Penrith Lottery have announced that they have allocated their one hundredth grant payment since their inception nine years ago.
The grant has been awarded to Coram Life Education Trust who will take their mobile classrooms to five local primary schools to deliver a day full of workshops and sessions to teach life skills that are designed to increase a child’s sense of personal self-worth, encourage positive attitudes towards themselves and their health and recognise the risks associated with drugs, tobacco and alcohol. Two of the schools are in Penrith – Brunswick School and Beaconside School; and three in villages – Greystoke School, Clifton Primary School & Langwathby Primary School.
A Coram Life Education Trust spokesperson said “We are extremely grateful to Penrith Lottery for the support given to our Trust and to the primary schools in their area. With our mobile classrooms and fully trained educators we visit primary schools across the county, equipping children from 3-11 with the life skills they need to make healthy choices for their future wellbeing.”
Chair of Penrith Lottery’s volunteer committee, Richard Utting said: “We were approached by Life Education Trust about providing funding and worked with them to write to all of the primary schools within our five-mile radius to see which schools would like to take up the offer. We’ve granted £1,975 so each of the schools can benefit from the activity provided by the trust.”
Richard Utting also went on to describe how the grant in fact reaches two significant milestones, saying “as well as being our one hundredth grant, it also takes us over the £125,000 mark which, as a small local lottery run by a volunteer committee, we’re incredibly proud of. We know that most of our members join to do their bit to help the community, and the chance of winning is just a bonus to them. The more members we have, the more projects, organisations and events we can support.”
Since the lottery’s inception in 2010, grants have been awarded to a wide variety of local projects and events, charities and voluntary organisations. Most recently, grants have been awarded to Penrith Mountain Rescue Team to purchase replacement batteries for piece of portable equipment that delivers automated chest compressions to casualties; to Penrith Canoe Club to match-fund the purchase of new helmets; to Greystoke Swimming Pool towards the refurbishment of their changing rooms and café; to Hospice at Home for a replacement tumble dryer and also to both Eden Arts’ Winter Droving and Penrith BID’s Making Penrith Sparkle Christmas lights campaign.
As a local lottery, the organisation awards grants between £100 and £3,000 to applicants within a five-mile radius of Penrith and the committee welcome applications year round. They consider each application in detail at their monthly meetings, normally on the third Thursday of the month.
For more information on grants and how to apply, or to find out more about becoming a member, see www.prideinpenrith.co.uk.
