Lottery cash is helping a project in the north of the island.

The Manx Lottery Trust has awarded £3,500 to Jurby and Northern Community Initiatives for herbology and creative writing for wellbeing workshops.

The project aims to ’improve the physical, emotional, intellectual and social wellbeing’ of people who live and work in Jurby and the surrounding area.

Run by Jane Prescott, landscape architect and founder of The Manx Herbalist, and Janet Lees, an artist, poet and freelance writer, the workshops will educate people on the healing powers of herbs and help them to use plants to improve health and treat minor ailments.

Ms Prescott said: ’Mindful interaction with nature has been shown to help people feel more alive, boost self-esteem, increase creativity, reduce stress, improve memory and enhance a sense of tranquillity - the benefits are quite simply endless.

’There is also increasing evidence around the healing power of the creative arts, with creative self-expression shown to reduce symptoms of stress, depression and anxiety and increase wellbeing.

’These workshops will tap into this and encourage wellbeing through nature and creativity.

Jurby and Northern Community Initiatives was also awarded in 2020.

The first was to help fund a ’centre co-ordinator’, a role created to develop new ideas and opportunities and organise activities and events such as community and tots drop-ins, wellbeing cafes, Irish dancing, Rainbows and Brownies, computer support workshops, Qi Gong, chair-based Pilates, sewing bees, craft groups, creative writing and art therapy sessions for young people.

Manx Lottery Trust dishes out National Lottery money from the National Lottery Community Fund.