Digging Deeside community project secures over £30,000 Health Lottery funding to expand activities

A volunteer-led project has secured funding to expand its activities and help bring the community together.

The project, Digging Deeside, run by social enterprise RainbowBiz, has received just over £33,000 from People’s Health Trust, with money raised by HealthDiverse, through The Health Lottery.

The investment will be used for a project that will bring people from the Connah’s Quay area together to meet new people, share common interests and increase social networks over the next two years.

A purpose built trailer has also been funded to transport equipment and supplies to the project each week and has many accessible features to make sure everyone can use the equipment.

New gardening tools will also mean more participants can get involved with hands-on tasks and enjoy the benefit of growing their own produce while extending their social networks.

Sarah Way, project coordinator for Digging Deeside and RainbowBiz director, said

“This funding is life changing for many of our existing volunteers at Digging Deeside and the extra sessions will encourage more people from Connah’s Quay to come along and benefit from socialising – which the community feel really is at the heart of Digging Deeside.

“We are so grateful for the funding which will provide a large gazebo with seats and tables, giving us shelter to meet in when the weather is bad. It is vital as we had to close the project last year due to weather. In the winter when there is not as much to do in the gardens and allotments we will do craft activities”

A new feature of the project will be to provide lunch to participants which is a fantastic chance to sit down and meet other people with similar interests who live locally.

The hope is that people will form friendships and start to think of new activities that may interest more people.

Digging Deeside meets at Mill Lane Allotments and the Quayscape Community Garden every Tuesday morning at 10am. Participants are welcome to join anytime between 10am and 2pm and there is no pressure to commit to coming along every week.

To get involved, or find out more, visit www.rainbowbiz.org.uk