Local community group Kirrie Connections is celebrating after being awarded over £220,000 in National Lottery funding to support its work over the next five years. Kirrie Connections has been running since 2015, initially forming as a Dementia Friendly Community Initiative before establishing the first Meeting Centre in Scotland. They are currently on track to complete a transformational extension to support the ever-growing demand. The additional space will facilitate the implementation of more tailored activities, personalised support, and opportunities for social engagement. This funding will ensure we continue to support everyone affected by dementia in our Community.

Jacqui Dillon CEO, says: “We’re delighted that The National Lottery Community Fund has recognised our work in this way. Now, thanks to National Lottery players we will be able to ensure we can support the ever growing demand for our services. This is important because it is estimated there will be ‘50% increase in the number of people with dementia over 65 over the next 20 years’ (Dementia in Scotland: Everyone’s Story) Scottish Government Strategy 2024.

 Family Member Jim Smith says:   My wife was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2023, and ever since then Kirrie Connections has been an absolute godsend to us. The staff are kind, patient, hardworking, and extremely helpful. She started by attending one day a week, and this has since increased to two. She feels safe and comfortable there, joins in all the activities, and enjoys them all – even things she would never have dreamt of doing before. She always looks forward to her days at Kirrie Connections and comes home full of stories and very positive from the experience. The big advantage for me is that it gives me some time to myself to get on with the things I need to do, and want to do, without a single worry about her welfare”

The National Lottery Community Fund recently launched its strategy, ‘It starts with community’, which will underpin its efforts to distribute at least £4 billion of National Lottery funding by 2030.

As part of this, the funder has four key missions, which are to support communities to come together, be environmentally sustainable, help children and young people thrive and enable people to live healthier lives.

National Lottery players raise over £30 million a week for good causes across the UK. Thanks to them, last year (2023/24) The National Lottery Community Fund awarded over half a billion pounds (£686.3 million) of life-changing funding to communities across the UK, supporting over 13,700  projects to turn their great ideas into reality.

To find out more visit www.TNLCommunityFund.org.uk