three Pendle community groups have received grants totalling more than £24,000 from the Big Lottery Fund.
Acacia Education Solutions Ltd, of Barrowford, has received £7,469. The group will use funding to provide a series of workshops, including the context of the Special Educational Needs Green Paper and SEN Code of Practice, for staff and volunteers of community organisations. This will enable groups to provide information, advice and guidance packs for parents of children with SEN.
St Joseph’s Community Centre, Barnoldswick, has been awarded £7,500. The organisation will use the funding to replace the community centre windows and doors. This will make the centre warmer and safer while providing easier access for those with disabilities.
And Pendle Leisure Ltd has been granted £9,150. The group will use the funding to deliver cultural dance sessions for the community incorporating tradition, contemporary and ethnic disciplines, culminating in a celebration community dance festival. This will bring rural and urban communities together to improve integration and understanding of different cultures.
Pendle MP Andrew Stephenson urged other groups to apply for grants. He said: “There are grants currently available for voluntary groups, charities and social enterprises and I would like to urge all projects and groups around Pendle to get an application in. This will provide a great boost to the charity and voluntary sector in Pendle.”