CHARITIES across Gwent have been handed a share of £3.5 million from a National Lottery community fund.

One charity to benefit from the grants is Inside Out Cymru, which provides community-based arts provision for people experiencing mental health conditions, which has been given £271,502.

Tracy Evans, manager of Inside Out Cymru said she was "absolutely thrilled" to be given the grant.

"We spent two years consulting services users, partners and stakeholders across Gwent and we are delighted that we will now have the capacity to spend the next three years extending our provision across the region to make a lasting difference in people’s lives through improved mental wellbeing and reduced stigma," she said.

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The project will expand Inside Out Cymru’s current work to areas currently under-served in Gwent. It will also establish a new network of provision in residential and hospital settings and deliver free training to carers and health professionals enabling them to deliver activities. An annual celebration event will share experiences and showcase their work.

The grants have been handed out by the National Lottery Community Fund.

Another to receive funding is The Disability Advice Project, which supports families in which one or more people are disabled across Torfaen, Blaenau Gwent, Monmouthshire, Caerphilly and Newport, offering help with housing and care needs and assisting them with housing benefit claims, housing adaptations, and work benefits. The organisation has been given £498,967.

Other projects which will receive funding include Active Angel's Group in Newport, which will get £5,300 to run dancing workshops for young people with moderate learning disabilities to help improve confidence, well-being, skills and socialisation, reducing the chance of developing poor mental health.

Cwmbran Centre for Young People in Torfaen will receive £9,630 to build a project to engage with local young people by providing a series of activities throughout the year, which will in turn help build strong relationships between all the users of the centre.

One Life Autism Support Group in Blaenau Gwent will create a sensory room for the children, young people and adults they work with to use alongside the other services they already provide. Its £9,000 funding will fund a sensory space and equipment, games, utilities, books, stationery, and volunteer expenses.

Also in Blaenau Gwent, a £6,650 grant will enable Tredegar Arts Limited to fund installation of a new fire alarm system, fire safety training, PAT testing, and a fire door at its new building.