A Birmingham project is among thousands of good causes throughout the UK to share in more than £1 billion awarded by the National Lottery during the last year to support people and projects cope with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As the first anniversary of lockdown approaches, new figures revealed today show that over £1.2 billion of good causes funding has been awarded by The National Lottery in the UK during the last year, providing a much-needed boost for the arts, heritage, sport and community/charity sector.
The funding has helped protect the future for thousands of organisations across the UK.
Indian Women at War, run by Community Interest Company Believe In Me, is a trailblazing initiative that explores the involvement, contribution and impact of the Second World War on Indian women.
The project is spearheaded by Birmingham-based Kiran Sahota and received a Covid-19 grant of £9,100 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund (TNLHF) to continue its ground-breaking research.
Kiran engages with pupils from Holly Lodge High School in Smethwick, with the project presenting its findings in film – and on other digital platforms – as it uncovers the unique stories of Indian women who served in the Royal Air Force, Royal Naval Service and Auxiliary Corps.
Adapting to Zoom has given the pupils an educational lifeline and Kiran, whose full-time job is in marketing and communications, says it would not have been possible without TNLHF’s support.
Kiran, 35, whose project champions a multi-ethnic and multi-religious approach, said: “I got panicked when lockdown came because I’d never been in that sort of situation.
“But the £9,100 we were granted has honestly been a godsend. We’ve been able to do online classes and move our research to Zoom.
“I didn’t realise that this was a community for the kids involved, and how much they loved coming together and learning about the heritage.
“Thank you to the National Lottery players – we’re forever grateful.
“This is a one-of-a-kind project – it’s never been funded before. I feel like we’re already winning, and I can’t even express in words how grateful we are [for National Lottery funding].
“You’ve just given us life – that’s what I say, and I’m always grateful.”
Indian Women at War is one of thousands of projects nationwide to have benefited from the £30 million raised by National Lottery players every week.
The £1.2 billion awarded by the National Lottery in the last year has gone towards thousands of initiatives and programmes designed to tackle loneliness and isolation, provide support for the elderly and vulnerable young people, and those promoting physical and mental health in the community.
The project has used the injection of funding to purchase extra books and equipment, continuing to engage with children from deprived areas to shine a light on Indian women’s heritage.
Indian Women at War first received funding in 2019 and, thanks to its TNLHF grant, has been able to extend its momentum in identifying, selecting and presenting the stories of Indian women while developing film-making skills.
Kiran knows the sky is the limit and hopes 2021 will see the project go from strength to strength.
“I honestly just can’t wait for the future now – we’re just growing and growing,” she added.
“Because of The National Lottery, people are now more aware of what’s going on in the communities and getting involved in projects.
“I hope the sky is the limit. For somebody that was scared we were going to be shut down, the National Lottery money has helped us and made people more aware of what we’re doing.”
To find out more about how The National Lottery supports good causes throughout the UK, visit www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk
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