Blackrod Sports and Community Centre (BSACC) has received lottery funding which will allow it to cater towards older people in the area.

BSACC is celebrating after being presented with £10,000 from the National Lottery Community Fund - the second grant of the same size it has been dealt in less than 12 months.

The money, which comes from the largest funder of community activity in the UK, will go towards organising a programme of activities for older people that will provide them with opportunities to keep active in both body and mind.

The programme will be not only be providing a source of fun but will also help those who partake feel supported and become better connected as they develop new skills and grow in confidence and happiness.

READ MORE: Blackrod Sports and Community Centre gets £10,000 Jubilee grant

BSACC says it will arrange most of these activated to be run from the community centre, a venue accessible to most local people.

The funding will primarily target people local to Blackrod and activities will run throughout 2023.

The Bolton News: Chris Green as he became a patron of the charity in December 2022Chris Green as he became a patron of the charity in December 2022 (Image: BSACC)

Chief executive of the charity, David Holden-Locke, said: “Thanks to National Lottery players, this grant means that we can build on our previous successes. 

“This is a great start to the New Year for the centre and Blackrod as we increase our reach and support for our local community.

READ MORE: Blackrod Sports and Community Centre welcomes Chris Green as patron

“We have an enviable track record of delivering for Blackrod and this funding will help us to continue making a big difference to people’s lives.”

The funding comes not long after the charity welcomed its first patrons on board, Bolton West MP Chris Green and long-time supporter of BSACC Dawn Lythgoe.

BSACC is one of several similar facilities in the borough that have been handed back into the hands of the community they serve after Bolton Council admitted that they do not have the funds to invest in the buildings.

National Lottery players raise more than £30m each week for good causes throughout the UK.

READ MORE: Bolton communities set to take ownership of community centres

Since The National Lottery began in 1994, £43bn has been raised for good causes.

National Lottery funding has been used to support over 635,000 projects - 255 projects per postcode area.

During the pandemic, in 2020 alone, The National Lottery Community Fund distributed almost £1bn to charities and community organisations across the UK.

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