Essex: Schemes Win Lottery Funding

A project helping terminally ill children is to win a share of £2.8 million from the Big Lottery Fund (Big).

Haven House Children's Hospice in Woodford Green will use its £281,932 award to provide music and play therapy for about 175 children over the next three years through its Better, Happier Lives scheme.

The hospice's project, which supports children up to the age of 19 in West Essex and London is one of 74 schemes nationally to share #17.6 million from Big's Reaching Communities programme.

The hospice, founded in 1995, will also extend the support on offer to children and their families with a free new toy loan scheme and a Friday night club.

Mike Palfreman, chief executive of Haven House Children's Hospice, said: "This generous grant from the Big Lottery Fund will enable us to dramatically improve the lives of life-limited children across our catchment area. Our Better, Happier Lives project meets a real need of children and families in our local area."

Elsewhere, Big has also awarded funding to Essex County Council's Brighter Future project. It will use its £279,157 award to support vulnerable young people over the age of seven to improve their emotional wellbeing and future prospects.

Sara Betsworth, Big's head of the East of England, said: "We are proud to be investing over £2.3 million from the Reaching Communities programme into good causes across the East of England that will help children, young people and families. This will enable groups to deliver a wide range of benefits to some of the region's most in need."