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6 February 2004

Community Fund has just announced its largest slice of funding to a fair share area in Kent


Two groups in Thanet are celebrating grants worth over half a million pounds

The Thanet Community Development Company has been awarded £328,020 to help with two of its projects:
  • £176,941 to set up 'street schemes' in eight of the thirteen most disadvantaged wards in Thanet. The local community will help develop an action plan of changes to the local environment. The project will promote community activity and involve local people in taking the changes forward, there will be a particular emphasis on older people and younger people. 
The grant, over thee years will pay for salaries of a full time open spaces community development worker, and a part time admin and technical support officer, recruitment, rent, running costs, publicity, training for staff and beneficiaries, travel, line management and accommodation overheads, stationary, photocopier usage and office equipment.
  • £151,079 to create an 'academy of community learning' for individuals and organisations working in Thanet. It will promote community participation, increase skills and opportunities in employment and focus on deprived communities on the Isle of Thanet.
The grant, over three years will contribute towards the salaries of a full time business development worker, a trainee coordinator, an operations director, a finance manager, a finance assistant, an administrator and five part time trainee community support workers. It will also contribute towards the cost of recruitment, running costs, publicity, training, and office equipment.
Phillippa Saray Community Fund’s regional manager says: 'Street Schemes will involve the local community in developing and implementing ideas to improve the area. By involving the community in this way, the project should result in facilities that are well used and looked after.
'And, the academy of learning is an example of how learning can play an important role in regeneration. It will help to improve people's skills, confidence and opportunities.'

The other grant is to:
  • Millmead Neighbourhood Centre Association: £202,244 to provide and develop a range of activities for children between the ages of 5 and 11 so that they can take part in supported leisure activities. The grant, over three years, will fully fund a full time co-ordinator, a full time supervisor, a part time deputy supervisor, and two part time playworkers. It will also be used for training, travel, and mini-bus costs.
Phillippa Saray says: ' Children from low income families will be able to build positive relationships with other children and develop their confidence.'

That brings the total funding in Thanet to £1,387,355 since the fair share initiative began. Fair Share is designed to ensure more lottery money reaches areas that havn’t had their fiar share. The other fair share area in the South East is Portsmouth.

Notes to Editors
  • Community Fund gives out money raised by the National Lottery to charities, voluntary and community groups. Out of every £1 spent on the National Lottery the Community Fund gets 4.7 pence. Since 1995 it has awarded over 59,000 grants worth more than £2.7 billion to UK charities and voluntary groups.
  • 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.
  • Fair share is a partnership between two Lottery distributors, the Community Fund and the New Opportunities Fund, to provide guaranteed funding to the places where lottery money is needed most. It was set up in April 2002 to deliver over £170million to 77 disadvantaged areas in the UK that have not had their fair share of Lottery funds.
  • The Community Fund is channelling £92million into the scheme through its three grants programmes while the New Opportunities Fund is to spend £88.75m through longer-term annuities. Community Fund has already distributed more than £25m to good causes – almost a third of its £92m contribution to the fair share programme.
  • The Community Fund in the South East Region is allocating £3,970,000 to its two fair share areas. While Portsmouth will get £2,645,000 over three years its other area, Thanet, will get £1,325,000. Regional contact: Sandra Lamont on 01483 462924.
  • 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).


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