Preston City wins in Big Lottery Funding
21 May 2010
The National Lottery’s ‘Big Lottery Fund’ (BIG) is seeking help from Mark to find worthy causes and charities in the city to encourage them to apply for a range of funding programmes. BIG has today announced that over £140 million worth of funding has already been awarded in Preston over the last six years to good causes.
The Big Lottery Fund is currently responsible for distributing half the money that the National Lottery raises for a range of worthwhile projects. Since 2004, over £22.8 billion has been distributed across the UK, for projects covering health, education, the environment and charitable purposes.
Mark said: “The voluntary and community sector in Preston has suffered significant funding problems as a result of the economic downturn so it is welcome news that whilst some funding programmes are closing, a range of future funding programmes will soon be announced by the Big Lottery Fund. I would urge local community groups and charitable organisations in Preston to have a go at applying for the ‘Community Funding’ when it becomes available”.
Peter Wanless, Chief Executive of the Big Lottery Fund said: “Our mission is to bring real improvements to communities and the lives of people most in need. Last financial year, 92% of our funding went directly to the voluntary and community sector. We fund thousands of small community-based projects throughout the UK, addressing the issues that matter the most to local people.”
Current open funding programmes include: ‘Awards for All’, a programme focussing on social and environmental projects that benefit local communities and ‘Reaching Communities’ a fund that is open to statutory bodies and schools as well as charities and not-for-profit organisations. Future funding programmes include ‘Youth Transitions Funding’ a programme to support young people leaving care; ‘Forces in MIND’, a UK-wide Trust to support the psychological well-being and successful and sustainable transition of veterans and families into civilian life and ‘Community Funding’, a fund targeted at disadvantaged and overlooked neighbourhoods in England.
For more information about the Big Lottery Fund and details of how to apply can be found on their website at www.biglotteryfund.org.uk