A COMMUNITY group is celebrating a huge investment to support its work crafting for wellbeing.

Founded by Danielle James in 2023, Craftopia CIC hosts creative activities to bring the community together and tackle social isolation, such as painting, knitting, pottery, and jewellry making.

With a deep passion for crafting and a desire to share her skills, Danielle has grown Craftopia CIC into a thriving community hub which recently expanded to include the Craftopia CIC Community Café.

Described as being "more than just a business, where people of all ages can come together to create, learn, and grow", the community interest company has also received £20,000 from the National Lottery funding to support its work.

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A special event was held to showcase Craftopia's workA special event was held to showcase Craftopia's work (Image: Craftopia)
With Craftopia running five sessions a week, which are attended by both children and adults, the National Lottery funding will be used to further support its range of well-being activities, which foster creativity, support mental health, and encourage new skills.

It will also expand Craftopia's offerings to include entrepreneurial business workshops for teens and social groups for the elderly to combat social isolation.

Danielle James, founder of Craftopia CIC, said: “We’re delighted that The National Lottery Community Fund has recognised our work in this way.

"Now, thanks to National Lottery players we will be able to press on with our plans to broaden the range of crafting opportunities available to locals of Atherton.

"This is important because it helps both the children and adults to build relationships with others facing similar challenges and to create their own supportive circles of friends and peers whilst gaining new creative skills.”

The community group hosts craft activities to improve wellbeing and tackle social isolationThe community group hosts craft activities to improve wellbeing and tackle social isolation (Image: Craftopia)
The National Lottery Community Fund recently launched its strategy, ‘It starts with community’, which will underpin its efforts to distribute at least £4 billion of National Lottery funding by 2030. 

As part of this, the funder has four key missions, which are to support communities to come together, be environmentally sustainable, help children and young people thrive and enable people to live healthier lives.

National Lottery players raise over £30 million a week for good causes across the UK. More information can be found here.