Portsmouth charity celebrate after receiving £11,760 of National Lottery funding

The group, based in The Henry Cook Centre in Gosport town, will use the money to continue to run their coffee morning and help those who are struggling at home with their problems.

CHAT2US has been running since 2015 and is staffed by 6 volunteers. It was founded by Jeanette Perry after she realised there was a shortage of support in the community to aid those who may be housebound. CHAT2US is there to support them in their own homes.

Jeanette Perry, Project Manager and founder said: “We are thrilled that the National Lottery Community Fund has recognised our work by deciding to give us a further 2 years funding. And our thanks go to National Lottery players who make it possible. This grant means that we can provide more home support to anyone facing problems alone, and those with social isolation can join our coffee morning which can help with good mental health and wellbeing.

At our coffee morning you will be met with smiling faces, a hot brew and refreshments, crafts, knitting/crocheting, and ‘Motivational Mondays, exercise for mobility with Jacqui’. FREE transport can be arranged but if you drive there is a free car park too.

And of course, support to those at home who are facing a problem that they need help with and have no-one to give that support - we will be there.”

“We have some lovely people join us from all levels of society, aged from in their 40's to those in their 90's, people who are stuck at home by themselves who just long for a little company, the able and the not so able. The funding will make a significant difference to people’s lives. We can provide free transport too!””

Leslie Mitchell, Trustee/Volunteer at CHAT2US, says: “After a trial run in recent weeks, this summer CHAT2uS will be launching their latest project when 100 Lonely Little Teddies will be on a mission to reach out locally to people who feel lonely and isolated, inviting them to contact this group. We know that accepting the opportunity to CHAT2US has been a life changer for many of our local community”.

Helping to celebrate our big win was OperaJen, Jennifer Parker-Lumis, who sang for us then honored us with photographs by presenting CHAT2US with an extra large cheque!

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.

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 www.TNLCommunityFund.org.uk