Funding boost for parents of twins and triplets

Parents of twins and triplets in the borough and wider province are receiving more support thanks to National Lottery funding.
Parents of twins and triplets in Antrim are receiving more support thanks to National Lottery funding.Parents of twins and triplets in Antrim are receiving more support thanks to National Lottery funding.
Parents of twins and triplets in Antrim are receiving more support thanks to National Lottery funding.

Tamba, the Twins and Multiple Births Association, has been awarded a £91,136 grant from The National Lottery Community Fund (formally Big Lottery Fund).

The group provides support and services for families with multiple births (twins, triplets or more).

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They’re using the grant over three years to employ a new Clubs Officer who will support their Twin Clubs across Northern Ireland, including their club in Antrim.

Volunteer parents will lead the clubs and provide practical and emotional support for parents of multiples who are preschool aged.

The Clubs’ Officer will promote the local clubs and support them to fundraise, recruit and train committee members, develop sustainability plans, and organise networking between the clubs so they can share learning.

The parents who lead the clubs will get training and development support, including a Tamba UK wide volunteer training day.

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Kelly McDonald, Tamba’s Northern Ireland co-ordinator, said: “This grant will make a huge, positive difference to the families we support and will allow us to help even more families with multiples in Northern Ireland.

“Tamba is the only organisation in Northern Ireland actively working to support twin and multiple birth families by establishing clubs which offer parents and carers of twins and triplets a chance to get together to provide mutual support and friendship.

“Six clubs already exist and we aim to put them on a sound footing in order to meet the need arising from the hundreds of twin births in Northern Ireland every year.

“Parents tell us that being part of the clubs make them feel much less isolated and more confident, which in turn is better for the children being able to socialise and good for parent’s mental health and wellbeing.”

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Kate Beggs, who was recently appointed as The National Lottery Community Fund Northern Ireland Director, said: “I am delighted to announce these grants in my new role and under our new name, which we hope will help National Lottery players to better understand the difference they make when they buy a ticket.

“It’s lovely to see National Lottery money being used by people who are taking the lead in developing great ideas to help their communities thrive. I want to say thanks to all the National Lottery players who have helped make this possible.”

Application forms are available to download at www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk