Bury North MP James Daly has thanked National Lottery players for their role in raising much-needed funding for charities and community groups.

local groups received more than £68,000 of National Lottery funding between February and May this year to support their communities as they seek to overcome the social and economic challenges caused by the pandemic and build back stronger.

The MP welcomes the grants and is encouraging more local good causes to apply for National Lottery funding, saying it could be a lifeline as local people and communities rebuild and recover from the pandemic.

Groups to have benefitted so far include Keeping In Touch Telephone Service which is supported by Age UK Bury volunteers and received £9,832.00.

The funding will be used to continue running their telephone befriending service for older people to build their confidence and reduce the feeling of isolation.

The funding is distributed by The National Lottery Community Fund the largest funder of community activity in the UK, which distributes money raised by National Lottery players.

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

Mr Daly said: “It is great to see how many community groups have benefited from £68,209 of National Lottery funding in Bury North.

“These groups are inspirational in the great work and support they provide to local people and their community, helping to bring people together once again and build community spirit.

“It would be brilliant to see more groups in Bury, Ramsbottom and Tottington receive funding and I would urge all to apply”

John Mothersole, chair of England Funding Committee at The National Lottery Community Fund, said: “I am delighted to announce that we have awarded almost £100 million across England in the past three months, helping to address issues at the heart of communities, including employability, mental health, supporting young people and building connections to tackle loneliness.

“Thanks to National Lottery players, our funding is being used by more than 3,000 charities and community groups to unleash their potential and make a positive difference to people’s lives across the country.

“We’re proud to support people to come together to build community spirit, prosper and thrive.”

In the last 12 months The National Lottery Community Fund have given out nearly £600 million to 12,500 organisations reaching every local authority and constituency.

Information about how to apply for funding can be found at The National Lottery Community Fund’s website: www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk.