Applications open for community grants from Kathleen Graham Trust

THE Kathleen Graham Trust, founded by Glebe native and Euromillions Lottery winner Frances Connolly, has announced the latest deadline dates across the North for groups or individuals to apply for funding.

The Trust offers grants up to £5,000 to community groups in the Strabane, Derry and Belfast area to, in their words, ‘help them shine’. Applications will be considered on three dates (October 17, January 10 and April 14) over the next seven months.

The Trust is named after Frances’s mother Kathleen, who Frances says ‘constantly did what she could to help others’. Frances and Patrick also run the PFC Trust, which has recently been shortlisted for the ‘Inspiring Others’ awards at the Tees Business Awards in Hartlepool, where the couple now reside.

Frances commented this week, “Our aim is to support and enrich the lives of all sections of the community in our target areas. Our purpose is to help community groups achieve their goals, fulfil their ambitions and reach their potential by becoming sustainable projects within the community which are already delivering services which enhance the life experiences of their service users.

“The intent is to invest in those projects which need a boost to reach a wider audience within the community and make their work a little easier with cash injections where appropriate.”

The criteria for applications strictly states that applicants must reside in Strabane, Castlederg, Derry or Belfast.

A full list of areas in which the Trust can help are available on the application form.

Further details on how to apply can be found at www.kathleengrahamtrust.org.