery.

The Local Fund for the Harrogate District receives at least 10p from every ticket bought for the Local Lotto. Tickets cost £1 and there’s a weekly £25,000 jackpot.

Two Ridings Community Foundation, which coordinates charitable giving in north and east Yorkshire, revealed which organisations had been chosen for grants of up to £3,000 at an event at West Park Hotel in Harrogate last night.

They included charities tackling food poverty, supporting pregnancy loss and creating a pond-dipping platform for children. A full list of recipients is at the end of this article.

Celia McKeon, chief executive of Two Ridings Community Foundation, said:

The Local Fund, which has been running since 2017, is supported by a partnership of North Yorkshire Council, Harrogate & District Community Action and Two Ridings Community Foundation.

Cllr Sam Gibbs, North Yorkshire Council’s representative for The Local Fund, said: 

Successful charities

Headway Harrogate & District

To ensure people in the Harrogate district with brain injury, and their families, feel connected all year round, they are using their funding for a second-hand smartphone, leaflets, printer ink and keeping everyone informed. £1,940

The Wellness Gateway CIC

To support children and families with mental and physical health, the funding will contribute towards staff costs to expand their community wellness hubs in the Ripon area. Their services also include signposting, support for mental health problems, and advice on SEN and neurodiversity. £3,000

Resurrected Bites

The community groceries at Resurrected Bites are a lifeline to around 470 households experiencing poverty in the Harrogate district. This funding is going towards staff costs to continue this service for local people and will also prevent food wastage with a new temperature monitoring system for their warehouse. £3,000

Artizan International

They use their funding to run weekly creative workshops combining creative skills and wellbeing for disabled people in Harrogate. This approach, connecting with the local community, inspires people to create a more inclusive society for people with disabilities. £2,960

Essential Needs 

They are purchasing pillows, duvets and bedding for a scheme to provide free beds to children living in poverty in the Harrogate area who do not have a bed of their own. £1,515

Reflect

Reflect support anyone in the Harrogate area who has experienced pregnancy loss at any stage and for any reason. This funding helps them continue this support and will create more awareness. £2,265

Bilton Dragon Bowling Club

The bowling club needed a new mower, a concrete slab built and a lockable container to keep the local bowling club in good shape for their many patrons. £1,000

Inspire Youth Yorkshire

To give young people in Knaresborough with mental health needs, special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and their parents a space to socialise with a mix of activities, helping everyone to feel connected. £3,000

Wellspring Therapy & Training

To expand their counselling work and reduce waiting times for people facing mental health difficulties, Wellspring will use the funding towards counselling and admin staff. £2,994

Chain Lane Community Centre

To deter anti-social behaviour, help members feel more secure and improve the security of this popular community centre, they needed funding for a CCTV camera system for their community building in Knaresborough. £1,000

Dacre Banks Bowling Club

To help volunteers maintain the bowling green for the rurally isolated club, they received funding for wooden edging and lawn care equipment. They hope to recruit new members too. £998

Aphasia Support

To help people experiencing aphasia, and their carers, to socialise and feel happier, Aphasia Support uses their funding for staff and travel expenses to continue to run drop-in café events in Harrogate. £2,929

Samaritans of Harrogate & District

To carry on their service providing mental health crisis support and to have a physical space for volunteers in the Harrogate district to support each other, Samaritans is using their funding for volunteer expenses and overhead office costs. £1,000

Time Together

To set up a clothes upcycling scheme to upskill autistic people and people with disabilities, Time Together will fund equipment, including a sewing machine, steam cleaner, washing machine, clothing rails, and clothes dye. £3,000

Harrogate District of Sanctuary

 Providing group activities and support in the home for isolated refugees to help improve their English and reduce isolation. £3,000

Supporting Older People CIO

To stimulate conversation and memories at their popular friendship groups, Supporting Older People will use their funding towards venue hire. £1,200

Boroughbridge Community Care

To build socially isolated men’s confidence and help them gain new skills in a safe space, they used their funding for staff, minibus costs and entry to woodworking sessions at a Men’s Shed in Starbeck. £2,530

Ripon Amateur Operatic Society

To improve access for disabled performers at the charitable community theatre venue, the Operatic Society used its funding to resize a doorway and create accessible toilet facilities. £3,000

Rossett Local Nature Reserve Group

So children from the local community and primary school can access pond dipping activities at their local nature reserve, the group is using their funding towards a new pond dipping platform. £2,000