Shropshire Star

Shrewsbury good causes have received £77 million lottery cash

More than £77 million of National Lottery funding has been invested in Shrewsbury since it began almost 25 years ago, new figures have revealed.

Published

The fund has transformed the lives of hundreds of ordinary people in Shropshire over the past quarter of a century.

Over 1,100 National Lottery grants have been awarded since 1994, helping to strengthen communities, power sports teams, protect the environment, unleash local creative talent and look after the elderly and those at risk.

And a wide variety of local projects have received National Lottery funding in Shrewsbury and Atcham

Large grants have gone to the Shrewsbury & Telford Hospital NHS Trust, which received £652,121 for a new MRI scanner and £1.3 million to Landau Limited for a project that provides pre-employment support for disadvantaged people aged 19 and above who are not in work.

The project focuses on those who are furthest from being in employment, helping them to better their confidence and skills to enable them to get a job.

Most National Lottery grants, however, are for £10,000 or less.

Astonished

Crowmoor Primary School was awarded £9,379 to install an outdoor gym area to address health inequalities through educational and information projects.

A total of £5,444 went to Shrewsbury Rugby Union Football Club to better the playing pitch drainage system and The Hive was given £9,988 to put on a community project which explored the Second World War.

Jonathan Tuchner, from the National Lottery, said: “Since its launch 25 years ago, the National Lottery has changed lives the length and breadth of the UK. As I walk around my neighbourhood, I’m astonished at how many projects and organisations the National Lottery has funded – from helping people who have mental health issues to keeping teenagers out of trouble with free after school clubs.

“It’s all down to local people who choose to do incredible things with National Lottery funding, changing their communities for the better, step by step. I look forward to what we can achieve together over the next 25 years.”

More than £40 million has also been invested in Ludlow for a range of different projects.

The biggest grants in the south of the county went to the Forestry Commission, which received £1.9 million for the Wyre Forest Landscape Partnership Scheme, and to the Severn Rivers Trust, which was were awarded £3 million for its Spring of Rivers project – a scheme that will incorporate a number of initiatives including wildlife and habitat enhancement, water quality improvements and flood alleviation.