| READING organisations have joined the great stampede for Lottery
cash hand-outs.
Millions of pounds are on offer and Reading Film and Video Makers,
the Kennet and Avon Canal Trust, The Ladies Association of British
Barbershop Singers and East Reading Playground Association have all
applied for grants
Since the National Lottery got under way last November it has raised
more than £100 million for good causes including the arts, sport,
heritage, charities and projects to mark the year 2000.
Reading Film and Video Makers, which has 40 members who meet every
week in the St Andrews Church Hall in Albert Road, Caversham, has
applied for £10,000.
The group's chairman, Don Currie said "About two years ago the
club embraced video and trying to get 40 people around a normal size
TV is a nightmare, so we've applied for £8,900 for a 6ft video
projector and the rest of the money would go towards a video recorder"
Under the terms of National Lottery cash grants, applicants must raise
some money themselves.
Mr Currie said "We hope to raise about 10 percent of the amount
by using what money we've got in reserves, holding raffles and through
donations.
LOTTERY AID FOR FILM-MAKERS - Oct 95
THE advent of video has not been without its problems for movie-makers
in Reading, but now the National Lottery has come to the rescue.
Reading Film and Video Makers, which meets every Tuesday evening from
September to May has existed since 1956 but now that many members
have switched to using video, the problem of how to show films to
up to 45 members has presented new difficulties.
So a £10,000 grant from the National Lottery has given the club
its own video projector, a state of the art piece of equipment which
can produce an amazing quality of image from a video cassette on a
large screen.
Chairman Laurie Joyce and former chairman, Don Currie were on the
BBC's National Lottery Live show in July after Don's efforts of persuasion
won the money for the projector.
Club members got visual information specialist, Saville of Farnborough,
to help them select the most suitable model.
This was unveiled last month at the opening night of the club's 1995/96
programme, a highly educational catalogue of more than 30 meetings
involving talks, demonstrations, competitions and workshops
Outside of the meetings there are regular projects members undertake.
Whether people want to emulate Steven Spielberg, improve your home
videos or if you are a cine enthusiast, the club has something to
offer everyone.
Laurie said that within the club, some people were very experienced
while others were complete novices when they joined. "The there
are some people who come along who have never been near a video before.
We've got a complete cross-section.
"Some have expertise in different aspects such as computers,
but basically we are here to teach. We get together and share our
knowledge. Every evening is something different."
At the moment, a history of Caversham is a major project, due for
completion some time in the new year. The group hopes it can sell
it locally to raise funds.
Summer projects are also carried out when the group isn't meeting.
One of the outlets where members can have their work shown to a wider
audience is Meridian's early morning TV show, Freescreen. The show's
producer, Sarah Brampton, came to tell members how to get their films
shown on the programme recently and she praised members' work, which
she had already screened.
But you don't need to be an expert if you want to go to group meetings,
and even to take part in various projects.
As Laurie says: "It gives people a chance to work together and
learn from each other."
New members are always wanted, particularly younger people, and the
club wants to attract more female members.
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