We’re celebrating after receiving National Lottery funding!

Awenek Studio is today celebrating after being awarded almost £154,000 in National Lottery funding to support its work providing creative arts-based workshops for the local community. The group, based near Torpoint, South East Cornwall, will use the money to continue its crucial wellbeing support services for individuals and families in need and to increase accessibility to its services through expanded outreach in local halls and community hubs.

Awenek Studio has been running since 2017 and is staffed by 3 creative practitioners and 6 artist volunteers experienced in community engagement. It was founded by Rosie French after growing up in the area and raising her own family here.

The group now runs around 30 varied and affordable workshops per month in the heart of the community, attended by over 150 adults and children, where they are engaged in arts, crafts, and other creative activities. These sessions have provided cost-effective options for families affected by the cost of living crisis and have fostered well-being and creativity across a range of community areas.

The new funding from The National Lottery Community Fund, which distributes money raised by National Lottery players for good causes and is the largest community funder in the UK, will see Awenek maintain the high standard and variety of the workshops it offers and continue it crucial welling support services for individuals and families in needs by offering personalised mentoring to help individuals reach their full confidence and potential.

At the same time, the group will be able to increase the accessibility to its services through expanded outreach in local halls and community hubs to maximise community reach and impact.

Rosie French, founder of Awenek Studio CIC, says: “We’re delighted that The National Lottery Community Fund has recognised our work in this way. Now, thanks to National Lottery players we will be able to press on with our plans to broaden the range of workshops available to local adults and children. This is important because it allows us to foster community wellbeing through art. Engaging in artistic activities not only stimulates creative thinking and personal expression but also builds bridges between diverse groups within our community. By providing these workshops, we aim to create a supportive environment where individuals can come together, share experiences, and learn from one another. Art, in its many forms, has the power to heal, connect, and inspire. Through this initiative, we hope to enhance emotional wellbeing, promote mental health, and strengthen the fabric of our community by making art accessible to everyone.”

The National Lottery Community Fund recently launched its new strategy, ‘It starts with community’, which will underpin its efforts to distribute at least £4 billion of National Lottery funding by 2030.
As part of this, the funder has four key missions, which are to support communities to come together, be environmentally sustainable, help children and young people thrive and enable people to live healthier lives.

National Lottery players raise over £30 million a week for good causes across the UK. Thanks to them, last year The National Lottery Community Fund was able to distribute over half a billion pounds (£615.4 million) of life-changing funding to communities.

To find out more visit TNLCommunityFund.org.uk.