A further £2m in grants for charities is being made available through a government and National Lottery funding initiative to tackle loneliness.

The National Lottery Community Fund (NLCF) has announced that charities and community groups combating social isolation in England will be able to apply for the next round of funding from the Local Connections Fund.

Grants totalling £2m are being made available in the funding round, which is being launched on 28 June.

This second round of funding will be used to hand out microgrants of between £300 to £2,500.

The Fund’s total pot is £4m, with 850 grants worth £2m handed out in the first round of funding earlier this year.

It has been set up by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DDCMS) and the NLCF and is being made available to organisations with an income of less than £50,000.

“These will enable local activities to become more accessible and reach people who may be less likely to attend traditional clubs and societies,” said NLCF.

“The funding will focus on supporting community projects to bring people together - where possible and safe to do so - in face-to-face settings.”

NLCF chair Blondel Cluff said: “The first round of Local Connections funding demonstrated the huge impact that small grants can have when tackling loneliness at a local level, empowering organisations to make a change in their communities.

“Thanks to National Lottery players we are now able to award £2 million to support hundreds of other organisations and communities across the country.”

Minister for loneliness Baroness Barran added: "I look forward to seeing how the second round of funding enables more local organisations to tackle loneliness in communities across the country, as we continue to work towards our goal of ending the loneliness that has blighted so many lives."

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