Nearly £15,000 is to be shared out among 24 local good causes in the latest distribution of the Robin Hood Lottery Community Fund.
Executive Mayor of Mansfield Andy Abrahams said: "We had a huge number of applications for funding but managed to double the number of successful bids compared with last year.
"I am so pleased we have been able to direct the money towards such a variety of groups - the young, the old, education, sporting activities, theatre, entertainment, volunteers and community projects.
"The combination of the Robin Hood Lottery, the Mayor’s 500 Fund and our excellent partnership with Nottinghamshire Community Foundation, means we are able to help the ever increasing causes that the good people of Mansfield and district are supporting."
Among the successful applications this time are Sherwood Colliery Swimming Club; The Forest Singers; Our Centre, which provides a minibus service and car scheme to help vulnerable residents get to hospital appointments; Sherwood Colliery Ability Counts Football Club; Double Impact Services, which supports people recovering from addiction; Forest Road Community Allotment; and the Arena Church Community, which supports local people with issues of poverty, isolation, mental health, homelessness and unemployment.
Groups can apply for funding at www.mansfield.gov.uk/robinhoodcommunityfund (opens in new window). The next round of applications can be made by local groups, charities and good causes until the end of July.
Bids can be made for grants of up to £2,000. They can be used for anything from one-off expenditure on buildings and equipment and things like staging performances, exhibitions and publications, to help with rent and room hire, office costs, utility bills, training, transport and employee salaries.
There is no limit on the number of times good causes can apply for a grant. Organisations that apply do not have to be registered with the lottery but must be a not-for-profit group bringing local benefit to the community. The bids are scrutinised and approved by a panel of council officers and the Mayor.
With a top prize of £25,000, the Robin Hood Lottery currently has 458 supporters who buy about 816 tickets a week. From every £1 ticket sold, 40 pence goes into prize money and paying the lottery organiser, Gatherwell.
The remaining 60 pence goes to good causes, 10 pence of that into the community fund and an additional 50 pence, if players nominate the fund as their chosen charity.
More than 90 good causes are registered with the Lottery. A total of £54,291 has been paid out to good causes so far.
They range from Mansfield branches of well-known charities such as the National Autistic Society to local groups such as Forest Town Nature Conservation Group and Woodhouse Colts FC.
To play the Lottery, sign up online at www.robinhoodlottery.co.uk (opens in new window). A full list of winners can be found at www.robinhoodlottery.co.uk/results (opens in a new window).
For information about the Nottinghamshire Community Foundation see www.nottscf.org.uk (opens in a new window).
The successful applications were:
Age Concern Mansfield (£650) - to help fund two members of staff and contribute towards the running costs of three day centres in the district.
Sherwood Colliery Swimming Club (£650) - for much needed equipment such as high-viz stewards jackets, whistles, speaker equipment and stop watches.
Portland Training College (£650) - towards a new minibus.
Friends of Yeoman Hill Park (£650) - towards raising four flower beds in the park.
Our Centre (£580) - the Centre provides an accessible community minibus service and voluntary car scheme to help vulnerable residents of Mansfield get to hospital appointments, day centres, shopping and social activities.
Jigsaw Support Scheme (£650) - this organisation specialises in supporting people with dementia, hoarding issues and other serious mental health conditions.
Sherwood Colliery Ability Counts FC (£500) - to help this disability football club to expand and enable juniors take part in the same activities as the adults.
Oak Tree Leisure Centre (£650) - towards providing a low cost school holiday children's activity scheme.
Remedi (£650) - Remedi is the UK's largest provider of restorative services and organises crime payback schemes such as litter picking, community work and visits to, for example, The Holocaust Centre, to understand the impact of hate crime. Funding is required for projects planned for Mansfield, such as involving young people in a loneliness scheme with the elderly or vulnerable people in the community.
Sherwood Colliery Under 9s FC (£650) - towards buying a portable defibrillator to take to away games.
Asquith Primary School (£300) - to buy K'nex kits and contribute towards an after-school science club.
Double Impact Services (£650) - This charity supports people recovering from addiction, providing learning and volunteering opportunities and counselling. The money would help fund activities such as trips to the theatre, football matches and camping expeditions.
Styrn (£500) - this community interest company provides a weekly football league for people of all ages with mental health difficulties.
Think Children (£650) - supports disadvantaged youngsters in one-to-one sessions in primary school to explore and release their feelings.
Forest Road Community Allotment (£500) - towards buying a shed, green house and tools and to clear a space. The scheme was set up to introduce children to nature and allow them to work with elderly residents to build a community spirit.
Arena Church Community (£650) - this organisation supports people in Mansfield who have issues of poverty, isolation, mental health, homelessness and unemployment.
Forest Town Community Council (£500) - towards this year's Christmas lights and the switch-on event.
Frenbot Charity Football (£650) - this group raises money for the King's Mill Toy Appeal by organising a charity football match against a celebrity team.
Notts Women's Runners (£630) - towards funding two qualified leaders to run the group and to buy equipment such as high-viz clothing and running lights.
The Forest Singers (£650) - towards room hire, pianist and musical director fees for this non-profit making community choir.
Warsop Carnival Committee (£650) - to help fund the road closure for this year's Carnival Parade.
Sutton Community Help Centre (£650) - this is a registered hate crime centre which offers one-to-one sessions to support people who have experienced homophobia. It is currently based at Ashfield but is looking to locate to Mansfield.
Learning Ladder Childcare (£650) - towards replacing a laptop computer used by this not-for-profit childcare company in Mansfield which provides affordable childcare and respite care for families caring for young people with additional needs or severe disabilities.
Mansfield Hospital Theatre Troupe (£500) - this local theatre group, which has been going for 40 years this year, stages an annual pantomime at Mansfield Palace Theatre in aid of local charities.