Thousands of Children across the Borough of Great Yarmouth are set to benefit from a lottery windfall after the Borough Council secured £243,447 in lottery funding.

The application was submitted to the Big Lottery’s Children’s Play Fund seeking to improve play opportunities for the children of Great Yarmouth, regardless of age, ability or location.  The projects will create both new opportunities and locations for play as well as developing the well being for children of all ages

The projects will provide:

• A play worker to develop and manage a programme of free play schemes for school children to run across the borough.

• A network of teen play facilities for children aged 11-17, in areas identified to be in greatest need through consultation with the Yarmouth Youth Forum.

Councillor Bob Peck, Community Portfolio Holder and Play Champion for the Borough said “These schemes will help provide a real boost for play in Yarmouth.  We have made great strides with improving play over the last few years and this money will enable us to continue to move forwards.  The projects will provide increased self esteem, better physical and mental health for all users and these can only have positive knock on effects for the community”.

Big Lottery Fund is the joint co-operating name of the New Opportunities Fund and the National Lottery Charities Board (which make grants under the name of the Community Fund).  Big Lottery Fund, launched on 1 June 2004, is distributing half of all national Lottery good cause funding across the UK.

Big Lottery Fund is building on the experience and best practice of the merged bodies to simplify funding in those areas where they overlap and to ensure Lottery funding provides the best possible value for money.  To date, the two merged Funds have committed more than £5 billion to initiatives with national, regional and local partners from the public, voluntary, charity and private sectors with a particular focus on disadvantage.

For further information please contact Marie Hartley, Great Yarmouth Borough Council on 01493 846354 or email mlh@great-yarmouth.gov.uk