With the Lake District House Draw now officially closed, our wonderful winner announced and our incredible partner charity, Dogs Trust, a huge £850,000 better off, we thought it was time to sit down and decide how we can not only help great national charities, but also those in the communities where our houses are based.
With that in mind, we’re thrilled to announce that we have also made a £25,000 donation to The Well Communities project based in the Lake District.
Founded in 2012, The Well is a not-for-profit community helping people recover from drug and alcohol addiction. And with more than 600 members in North Lancashire and Cumbria that access social activities, rehabilitation support, psycho-social support, lapse support and access to supported, transitional housing, they really are changing lives.
The community works towards building positive futures via access to education, training, employment, volunteering and self-employment opportunities. And this donation will go towards funding all that and more, providing greater access to the wider treatment system and reducing the burden on blue light emergency services and crisis-related social care.
As an accredited education provider, The Well has already supported 66 people through education, training and employment programmes, with 6 participants gaining full-time employment, 22 in volunteer positions and many others working as peer mentors. An additional 40 of The Well’s clients have also become active volunteers within The Well Community.
Senior Business Development Manager at The Well, Ged Pickersgill, said “This donation will make a big difference for us - it can help to fund more volunteers to play a vital role in the recovery process. The volunteer programme helps to inspire the belief that recovery from many varied social difficulties is possible. Our network of local Volunteer Recovery Companions convey the possibility that things can be different and offer living proof of that difference in their own lives. The viability and visibility of these individuals positively affects the people who are initiating their recovery. We've seen first hand that recovery from most difficulties can become socially contagious in the life of a community.
Omaze's innovative fundraising model is a brilliant way to raise money and awareness for charities - it's fantastic that they have also contributed towards helping local communities where they have had a presence with house draws.”
Simon Fell, MP for Barrow & Furness, where The Well is located, said: “I’m delighted that Omaze has agreed to make a donation towards The Well following my recommendation. The Well Communities are a fantastic organisation that shows the very best of our community, helping people recovering from addiction to get back on their feet, and towards stable lives where they can rejoin their families and contribute to society again. What Ged, Dave, and the team there do is remarkable and I’m sure that Omaze’s donation will help them continue to support those who need it in Barrow and beyond. Many, many thanks to Omaze for their generosity.”
And our very own James Oakes, Chief International Officer at Omaze said: “The work that Ged and everyone at The Well Community is doing is truly inspirational. I had the honour of visiting their Kendal residence and seeing firsthand the impact the programme has on the people it helps. It's lifesaving work that benefits those suffering with addiction, their families, as well as the wider community.
We’re delighted to have made a contribution to such an important charity, we will continue to help more local causes in the areas where we host our house draws wherever possible."
Whilst the Lake District House Draw is now closed, there’s still time to enter our other live draws.
So, what are you waiting for? Do something omazing today and enter now.
