Jan 2004 - fair share

Enfield Borough Over 50's Forum will use the grant to improve the quality of life of older people, many of whom are isolated, living in the borough by researching initiatives that will help them to continue to play an active role in the community. They have been working with older people for 10 years and have a clear understanding of their needs. Their links with other service providers puts them in a good position to research issues and provide relevant information to older people. Forum meetings will be used to disseminate information and work will be undertaken to continue improving their local networks.

Tony Watts, Secretary at Enfield Borough Over 50's Forum said,

“We are delighted to be awarded this grant. It will allow us to implement the development plan and extend the influence of the Forum in the local decision making process. Our work will have a big impact on the lives of older people in the borough, many of whom have differing and sometimes complex needs.”

Debbie Pippard, London Regional Manager at Community Fund said,

“We would like to congratulate Enfield Borough Over 50's Forum on their grant. The Forum has a fantastic track record of service delivery and a clear understanding of the needs of older people. They also have excellent links with other local agencies putting them in a position of strength by being able to share knowledge and experiences. We hope that this project will make a significant difference to the lives of older people in the borough."

Waltham Forest Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) Service will use the money to improve access to debt advice in East London. A long-term strategy will be implemented to reduce levels of social exclusion experienced by individuals with debt problems and low incomes in East London and beyond. The project will work in five London boroughs that, together, account for the greatest level of personal debt in London. They will work with groups, strengthening their capacity so they can reduce the amount of debt.

Steve Johnson, Bureau Manager at Waltham Forest CAB said,

“Research by the Citizens Advice Bureau service shows that a significant proportion of the UK population is grappling with unmanageable debt. East London is generally a deprived area with many of it’s residents living in social and financial exclusion. The local CAB services cannot currently meet the demand for our help with debt management and the funding from Community Fund for a specific debt unit in this area is a major advancement for the community.”

Debbie Pippard, London Regional Manager at Community Fund said,

“We are very pleased to be awarding these grants to community groups in Waltham Forest. The fair share initiative in Waltham Forest has now been running for over 18 months and a number of community groups working to alleviate disadvantage in the borough have been awarded grants under it. We have found, however, that many smaller groups are not applying to us. We would particularly like to encourage Waltham Forest groups with incomes under £100,000 per annum who think they might be ready to apply for a grant to find out more. The Medium-sized Grants Programme, for projects with a total cost under £60,000, might be a good stepping stone for small groups wishing to slowly increase their size and build their resources."

Under the fair share scheme, the Community Fund and New Opportunities Fund will provide guaranteed funding of £175 million to 77 disadvantaged areas throughout the UK who have not had a fair share of lottery funds, ensuring that funding goes to the communities who need it most.

There are no deadlines for submitting an application to Community Fund and voluntary and community groups are encouraged to apply for funding.

The Boroughs that were successful at this meeting are:

Brent - £56,913 - 1 grant
Camden - £336,234 - 4 grants
Enfield - £53,802 - 1 grant
Greenwich - £373,008 - 2 grants
Hackney - £40,109 - 1 grant
H/smith & Fulham - £124,968 - 1 grant
Haringey - £132,720 - 1 grant
Hounslow - £302,945 - 2 grants
Islington - £368,060 - 2 grants
Kingston-upon-Thames - £293,176 - 2 grants
Lambeth - £503,047 - 5 grants
Lewisham - £296,785 - 3 grants
Merton - £134,221 - 1 grant
Newham - £234,297 - 2 grants
Redbridge - £155,028 - 1 grant
Richmond-upon-Thames - £105,139 - 2 grants
Sutton - £149,224 - 1 grant
Waltham Forest - £369,562 - 2 grants
City of Westminster - £127,584 - 1 grant

Overall, 23 large grants and 12 medium grants were awarded totalling £3,525,046 and £631,776 respectively.

Ends –

Notes for Editors

1) fair share is an initiative to support 77 deprived areas across the UK which have not received their fair share of National Lottery money. Two distributors, the New Opportunities Fund and the Community Fund, are working together to deliver over £180M to 51 areas in England, 15 in Northern Ireland, six in Scotland, and five in Wales.
2) There are three strands of fair share in England.
· Community Fund grants will be available in all UK areas through normal grants programmes, but the Community Fund will prioritise 26 areas in England which are not reaching median levels of lottery funding.
· All 51 areas in England will benefit from a share of £38.75m from the New Opportunities Fund’s Transforming Your Space England programme.
· £50m is being invested by the New Opportunities Fund in the fair share trust that will, in partnership with the Community Foundation Network, provide over five-to-ten years expendable endowments for 45 areas in England, (and 26 other areas in Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales).