1 October 1999

Charities Board makes it easier than ever for groups to get Lottery money

The National Lottery Charities Board today published its new application pack for its main grants programmes. Applications are invited from charitable and voluntary organisations for awards under the themes of Community involvement and Poverty and disadvantage.

As before, there is one application pack and one form for both programmes, so organisations can decide which of the programmes is more suitable for their needs.

Two policy changes introduced today make it easier than ever for groups to apply for funding from the Charities Board.

1) Branches

Independent branches of larger organisations may already apply for a grant in their own right, if they have their own constitution, management committee, bank account, annual accounts and control over their own income.

However, from now on, if the branch organisation is not independent, but has a management committee, a bank account and its own annual accounts, it can now apply for a grant. The larger organisation to which the branch is linked must support the application and agree to take legal responsibility for any grant awarded. A standard letter of ‘endorsement’ is available from your local Charities Board office.

2) Multiple applications

There is now no restriction on the number of grants an organisation can apply for under the Charities Board’s main grants programmes.

However, organisations may not hold more than one grant at one time for the same project. Groups should be aware that if they make more than one application, the Charities Board will take into account their financial and management capacity to run multiple projects.

Gerald Oppenheim, Director for UK and Policy, said "We hope these changes will make it simpler to apply to the Board and encourage a wide range of good applications."

Media enquiries: Robert Blow 0171-747 5227

Application lines for Community involvement and Poverty and disadvantage are now open. Please call 0845 7919191 for an application pack (Minicom 0845 7556656); Welsh speaking callers 0845 7273273 (Welsh Minicom 01686 610205).

Information given in the pack is available on audio cassette in English and Welsh, in Braille and large print.

Information is also available in Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, Gujarati, Punjabi, Somali, Swahili and Urdu. There is also a guide for people with learning difficulties.

The application pack is also available on our website at: www.nlcb.org.uk Application forms may be downloaded.