DCMS announces appointment of renowned leader and passionate advocate for place as Chair of The National Lottery Community Fund

The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has today announced that Dame Julia Cleverdon DCVO CBE has been appointed Chair of The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest community funder in the UK.

Dame Julia is a passionate and practical campaigner who has gained an international reputation for “connecting the unconnected”, inspiring individuals and organisations to work together for the common good.

During her extensive career, she has consistently championed long term cross-sector collaboration in the poorest communities, supporting community leaders, and encouraging young people’s engagement to help build local capacity and a more robust civil society which values diversity, sustainability, and contextual local solutions.

Dame Julia has chaired Teach First, the National Literacy Trust, and Place Matters – all charities working to understand and tackle inequality in those communities who experience the greatest poverty, disadvantage and discrimination.

Having led Government reviews for both Labour and Conservative governments in the last twenty years, she now chairs the National Statistician’s Committee on Inclusive Data. She is Co-founder of the #iwill movement, helping young people into social action through volunteering, campaigning, and advocacy. She has served as Board Trustee for the Fair Education Alliance, The Careers and Enterprise Company, the Youth Futures Foundation, Teach for All, and as Patron of Right to Succeed. She began her career with The Industrial Society and served as Chief Executive of Business in the Community for 17 years before working for the then Prince of Wales as his Special Adviser to the Prince’s Charities.

Reflecting on her appointment, Dame Julia said: “Being invited by the Rt Hon Lisa Nandy to chair The National Lottery Community Fund is the greatest honour and opportunity of my campaigning life. Joining the Board as we mark the 30^th anniversary of the National Lottery allows us all to celebrate and reflect on what has been achieved so far, as well as what is needed on the new voyage to deliver the ambitious strategy ‘It Starts with Community’. Encouraging collaborative action, forging deep partnerships, and building trusting relationships are – in my experience – critical to success in strengthening communities so they can transform people and places. I so look forward to working with our Board and Committees, our leadership team and staff all over the UK as well as with those who can help us succeed in this most vital of missions.”

David Knott, Chief Executive of The National Lottery Community Fund, said: “I’m thrilled to welcome Dame Julia to The National Lottery Community Fund. With her unparalleled experience in fostering cross-sector collaboration and her lifelong commitment to positive social change, Dame Julia brings a wealth of knowledge and experience that will be invaluable to our mission. As our new Chair, I know she will play a vital role in helping us achieve the true ambition of ‘It Starts With Community’.

“I would also like to extend my thanks and appreciation to our outgoing Interim Chair, Paul Sweeney, as he returns to his substantive role as our Northern Ireland Chair. His deep wisdom to me and all at the Fund has been instrumental over the last year.”

Outgoing Interim Chair of The National Lottery Community Fund, Paul Sweeney, said: “On behalf of my fellow Board members, I want to warmly welcome Dame Julia’s appointment and assure her of our fullest support in her role as Chair of The National Lottery Community Fund.”

Dame Julia’s appointment as Chair will take effect from 18 November. Paul Sweeney was appointed Interim Chair by the Secretary of State in August 2023. Mr Sweeney remains Chair of The National Lottery Community Fund’s Northern Ireland Funding Committee and a member of the Board.

This year, The National Lottery celebrates its 30^th Birthday. It has been changing lives every day for the past 30 years, funding thousands of projects to help build resilient, inclusive and environmentally sustainable communities - and create healthier and happier lives. Thanks to National Lottery players, more than £49 billion has been raised for good causes in this time. 

Every year, more than 5 million people from across the UK benefit from projects and organisations funded by The National Lottery Community Fund. These grants change lives and communities. They bring communities together by providing common places and spaces. They increase environmental sustainability by helping people to create local solutions to address the climate emergency. They support children and young people to thrive, knowing they have a stake in society, and they enable people to live healthier, happier lives.

To find out more visit tnlcommunityfund.org.uk

Date published: 13 November, 2024
Region: UK-wide

Notes to Editors

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 over £600 million a year through 13,000+ grants and plan to invest over £4 billion 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 week for good causes throughout the UK. Since The National Lottery began in 1994, £49 billion has been raised and more than 690,000 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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