National Lottery Community Fund Wales Chair appointment

The National Lottery Community Fund, the UK’s largest funder of community activity, has today announced the appointment of the new Chair of its Wales Committee.

Dr Simone Lowthe-Thomas is to lead the Committee from 1^st July 2021, as Sir Adrian Webb steps down. She will oversee grant making in the country at a time when the Fund continues to support people and communities most affected by COVID-19 – building on and strengthening the connections, organisations, and resilience that enables communities to thrive.

Dr Lowthe-Thomas will take up the position as the Fund continues to convene, listen, and learn the lessons of the pandemic, in Wales and across the UK - engaging with all of the communities and working to ensure that funding awarded in Wales is shaped by and responsive to their experience.

Dr Lowthe-Thomas is CEO of Severn-Wye Energy Agency – a sustainable energy charity working in Wales and the border counties. Before becoming CEO, she held multiple roles in the organisation, including Director for Wales and Head of Community Energy. She is also Vice-President for Energy Efficiency and Fuel Poverty at Federene (European Federation of Energy Agencies). She gained her PhD at Cardiff University, studying Energy Crops and Biomass.

Dr Lowthe-Thomas was a founding board member at Community Energy Wales and spent ten years at Cardiff University as a Research associate.

Dr Simone Lowthe-Thomas, newly appointed Chair of The National Lottery Community Fund’s Wales Committee, said: “It’s a privilege and honour to be invited to lead the Wales Committee and join the UK Board of The National Lottery Community Fund. The incredible reach and impact the Fund has on people’s lives, funding projects driven by the energy and ideas of communities from across Wales to respond to need and make a positive difference for all, is inspirational and the reason I applied.

“I am looking forward to working with the staff, partners, and funding recipients to share our learning, grow our ideas, and support a fair and equitable recovery for all as we rebuild our lives and communities following the impact of COVID-19. Now is a time for us all to reflect, share our experiences, and co-create a positive vision for our new futures. I am really excited to have a part in helping The National Lottery Community Fund shape new funding programmes to respond to the need of our communities across Wales and to help build our networks of people and partners to deliver this vision.”

Blondel Cluff CBE, Chair of The National Lottery Community Fund, said: “I am pleased to welcome Dr Lowthe-Thomas as the new Chair of The National Lottery Community Fund’s Wales Committee. She brings a wealth of experience – particularly in supporting community-led energy initiatives at regional and local levels. Dr Lowthe-Thomas’s expertise will leave us even better placed to get National Lottery funding to communities all over Wales. Last year saw £31 million distributed in 850 grants across the country, all thanks to funding raised by National Lottery players.”

Thanks to National Lottery players, £36 million is raised every week for the UK’s good causes, and £41 billion has been distributed to 565,000 good causes across the UK since 1994.

To find out more visit www.TNLCommunityFund.org.uk