Pictured (L-R): Fiona Campbell and Emily Nokes, members of Community Circus Lisburn, with Philip Pettitt, General Manager of Little Wing Lisburn. Community Circus Lisburn is one of eight local children’s clubs to recently receive a £500 bursary as part of Little Wing’s Little Stars bursary scheme.

NORTHERN Ireland’s favourite pizzeria, Little Wing, is serving up much-needed support to local children’s clubs as it launches its Little Stars bursary scheme for the fifth year.

Since the scheme launched in 2014, 26 children’s clubs from across Northern Ireland have benefited from much-needed cash boosts to support their activities.

This year, a further eight local kids’ clubs will benefit from a £500 share of a £4,000 bursary pot.

The Little Stars initiative is just one of the many ways in which Little Wing supports community groups across Northern Ireland.

Over the last nine years, the homegrown pizzeria has donated over £100,000 to local community groups, schools and charities through various forms of sponsorships, bursaries, voucher donations and fundraisers.

The Little Wing Little Starts bursary programme is open to all kids’ clubs working with children under the age of thirteen, which are located nearby to Little Wing’s eight restaurants across Northern Ireland.

Branches include; Holywood, Bangor, Newtownards, Enniskillen, Lisburn, Lisburn Road Belfast, Ann Street Belfast and Ballyhackamore in East Belfast.

Commenting on the return of the Little Stars bursary scheme, Luke Wolsey, Managing Director of Little Wing Pizzeria said: “This is the fifth year of our Little Stars bursary scheme, which is an integral part of our ongoing community outreach programme.

“We are proud of the role that Little Wing has played in supporting local children’s groups and how these bursaries have made such a big difference to groups right across Northern Ireland.

 “In light of the continuing funding cuts within the arts, community and voluntary sectors, we are proud to offer local clubs with much-needed funds, supporting them to continue to do an amazing job at supporting, encouraging and inspiring children within their local areas.”

Jennifer Hanna, from Splitz Gymnastic Clubs in Enniskillen, one of the winning clubs from last year’s Little Stars scheme, said: “Little Wings Bursary has helped Splitz Gymnastic Club’s satellite venue in Enniskillen grow from 16 children last November, to over 50 this year. As a club that’s run entirely by a volunteer workforce, this bursary enabled us to purchase equipment that could be used for all stages of gymnastic development and help us work towards the dream of creating a life long love of sport through gymnastics”.

Pictured L-R: Luis Reid, Meg Doherty and Ozzy Doherty from Belfast City’s BMX Club, were one of eight local children’s clubs to previously benefit from Little Wing’s Little Stars bursary scheme last year.

To apply for the Little Wing Little Stars bursary scheme, children’s clubs simply need to submit a 300-word entry or create a two-minute video, explaining why they need the bursary and what it will be used for, along with the location of the club’s nearest Little Wing restaurant.

Entries should be emailed to bursaries@littlewingpizzeria.co.uk,  before the closing date of Monday 19 November.

For full terms and conditions please visit: http://www.littlewingpizzeria.com/kids

Little Wing is part of the Beannchor Group, Ireland’s largest hospitality group, which boasts a portfolio of over 50 pubs, hotels and restaurants across Northern Ireland.