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MARKETING OF LOTTERY FUNDING PROJECT REQUIRED |
09/02/04 |
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The
Countryside Communities scheme, funding rural areas which have failed to
win support from lottery good causes, has upped its promotion to attract
more groups.
A booklet, giving details of the scheme and examples of grants already funded,
has been published coupled with a banner on the UK Villages website (www.ukvillages.co.uk)
so that people in countryside communities can enter their details and be
contacted by Community Fund offices directly.
In the first year of this five-year scheme, run by the Community Fund and
the Countryside Agency, £1.6m has already been awarded to disadvantaged
rural areas that had previously failed to win Community Fund money, but
there is still £14.6m available over the next four years.
As well as local projects, £2.2m has also been earmarked for projects that
will make a wider impact on rural communities right across the country.
Diana Brittan, Chair of the Community Fund, said, "In just one year, Countryside
Communities has made an enormous difference to many people's lives. Our
grants are helping to expand much-needed services and preserve buildings
that are the heart and soul of community life - from village halls to Citizens
Advice services and youth projects to community transport services.
"We recognise that in many rural communities there is still considerable
disadvantage and we want to support those in greatest need, be they old,
young, young families or people with disabilities. We still have £14.6 million
available for Countryside Communities areas, so I would urge people to think
about what they want to do for their community and encourage them to apply
for a grant."
This initiative is in addition to the on-going fair share scheme, which
the Community Fund runs in co-operation with another Lottery distributor,
the New Opportunities Fund, and which targets 77 deprived areas - both urban
and rural - throughout the whole of the UK.
In spring 2004, the New Opportunities Fund and the Community Fund will merge
to form a new single lottery distributor. This will establish the biggest
National Lottery distributor delivering half of all good cause funding to
communities across the UK.
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