Charities awarded £17,000 from West Berkshire Community Fund

Charities and good causes across West Berkshire have been awarded more than £17,000 from the West Berkshire Community Fund.

The West Berkshire Community Fund is one of the good causes supported by the West Berkshire Lottery. From every lottery ticket sold, 50p goes towards a cause of the player's choice and 10p goes into the Community Fund. Players can also select the Community Fund as their charity if they have no particular allegiance to a specific good cause. The fund is allocated annually by West Berkshire Council with good causes able to bid for additional funding to support specific projects.

This year eight projects have been supported with funding totalling £17,135. This included:

• £4,500 to Swings and Smiles - a contribution towards the cost of a wheelchair-accessible roundabout for its outdoor play area
• £3,000 to Time to Talk - a contribution towards a counselling course which over six months will provide free counselling for up to 18 parents
• £3,000 to the 3rd Newbury Scout Group - to help make its @TheDen building more accesible to disabled members through installing new wheelchair-friendly paths
• £2,500 to The Downs School - funding to purchase a high jump bed to support its PE activities
• £1,635 to St Mark's Church of England Schools Association - to buy recycled plastic benches so that pupils can eat lunch outside.
• £1,000 to Citizens Advice West Berkshire - funding towards the cost of its Spending Diaries and Financial Capability support provided to clients on low incomes
• £1,000 to City Arts Newbury - funding for two ten-week art courses for mums and carers with young children, and one to bring together elderly and vulnerable residents together.
• £500 to The Friends of Chilton Foliat Primary School - a contribution towards the non-statutory provision of a forest school in the outdoor area providing activities such as den building, outdoor cooking and mini-beast hunts

Chairman of West Berkshire Council, Councillor Clive Hooker, said:

"West Berkshire Council is entrusted by players to allocate the Community Fund, and I'm delighted that we've been able to support some very worthwhile causes again this year. Many of the applications cited the impact of Covid-19 as a driving force for their projects and I'm pleased that through this funding we can help support people affected during the pandemic.

"The support provided by charities has been vital through the pandemic and we have many organisations making a huge difference in West Berkshire. Thanks to the generosity of local people the West Berkshire Lottery has raised more than £187,000 for good causes in the area since it began. If you want to regularly support local causes the West Berkshire Lottery is a great way to do it."  

Want to play the West Berkshire Lottery?

Tickets cost £1, with 60p going back into the community. From each ticket sold, 50p goes to a good cause chosen by the player and another 10p goes into a community fund. Players can win prizes ranging from free plays up to a top prize of £25,000. To view a list of the charities you can support, and buy tickets visit www.westberkshirelottery.co.uk. Tickets can also be bought over the phone by calling 01635 597111.