Grant News
The National Lottery Community Fund has announced that it will commit to at least £3 billion of funding by 2030 that will put community power and control at the heart of its grant making in England
The announcement comes as a new survey finds that over half (55%) of UK adults feel proud to live in their local area. However, 45% say residents have too little say in improving their local area.
Of those surveyed, over half (56%) said that local people (residents’ associations and other people who live in the area) should help decide how to use funding in their area. 42% said local charities / non-governmental organisations (NGOs) should help make these decisions, and 32% said the same for businesses operating in their area.
£275 million will be invested to support the ‘building blocks’ of community-led change, with an emphasis on those who feel least empowered. This includes:
- a £100 million, ten-year Community Power Fund to help people influence and change the places they live, the services they use, and decisions that affect their lives across England
- a new £50 million community leaders programme to support informal community leaders who are making a difference in their area
- a new You Decide funding stream, worth at least 5% of all funding in England, where communities will decide which good causes funding should support.
Over £4 million will be available for civil society organisations and communities who would like to take part in the development phase of You Decide and the Community Power Fund.
Recognising the critical value of grassroots funding, The National Lottery Community Fund is also making at least £135 million available per year through its National Lottery Awards for All funding programme, up to 2030.