The grants, part of over £2.1 million awarded today across the South East under BIG's Reaching Communities programme, will go to Headway Oxford and Age Concern Oxfordshire.
Big Lottery Fund Head of South East England Alison Rowe said: "These crucial projects will give vulnerable people across Oxfordshire a chance for brighter prospects and better opportunities by helping them cope with illness, disadvantage and social isolation. They typify how the Reaching Communities programme is making a real difference to so many lives."
A project, which provides support for people who have suffered a brain injury, will today receive £393,191 to expand its service. Headway Oxford - Community Brain Injury Project II, set up to help reduce the anxiety of sufferers and their carers across Oxfordshire, will provide three dedicated support workers to make home and hospital visits, liaise with community based staff and provide vocational support. The project will offer activities from memory work, literacy and numeracy to arts and craft, tai chi, IT sessions, social activities and indoor sports at the Oxford Centre for Enablement. The project, which aims to enable sufferers to live an independent life, will also give support to those who wish to return to paid or voluntary work.
Jackie Goodwin, Service manager, said: "We are delighted that the Big Lottery Fund has awarded us a grant. This will be used to support people with brain injury in Oxfordshire to become more involved in their local communities; to regain lost skills and find gainful employment."
A rural community development programme to offer social activities and services for older people in the Vale of White Horse and South Oxfordshire area has also received a grant. £349,969 has been awarded to the Age Concern Oxfordshire City and County - Rural Community Development Project. Located at drop in centres across the community, it will provide older people with chiropody services and activities such as painting, arts and crafts and computer sessions. The aim of the programme is to offer older people a range of activities and facilities, which would otherwise prove difficult to access.
Penny Thewlis, Director of Development and Empowerment, said: "We are so excited about the prospect of starting work on this project and very grateful to the Big Lottery Fund for giving us the opportunity. It's going to be really challenging, but we hope that working with local communities and a wide range of partners we will be able to make a real difference to the lives of older people in some of Oxfordshire's rural communities, where activities and opportunities can be either thin on the ground or difficult to get to."
The Reaching Communities programme awards up to £500,000 to projects that offer people better chances in life, build strong communities, improve urban and rural environments and promote healthy activities.
Full details of the Big Lottery Fund programmes and grant awards are available on the Big Lottery Fund website.
