FOUR Newport community projects are celebrating after receiving a share of £800,000 from the Big Lottery Fund, with help from the Argus.

Newport Chinese Community Centre was awarded £245,261 to provide more information, education, activities and support to help people in Newport’s Chinese community overcome cultural differences and live healthy lives.

NCCC secretary, Pat Lin, said: “Whether it is for assistance to fill in basic forms or for the social opportunities available, the NCCC has become an integral part of everyday life for our members.

We are absolutely thrilled and we are now able to help even more people.”

Newport and District Refugee Support Group received a £107,171 grant to help fund a coordinator to manage a shared community space where black and minority ethnic voluntary organisations can run their projects, activities, training and meetings.

Displaced People in Action Ltd will use the £218,128 they were awarded to increase the employment prospects of refugees in Newport, while Redwick community is celebrating after being awarded £316,323 to build an environmentally- friendly village hall. David Bourne, chairman of the Redwick Village Hall Development Group, said: “Without the funding, a new hall would have remained merely a dream and an aspiration but now we have the unique privilege of turning that dream into reality.”

The money was awarded through the People and Places programme to support projects which aim to bring people together to make communities stronger and to improve rural and urban environments.

Big Lottery Fund teamed up with the Argus last year to encourage more people to apply for grants and last year community groups benefited to the tune of £1.2 million.