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Over 100 Millennium Award winners will be meeting to celebrate their achievements through the Millennium Awards Scheme at W5, Odyssey on Tuesday 29 October. Funded by the Millennium Commission, Millennium Awards are small Lottery grants of around £2,000 that give individuals the chance to improve their skills and as a result strengthen their communities. Over 23,000 Awards have already been made, of which over 1,700 are in Northern Ireland [see case study in notes]. The local and regional winners from this unique and powerful programme are meeting to enjoy a day of networking, sharing and developing skills, ideas and knowledge. The strength of the Millennium Awards Scheme is in the huge variety of people it helps and encourages. They in turn are making a difference to the lives of many affected by issues such as drug taking, bullying, long term illness, and domestic violence. The feedback statistics which outline this impact are impressive*: • 69% of Award winners are now more likely to take part in education and training.
• Over 70% of projects provide a new service or facility for the community.
• 60% of Award winners plan to continue or extend their project in the future. Andrew Farrow, Senior Fellowship Manager at the Millennium Commission said, “What the statistics cannot communicate is the very real and positive changes Awards make to both individuals and groups. Every Award winner has achieved wonderful things. When they complete their Award, they become a member of the Millennium Fellowship which offers them the opportunity to build on these achievements and do even more. We're thrilled that we are bringing so many Award winners together at W5." Millennium Awards are still available to people throughout Northern Ireland. For more information contact 0800 06801 2000 or visit www.starpeople.org.uk -ends- Operational note Millennium Award winners will be available for interviews and photographs at 4pm on Tuesday 29 October at W5, Odyssey. To confirm attendance or for further information, please contact the Millennium Commission Press Office on 020 7880 2007, out of hours 07775 812 820
Notes to Editors 1. The Millennium Commission is one of the good causes which distributes funds from the National Lottery. 2. The Millennium Commission works with over 100 Award Partner organisations to distribute Millennium Awards to individuals for community based projects. 3. The Millennium Commission has also supported:
• around 200 new buildings, environmental projects and visitor attractions on over 3,000 sites across the UK;
• a UK-wide programme of community festivals which began on New Year’s Eve 1999 and culminated on New Year’s Eve 2000 with celebrations in 32 towns and cities across the UK;
• the Millennium Experience at Greenwich and the National Programme. *Statistics taken from a Social Impact Study of Millennium Awards undertaken by Annabel Jackson Associates in June 2001. It is based on 692 telephone interviews with Millennium Award recipients. Interviewees were selected randomly. Award winner case study
Single mum of four Mary Rooney had recently passed an NVQ in IT and was eager to learn more but time and financial pressures were holding her back. Through a New Start Millennium Award, Mary undertook training in desk top publishing and photography to help her produce newsletters and posters for community groups in her area. Mary’s Award project has now finished but she has maintained all her voluntary commitments and as a result of her Award now has a job in the reprographics department of Belfast Education and Library Board. Mary also runs courses in desk top publishing, and has attended further photography courses run by a fellow Award winner.
Millennium Commission 28th-October-2002
Categories: News Archive
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