New Forest Disability celebrates after receiving notification of National Lottery funding!
New Forest Disability based in New Milton is celebrating securing funding to enhance their Disability Benefits Advice and Advocacy Service from The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest funder of community activity in the UK.
Our Disability Benefits Advice and Advocacy Service will use their funding to provide advice and assistance to complete disability related welfare benefit applications. The skilled Advisors will handle more complex cases, for example when a benefit has been refused or reduced by the Department of Works and Pensions (DWP) and requires our advocacy support to challenge the decision and for the most vulnerable clients, to represent them at tribunal. The funding will ensure this much needed service can expand and continue to help secure unclaimed or refused benefits for our clients, particularly important at this time when so many people are struggling with the cost of living.
The National Lottery grant will allow us to support approx. 750 people in the New Forest area who are living with disabilities or long-term health conditions. Often when people acquire a disability or their health deteriorates, they do not know what help is available, what they may be entitled to or how to go about making an appropriate application. Here at New Forest Disability we are a one-stop-shop for free disability information, help and advice, and exist to provide support for the 30,000 people living with disabilities in the New Forest and surrounding areas.
National Lottery players raise over £30 million a week for good causes across the UK. The National Lottery Community Fund distributes a share of this to projects to support people and communities to prosper and thrive.
Dr Heidi Harrison, Chief Executive at New Forest Disability said: “Thanks to National Lottery players, this grant means that we can ensure some of the most vulnerable people from across the New Forest can receive unique, free and specialist disability-related welfare benefits advice”.
Anyone may drop into our Head Office at 6 Osborne Road, New Milton, BH25 6AD; call our helpline on 01425 628750, visit our website www.newforestdis.org.uk or meet us at one of our many Pop-Up advice sessions held in libraries and community locations across the New Forest.
During the pandemic, in 2020 alone, The National Lottery Community Fund distributed almost £1 billion to charities and community organisations across the UK.
To find out more visit www.TNLCommunityFund.org.uk