Lisburn groups are recognised by Lloyds

(Left to right) Deirdre McAllister and Ita McNally (Community Circus Lisburn) with Janet Leckey (Lloyds Bank Foundation for Northern Ireland), and Joan and Harold Baird (Damask Community Outreach) at the Foundations special anniversary reception at Stormont to celebrate distributing £32.5m in grants to more than 8,000 charities and community and voluntary organisations since 1985.

Among those who attended the reception were Joan and Harold Baird from Damask Community Outreach which received a grant of £4,656 from the foundation to support its Advice Service.

Also attending was Ita McNally and Deirdre McAllister from Community Circus Lisburn which received £3,850 towards rent, equipment and costumes and Billy Thompson and Ezekial Johnston from Dunmurry Community Association, which received £5,000 towards its Administrative Officer’s salary.

Other groups to receive funding included Home Start in Lisburn and Colin, which received £4,000 towards volunteer and core costs and Hillsborough Boys FC which received £4,230 to deliver a training programme and coach training.

The Lloyds Bank Foundation for Northern Ireland has distributed £32.5m grant aid to more than 8,000 charities since it formed 30 years ago.

The figures were revealed at a special 30th anniversary event at Stormont on October 6 to recognise and celebrate all of the organisations it has helped to improve the lives of disadvantaged people.

Since it was formed in 1985, the formerly named Lloyds TSB Foundation for Northern Ireland has funded a wide variety of groups dedicated to supporting deprived communities.

Through its five grant programmes in 2014 the Foundation released funding of £1.48 million, amounting to 549 separate grants for charity and community and voluntary groups from every corner of Northern Ireland.

Sandara Kelso-Robb, Executive Director of the Lloyds Bank Foundation for Northern Ireland said the organisation would continue its vital role in funding valuable projects.

“The Foundation is proud to have been part of the life of Northern Ireland for the past 30 years and it will continue to provide support to the thousands of people and organisations that make a huge difference to deprived communities. The cuts in public sector spending mean that our work is more important than ever.”

The Lloyds Banking Group Ambassador for Northern Ireland, Mr Jim McCooe said: “We are proud of our relationship with the Foundation and look forward to many more years of working with them.”