Jan 2004 - general

The funding will give London’s voluntary sector a huge boost, with a number of projects specifically aimed at increasing the capacity of small groups thereby ensuring that work taking place across the Capital to help those at greatest disadvantage continues.

Debbie Pippard, London Regional Manager, said, “Community groups play an invaluable role in society, supporting disadvantaged people of all ages, abilities and nationalities. Many of these groups are small with limited resources and skills but are extremely dedicated to the work they do and the people they serve. It is very important that these groups are supported. Helper organisations, such as Councils for Voluntary Services, are vital in this area, providing them with training, information and advice. The helper organisations that we have funded today are instrumental in strengthening the voluntary sector by building the capacity of small groups and we commend them on the support they give”

Gary Redding, Chief Executive at Respond Thamesmead, one of the organisations funded, said, “We are delighted to receive this support from Community Fund. We are convinced that this funding will help develop the local community and will give young people especially a voice in their local area”

Respond Thamesmead, awarded £164,013, work in Greenwich delivering a range of services, including workshops on constitutions, management committees, fundraising and marketing, to local groups. The results of previous projects showed that there is a definite need for training in these areas and, as the organisation has good links with local networks, they are well placed to deliver the project.

Islington Voluntary Action Council will use their grant of £139,843 to encourage and support voluntary sector groups in a number of different ways. They will develop a Resource library giving small groups practical information and useful contacts, they will provide computers with internet access and will distribute a newsletter giving up to date details of services available and news that will be of interest to their users. The project will help small groups engage, network and learn from each other thus unifying and strengthening the voluntary sector in the borough.

Kingston Voluntary Action will continue to provide training, development and advice to community groups in the borough with their grant of £112,211. Topics covered include skills development in fundraising, project design, development and management and quality assurance systems. The project will focus on black and minority ethnic organisations and those that work with children and young people, disabled people and older people as these are areas where particular need has been established.

Others to be successful are Tribal Tree, based in Camden, who work with disaffected young people living in highly deprived areas of London. Their project will help increase the skills and confidence of these people making them more likely to gain employment and to develop a more positive attitude to social participation. The Project for Children with Special Needs based in Richmond will provide relief for young people with disabilities and learning difficulties and the people who care for them. The project will work in a number of ways to increase the independence of the youngsters by enhancing their skills and giving them a greater sense of inclusion. The Spires Centre will work with older homeless people in south London offering them basic services such as clothing, showers and meals. Health care, education and advice will also be available and it’s hoped that in the longer term they will gain increased confidence and will build links with people and services outside of the Centre.

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

The Community Fund shares out money raised by the National Lottery to charities and to voluntary and community groups. Out of every £1 spent on the National Lottery, the Community Fund gets 4.7 pence. Since 1995 Community Fund has awarded over 59,000 grants worth more than £2.7 billion to UK charities and voluntary groups.

The London Regional Committee, the body that awards the grants, meet every two months to decide which projects will be awarded a grant from the current portfolio.

The legal name of the Community Fund remains the National Lottery Charities Board. The National Lottery Charities Board was set up in 1994 and changed its operation name to Community Fund – Lottery money making a difference in April 2001.

·Next year the Community Fund is to merge with the New Opportunities Fund in advance of creating a new National Lottery distributor that will administer 50 per cent of all good cause funding. The merger will not affect current programmes, beneficiaries or applications. Further details on the new lottery distributor are expected to be available in Spring 2004.

·The New Opportunities Fund distributes National Lottery money to health, education and environment projects across the UK. We intend to support sustainable projects that will improve the quality of life of people throughout the UK, address the needs of those who are most disadvantaged in society, encourage community participation and complement relevant local and national strategies and programmes. (Funding for programmes is divided between England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales on the basis of population weighted to reflect levels of deprivation).