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The Big Lottery Fund has announced today that OCHA, part of the GreenSquare Group, is to receive £361,714 – to continue and develop its support and activities for residents of the Rose Hill neighbourhood in Oxford.

The BIG funding covers a five year period and will fund a volunteer training programme and will support four sub-projects: Rose Hill Junior Youth Club, Rose Hill News, a cultural food programme (where two cultural diverse groups cook and eat together), and a new health initiative. The BIG grant will also mean that Rose Hill residents will keep the OCHA part-time community worker, now to be supported by a new part-time volunteer co-ordinator and project administrator.

"This really is fantastic news for Rose Hill," says Wendy Spray, OCHA's head of resident involvement and community investment. "It will mean that the exciting work that OCHA and GreenSquare has started to do with residents, to make Rose Hill a really good place to live, will now be able to continue – and during the next five years can go from strength to strength!"

"It's just wonderful to know that vital projects including the recently-launched junior youth club, the Rose Hill News community newspaper, and the food programme are all now secure!" said a delighted Fran Gardner, OCHA's Rose Hill community worker. "This funding also means we will be able to offer a fantastic range of training opportunities for local people during the project."

Fiona Dempsie, Big Lottery Fund's Head of the South East region, said: "Today’s funding comes from BIG's Reaching Communities programme which aims to help those most in need and build stronger communities. These projects are all excellent examples of how the programme is helping local organisations to support vulnerable people across the South East region, providing vital support and helping people to become more independent."

The Big Lottery Fund (BIG), the largest distributor of National Lottery good cause funding, is responsible for giving out 46% of the money raised for good causes by the National Lottery. BIG is committed to bringing real improvements to communities and the lives of people most in need and has been rolling out grants to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK since June 2004. The Fund was formally established by Parliament on 1 December 2006.

Since the National Lottery began in 1994, 28p from every pound spent by the public has gone to good causes. As a result, over £26 billion has now been raised and more than 330,000 grants awarded across arts, sport, heritage, charities, health, education, and the environment.

[published online 30/6/11]