Aimed at improving the quality of life in local areas across England, the Reaching Communities programme will allocate grants of up to £500,000 to projects that offer people better chances in life; build strong communities with more active citizens; develop improved rural and urban environments; and create healthier people and communities.

Stephen Dunmore, chief executive of the BLF, said: “We think this programme will be very effective as it is demand-led, lightly prescribed and takes a bottom up approach. We anticipate it being an immensely popular programme.”

In addition, the BLF has announced a number of changes that have been made following its public consultation. They include extending the duration of project funding from three to five years to help organisations become more sustainable, and streamlining the application process to make the system easier and less time consuming.

Regularly updated information on the BLF’s programmes is available on www.biglotteryfund.org.uk