THREE community groups in Swindon have been awarded more than £25,000 in total of National Lottery funding.

Headway Swindon has been awarded £6,300 to create bespoke cookbooks for survivors of brain injury, helping to support independent living, improve wellbeing and reduce loneliness.

Inner Flame, in Rodbourne, has been awarded £9,300 to run a programme of virtual reality courses for young people with mental health issues. The project hopes this innovative method will help those who take part build confidence, improve self-awareness and reduce anxiety.

Prime Theatre will use its £10,000 grant to set up ‘Inclusive Arts for Deaf Young People’, a programme of art-based activities for deaf children and young people in the town.

The theatre's artistic director Mark Powell said: “We’re over the moon to receive this National Lottery funding, which will allow us to make the arts more inclusive and accessible for deaf young people. We’re confident that this grant will make a huge difference to the lives of participants, reducing stigma and social isolation in the process.”

The money, raised by players for good causes is being distributed by The National Lottery Community Fund.

The fund's head of funding for the south west Tom McCulloch said: “Thanks to National Lottery players we are able to support more projects addressing loneliness and social isolation than any other funder in the UK. We’re delighted that many of the projects we have funded this quarter are focussed on bringing communities together, enabling people to make new connections and empowering their communities to thrive. With their ideas, knowledge and passion, this money changes lives.”