Derry's ARC Fitness secures nearly £500,000 in National Lottery Funding

Addiction recovery service, ARC Fitness, is delighted to announce it has been awarded £499,924 from The National Lottery Community Fund through its Strengthening Communities programme. 

This significant investment will support ARC Fitness over the next three years, enabling the Derry based organisation to expand its recovery programmes, develop new services and strengthen its long-standing connections across the community.

The funding will also support ARC’s new “Recovery Aloud” campaign, a year-long initiative designed to provide proactive, early intervention for adults affected by addiction. Through a series of events and targeted programmes, this campaign will also promote the importance of addressing addiction early while offering physical, emotional and educational support to individuals and families.

Additionally, this award will support ARC’s ongoing work in creating recovery-positive spaces throughout the North West, while also helping to prevent challenges such as unemployment, suicide, illness, relationship breakdown and crime, that are often faced by service users. 

ARC Fitness was first launched in 2019 by Gary Rutherford, a registered mental health nurse and a person in long term recovery from addiction. Gary commented on the new funding award.

He said: “We’re extremely grateful to The National Lottery Community Fund for this truly transformative funding. It will not only enable us to practically host events and initiatives over the next three years but on a deeper level it will empower us to widen our community impact, reach more people, and continue breaking down barriers surrounding addiction and recovery. 

"We believe truly that what we do at ARC Fitness has the ability to help individuals to rediscover their purpose and recognise that they are not defined by their past or their struggles but they are valued, worthy individuals who are not alone in their recovery. 

"There is a lot of work still to do in this area but we’re ready. Bring on the next three years!”

The National Lottery Community Fund distributes money raised by National Lottery players to deserving communities across the UK. It supports projects that help people and communities thrive, focusing funding on initiatives that strengthen communities, improve wellbeing and create lasting social impact.

Kate Beggs, Northern Ireland Director at The National Lottery Community Fund, said: “Our Strengthening Communities programme is focused on helping communities across Northern Ireland become stronger, healthier and more inclusive.

"ARC Fitness is deeply rooted in its community and plays an important role in supporting local people and families affected by addiction. This funding recognises the positive impact ARC Fitness already has across the North West, and we look forward to seeing how this work continues to grow over the next three years.”

ARC Fitness has already supported hundreds of individuals and families across the North West and beyond by giving individuals, who are recovering from addiction, the opportunity to focus on improving their mental and physical wellbeing through physical activity, professional support, and re-connection with community. 

If you’re interested in learning more about ARC Fitness, including previous campaigns they have run, or if you would like to partner with ARC visit https://arcfitness.uk/