Action on Disability is celebrating today after being awarded £337,851.00 in funding from The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest funder of community activity in the UK.
Action on Disability will use their funding to create ‘Our Place’ – a 3-year funded community space for disabled people in Hammersmith and Fulham
This new National Lottery funding will enable us to create a community space and resource hub that disabled people can call their own, genuinely embedded in the local area, meeting needs expressed by local disabled people in Hammersmith and Fulham. We will create an inclusive and accessible space for disabled people to socialise, build skills, pursue interests, and develop relationships. Central to this will be ensuring that disabled people have meaningful ownership over ‘Our Place’, from steering Board input to operational delivery. Disabled people will achieve their potential through four outcomes:
- Increased confidence, knowledge, and skills through opportunities to lead, learn and do new things.
- Reduced isolation and improved mental well-being through a place to socialise.
- Equity of access and participation in the local community.
- Mitigation of the pandemic’s impact, through building new opportunities.
We anticipate 100-150 regular attendees each year, with more attending on an ad hoc basis. It will be pan-disability, accessible to everyone irrespective of background. ‘Our Place’ will also enhance wider Community Engagement and develop links and partnerships with local businesses, supporting training and access development so businesses and venues improve access and awareness.
National Lottery players raise over £30 million a week for good causes across the UK. The National Lottery Community Fund distributes a share of this to projects to support people and communities to prosper and thrive.
David Buxton (Action on Disability CEO) said: “Thanks to National Lottery players, this grant means that local disabled people will have access to a community space and resource hub that disabled people can call their own. Local Disabled people will have access to training in the principles of independent living and coproduction, enhancing their confidence in their own ability to have ownership over the delivery of this project. As a Deaf & Disabled Peoples Organisation providing a space and staff for this service will adhere to the adage of “nothing about disabled people without disabled people”. It will enable us to deliver within the realms of the social model of disability, ensuring that local Disabled people are leading the way in removing the barriers that prevent equal access. This funding will make a big difference to local people’s lives and the local community.”
During the pandemic, in 2020 alone, The National Lottery Community Fund distributed almost £1 billion to charities and community organisations across the UK.
To find out more visit www.TNLCommunityFund.org.uk