3 December 1997

National Lottery Charities Board offers more choice to Charities and Community Groups

The National Lottery Charities Board today unveiled its new approach to making grants following extensive consultation with the voluntary sector. The plans were revealed in a new leaflet ‘New grants programmes’, published today, which can be obtained by telephoning 0345 919191.

Key changes include:

• offering more choice to charities - a range of grants programmes meeting the needs of most voluntary sector organisations
• giving groups more flexibility - there will be no closing dates for applications and groups can apply under more than one programme
• announcing grants more often so groups hear the outcome of applications sooner
• further opportunities for groups to hold more than one grant.

Timothy Hornsby, the Board’s Chief Executive, explained:

‘The first opportunity for groups to benefit from our new approach to making grants will be under our new grants programme, Community involvement. The application line opens on 19 January 1998. It will fund projects supporting community activities, and also projects to make communities a safer place to live in.

‘By summer, a second main grants programme, Poverty, will open for applications. These two main grants programmes will be open at the same time and organisations can apply under both of these programmes for funding for different projects.

‘In addition, there will be other special programmes offering grants to small community groups, health and social research projects and UK based organisations working abroad.’

Over 3,000 small charities have already been awarded £8 million under the pilot Small grants scheme in Scotland, Wales, North East and South West England. The scheme will be extended to the rest of the UK by summer 1998.

In a new initiative, the Charities Board is working closely with three other Lottery fund distributors, the Scottish Arts Council, the Sports Council of Scotland and the Heritage Lottery Fund, to develop a community grants programme in Scotland.

Timothy Hornsby said:

‘Our new leaflet explains when groups can apply and the types of projects which will be funded under each programme. We have already awarded over £680 million to 12,000 local, community projects including those run by scouts and guides, old people’s clubs, self help organisations, disabled people’s groups, play schools, village halls, community centres and after school clubs. We hope these new programmes will build on our past efforts and make applying for grants from the Charities Board easier.’

He added:

‘You don’t have to be a registered charity to apply to the Charities Board, just an organisation set up to help others.’