Eco-farm Growing Communities @ FarmEco in Screveton needs public support in National Lottery-funding bid

A hard-working community group is calling on people to help them secure £70,000 of National Lottery funding by voting for them in this year’s The People’s Projects.

Growing Communities @ FarmEco, based at Screveton near Bingham, FarmEco’s Growing Communities is one of five groups in Central region in the running for a share of almost £250,000 of funding. If successful, FarmEco will use the money to offer activities to local people which are educational and, therapeutic in a beautiful surrounding - and grow the community.

Growing Communities want to increase the activities that our successful projects Green Volunteers and Nature Care are already doing enhancing the environment and wellbeing.4

It wants to create a new areas for growing food, flowers and community, and to support its existing team to increase their outreach to those who need it most.

The money will also enable the farm to offer more Social Prescribing programmes.

Nature Care is for those living in isolation, or with mental health difficulties by connecting with nature through art and mindfulness.

The People’s Projects not only delivers vital grants to the heart of UK communities, but also raises awareness of the incredible work of the 95 shortlisted community groups vying for your vote.

Back after a three-year break, The National Lottery Community Fund, ITV, UTV and the Sunday Mail (in Scotland) have teamed up to give the public a chance to decide how National Lottery funding should be put to good use in their local area.

In each region, the three projects with the most public votes will receive grants of up to £70,000. This funding will help make a real difference to people’s lives, particularly in these difficult times. The runner’s up in each region will be offered up to £10,000 towards their project, bringing the total funding up for grabs for communities across the UK to over £4m.

Voting opens at 9am on Monday, May 15 at www.thepeoplesprojects.org.uk

Lil Hammond, at FarmEco, said: “The People’s Projects has given us an amazing opportunity to raise awareness and support for our work and, with your help, secure this additional much-needed funding.

“If we win, our project will make a real difference to our local community by supporting our Green Volunteers and Nature Care programme to continue and expand.

“We want to build a new growing area, and offer a connection with nature through creative arts, wildlife education and community. We now need local people to get behind us, to show their support and vote.”

David Knott, chief executive of The National Lottery Community Fund, said: “The People’s Projects delivers much-needed funding to the heart of communities and showcases the incredible efforts of hard-working projects across the UK.

“The short-listed groups are truly inspirational, each delivering life-changing support to their community in different ways. It is now time for the public to have their say in how vital National Lottery funding is used in their area to make a difference to people’s lives, particularly in these challenging times.”

Since it started in 2005, The People’s Projects has awarded around £45 million to over 1,000 good causes.

Voting closes at noon on Friday 26 May 2023. People can vote only once per region and will need an email address or mobile number to vote.

National Lottery players raise over £30m each week across the UK for good causes.