Dromore project manager in appeal for awards votes

Nicola Campbell, who was in recent years nominated for a Pride of Britain Award, making it to the finals in London’s Grosvenor Hotel, is hoping for success in the National Lottery Good Causes Awards, an annual search for the UK’s favourite Lottery-funded projects.

“They aim to celebrate and recognise the difference that those projects have made to people, places and communities all across the UK,” explained Nicola.

The Dromore woman manages the Access-Ability project at the Belfast Activity Centre, a registered charity delivering outdoor experiential learning.

Access-Ability has reached the awards semi-finals and is competing against nine other projects for the title of Best Educational Project. Sponsored until 2014 by the Big Lottery’s Reaching Communities Fund, the project is described as delivering an equality of opportunity for young people by demonstrating that physical and learning disabilities should not be perceived as barriers to participation through a broad range of outdoor experiential learning activities.

It engages young people with a broad range of disabilities in long and short-term personal development programmes, so empowering young people to reach their full potential through the acquisition of new skills, while developing new friendships and having fun. Said Nicola, “The three projects with the highest votes get through to the final, with the overall winner receiving £2,000 to spend on their Project.

“Every vote counts and voting is open until midnight on 22 July. Please vote for us, either on-line at www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/awards - click on Educational Projects, where you will find the Access-Ability Project - or by phone on 084 4836 9680.

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