Millionaire Street Support For Good Causes: February 2024

It's not just our Millionaire Street winners who have something to celebrate. Every month local charities in each of the Millionaire Street winning areas share a combined total of £1 Million too.

Let's take a look at some of the great things players of People's Postcode Lottery are making possible across Britain.

Newcastle upon Tyne Millionaire Street

In February's Postcode Lottery draws our first Millionaire Street prize landed in Newcastle upon Tyne.

All the winners first signed up for People's Postcode Lottery to help a range of local, national and international charities.

And one right on their doorstep has benefited from their Millionaire Street joy after Postcode Community Trust awarded Newcastle-based disability arts organisation Liberdade £70,000.

Liberdade Community Development Trust is an arts organisation for people with learning disabilities and runs the Gosforth Civic Theatre. It's a place which provides opportunities for those with special educational needs to train, perform, and belong; empowering them to feel valued and visible.

Rob Huggins, co-founder and CEO, said, "Our mission is to create change and raise expectations about what people with learning disabilities can achieve.

"Today's funding has been much needed. Thanks to players of People's Postcode Lottery, we could cover all our overhead costs for our community activities for the rest of the year, which is incredible."

Founded by people with learning disabilities as a safe space for them to feel included and train up, Gosforth Civic Theatre runs up to 800 different activities and events for the community per year - from live music, theatre, film and comedy nights to weekly gaming and dance classes, and even weddings and conferences.

Rob added, "Gosforth Civic Theatre is for anyone and everyone. We are here to champion people with learning disabilities and autism, but also to help to connect and serve the whole of the local community, with a broad programme of events, a friendly warm cafe, and all the other activities on offer here at Gosforth Civic Theatre."

Other charities in the area receiving funding thanks to Saturday's Millionaire Street prize win include:

• Child Growth Foundation - £30,000 A charity that supports, understands and manages growth conditions to improve the lives of children, young people and adults affected.

• Westerhope and District Community Association - £20,000 A community association that provides activities including fitness, arts and craft classes, and community support groups

• D2 Youth Zone - £30,000 A neighbourhood project that provides practical and emotional support and a range of activities for young people who have fewer opportunities and who are living in difficult social situations.

• FareShare North East - £70,000 A surplus food charity on a mission to get good food delivered to good causes.

• Projects4change - £30,000 An organisation that addresses the needs, voice and rights of young people. They work within communities and in partnership with others to create youth work projects which help young people develop and flourish into adulthood.

All funding was awarded by Postcode Community Trust (opens in a new tab).

Dukinfield Millionaire Street

Our second Millionaire Street prize landed in Dukinfield.

Home-Start HOST, a charity that supports parents so they can give their children the best start to life, has been awarded £75,000 by Postcode Community Trust.

Sarah Cook, CEO of Home Start-HOST said, "The funding we have been awarded by the Postcode Community Trust has come at a critical time and will enable us to continue to provide the high level of support our volunteers deliver across the many services we offer to families."

Home-Start HOST provides an extensive support programme from perinatal support, breastfeeding, a 'Baby Bank' clothing and essential item donation service through to a dedicated Dad Matters service, which supports dads expecting, adjusting to life with a new baby, or who have experienced baby loss.

"Our growing team of over 150 trained volunteers and dedicated experienced staff provide compassionate, confidential, and non-judgemental support to parents when they need it most."

Sarah added, "The funding is so important to us and will help us provide a foundation of support to families with young children across Greater Manchester."

Other charities in the area receiving funding thanks to Saturday's Millionaire Street prize win include:

• Mummy's Star - £75,000 A charity dedicated to women and birthing people diagnosed with cancer through pregnancy, birth, loss and beyond. They also provide services to partners and families.

• The Together Centre - £25,000 The Together Centre provides support services for local families and communities within a thriving Community Hub. Their ambition is to support and encourage positive outcomes whilst demonstrating inclusive and equal participation.

• The Shed Tameside - £15,000 A workshop for men (and women on Fridays) aged 50 and over with a range of support needs. People can benefit from their practical activities, make friends and have fun.

• Hyde Festival Community Association - £20,000 A charity that provides affordable theatre facilities for local amateur theatre and dance groups that have no space of their own in which to perform, as well as being a community hub for wider use.

• Tameside East Foodbank - £20,000 Working with local voluntary and statutory agencies, Tameside East Foodbank collects donations from the local public, churches and businesses, and distributes them to families and individuals experiencing food poverty.

All funding was awarded by Postcode Community Trust (opens in a new tab).

Woolwell Millionaire Street

Our third Millionaire Street prize landed in Woolwell.

All the neighbours signed up for People's Postcode Lottery because they wanted to help local, national and international charities.

And right on their doorstep Hearts Together, based in Derriford, has been awarded £70,000 by Postcode Community Trust.

The charity provides home-from-home accommodation and a range of additional practical, financial, and emotional support services through its Hearts Together Hospital Hotel in Plymouth for patients, carers and relatives receiving medical care or visiting a loved one in hospital.

It supports between 7,500 and 10,000 families a year and has been open since 2001.

Liz Harding, CEO of Hearts Together, said, "Demand for our services is continuing to grow year on year. In 2023 alone we had over 4,000 requests for overnight stays that we were unable to accommodate. Due to the continued high demand, we have ambitious expansion plans, and we need everyone's support to make these plans a reality."

During lockdown, Liz stoically ensured the continued provision of the charity's services, with Hearts Together additionally supporting the NHS during this time by providing space for short-term interim patients. More than 140 were moved over from the local hospital, cared for and returned home.

"Thanks to vital funds raised by players of People's Postcode Lottery we've been able to take a huge step towards our ambitious expansion plans named The Big Build, which will meet increasing demand head-on," Liz added.

"We're aiming to expand our services across the board, from offering bespoke apartments for extended stays and implementing more wellbeing community support programmes for those dealing with complex health challenges. The funding we have been awarded takes us much closer to achieving our end goal."

Hearts Together serves as a lifeline for so many families offering support extending beyond accommodation.

Other charities in the area receiving funding thanks to Saturday's Millionaire Street prize win include:

• Plymouth Sports Charity Limited - £35,000 This charity helps local people with physical and mental health challenges through community projects to become more active, build self-confidence and gain qualifications to help with employment.

• The Chestnut Appeal - £35,000 The Chestnut Appeal works to highlight the most common cancers in men. They also raise funds for the latest equipment to aid with treatment, as well as funding the work of specialist nurses.

• Woolwell Community Resource Trust - £70,000 Woolwell Community Resorce Trust is committed to enhancing the lives of people in the community through a wide range of activities and events. They provide a safe space for everyone to use and also have a cafe for anyone who needs a warm space.

All funding was awarded by Postcode Community Trust (opens in a new tab).

Northampton Millionaire Street

Our fourth Millionaire Street prize landed in Northampton.

The players' windfalls mean local charities have also benefited from a cash boost in the area - including The Frank Bruno Foundation, which has been awarded £50,000 by Postcode Community Trust.

The former WBC heavyweight champ, 62, set up the Northampton-based charity in 2017 because of his own mental health struggles.

Frank MBE, who famously fought Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis, wanted to provide help to support those experiencing or recovering from early-stage mental ill-health.

In an interview 10 years ago, he said, "Mental illness is a terrible thing to have to cope with but I've learnt it's a fight you can win if you live your life the right way."

Now his Foundation team are fighting to beat the stigma that still surrounds mental health issues and say the award will give them more clout.

James Wright, Mental Health and Wellbeing Co-ordinator, said, "The funding we've been awarded from Postcode Community Trust is hugely significant and will allow us to strengthen and widen our programme offering to make a greater positive impact within the local community.

"Despite the shift in attitudes over the last few years, there is still a strong stigma associated with mental health issues.

"The Frank Bruno Foundation aims to combat this by providing a safe space for its service users to speak openly about their experiences with mental health."

One of the charity's main initiatives is the Round by Round programme that offers wellbeing workshops and structured non-contact boxing sessions for anyone over the age of 10. It also gives clients the tools and techniques to help manage their own mental health.

James said, "The aim of the foundation is to bring healthy-body and healthy-mind approaches together to support all service users with mental ill health."

He added, "Thanks to the funding received today, we can maintain our services, roll out new programmes into our foundation and more importantly, we can support more young people who will benefit from our charity."

Other charities in the area receiving funding thanks to Saturday's Millionaire Street prize win include:

• Prader-Willi Syndrome Association UK - £70,000 A small charity providing lasting support to people with Prader-Willi Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder, and their families and carers. They offer multiple services including a dedicated helpline, regional peer-support groups, as well as training for professionals and support for research.

• The McCarthy-Dixon Foundation - £25,000 Originally launched during the COVID-19 pandemic, the foundation provides essential supplies to those in need, and they are now a fully functioning support group. Their work includes supplying food parcels, doorstep visits and phone calls, teaching people to cook on a budget, running social clubs and events and supplying local schools with hampers and breakfast boxes.

• The KidsAid Foundation - £70,000 A child-centred charity that supports traumatised children, young people and their families impacted by issues such as abuse, illness, and depression. Through the delivery of long-term, evidence-based therapies, they aim to improve mental health and empower families to thrive so that childhood trauma does not become a lifelong burden.

• Emmanuel Group of Churches - £25,000 A partnership of three churches (Anglican, Baptist, Methodist) that runs a range of social projects to address poverty, including a food bank and food club for children in school holidays. They also run clubs to reduce social isolation and support vulnerable people.

• C2C Social Action - £70,000 C2C supports any individual at any stage of the Criminal Justice System by inspiring and motivating them to take personal responsibility for their behaviour to reduce re-offending. This has a huge impact on their lives, their children, wider families and local communities creating a safer, stronger Northamptonshire.

All funding was awarded by Postcode Community Trust (opens in a new tab).