THE SYNDI Centre in Leamington has been awarded a much-needed £30,000 by the National Lottery.
The community centre based in Sydenham will be awarded the grand sum from the National Lottery Community Fund in two batches – £10,000 for 2022-23 and £20,000 for 2023-24.
The cash will be used to ensure that two key posts at the centre are sustained – the cafe manager, who as well as training and supporting staff and volunteers to provide affordable and healthy meals, ensures that the café is a warm and welcoming space for residents of Sydenham to relax, socialise with friends and meet new people.
And the volunteer co-ordinator who leads on the recruitment, training and support of the large number of volunteers who contribute their time and skills to the various activities at the centre, including its English as a Second Language courses, its food bags scheme and its IT provision.
A spokesperson for the centre said the National Lottery award came at just the right time.
“The last two-plus years’ pressures on the Sydni Centre’s finances resulting from the pandemic’s lost income have been greatly relieved by grants from the National Lottery Community Fund. It will allow us to continue with a wide range of work.
For example, earlier this year, to mark 25 years since the centre opened, copies of the Sydni Cookbook were distributed free to all Sydenham residents. With all the recipes and the personal stories behind them contributed by local people of all ages and backgrounds, the cookbook vividly reflects the rich diversity of the Sydenham estate”.
