The National Lottery Community Fund turbocharges funding available to grassroots causes

The National Lottery Community Fund – the largest community funder in the UK - has today doubled the amount of funding available to grassroots projects, in the biggest change in National Lottery funding for a generation.

The change to National Lottery Awards for All is part of The National Lottery Community Fund’s ambition to strengthen society and improve lives across the UK.

With a new maximum award of £20,000, the funder is doubling the amount groups can apply for as well as doubling the time, to two years, that they can be funded for.

Equity, diversity and inclusion is a priority for The National Lottery Community Fund, which has pledged to invest most in places, people and communities experiencing poverty, disadvantage and discrimination.

Last year through National Lottery Awards for All the funder awarded £11.9 million to projects supporting for ethnic minority communities. £18.3 million was also awarded to groups supporting people with disabilities, and £3.2 million to LGBTQ+ communities.*

This was part of more than 11,600 National Lottery Awards for All grants made totalling £98 million. These were awarded in almost every local authority, with one grant made every ten minutes.

David Knott, Chief Executive Officer at The National Lottery Community Fund, said: “We’ve been inspired to reimagine National Lottery Awards for All because of what we’ve seen, felt and heard about the huge difference small amounts of funding, thanks to National Lottery players, make every day.

“From our engagement with communities and our work everyday, we know small grants are the vital building block of community. That’s why we’re doubling down on our grassroots funding with these changes, supporting communities to take action on the things that matter to them in a way that works for them.

“We expect these changes will see significant growth in National Lottery Awards for All in local communities. As a responsive funder we look forward to seeing more ideas from all communities across the UK.”

Earlier this year, the funder launched its new strategy, ‘It starts with community’, which underpins its efforts to distribute at least £4 billion of National Lottery funding by 2030 - supporting projects that build resilient communities that are more inclusive and environmentally sustainable.

National Lottery players raise over £30 million a week for good causes across the UK. Thanks to them, last year The National Lottery Community Fund was able to distribute over half a billion pounds (£615.4 million) of life-changing funding to communities.

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

Date published: 15 November, 2023
Region: UK-wide

Notes to Editors

* UK-wide data from FY 2022-23

About The National Lottery Community Fund

We are the largest non-statutory community funder in the UK – community is at the heart of our purpose, vision and name.

We support activities that create resilient communities that are more inclusive and environmentally sustainable and that will strengthen society and improve lives across the UK.

We’re proud to award money raised by National Lottery players to communities across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and to work closely with Government to distribute vital grants and funding from key Government programmes and initiatives.

As well as responding to what communities tell us is important to them, our funding is focused on four key missions, supporting communities to:

1. Come together

2. Be environmentally sustainable

3. Help children and young people thrive

4. Enable people to live healthier lives.

Thanks to the support of National Lottery players, we distribute around £500 million a year through 10,000+ grants and plan to invest over £4bn of funding into communities by 2030. We’re privileged to be able to work with the smallest of local groups right up to UK-wide charities, enabling people and communities to bring their ambitions to life.

National Lottery players raise over £30 million each [VP1] [EW2] week for good causes throughout the UK. Since The National Lottery began in 1994, £47 billion has been raised and more than 670,000 individual grants have been made across the UK - the equivalent of around 240 National Lottery grants in every UK postcode district.

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is this still correct? [VP1]

yes this is our current boiler plate. It was updated in Summer for strategy renewal [EW2]