National Lottery Charities Board North East

North-East News

13 April 2000

33 Organisations from across the region will benefit from Core Grants awards announced today. A variety of large and small-scale projects have been funded, with grants ranging from �330,398 to �8,550.

Awards include �246,866 to Gateshead Voluntary Organisations Council for a project to support and develop self help groups in East Gateshead; �142,109 to Scotswood Area Strategy Limited in Newcastle for a project to encourage young people to get more involved in learning; �149,003 to Nightstop Teesside to continue their temporary accommodation service for homeless young people; �61,979 to the Edward Lloyd Trust to create education and recreational activities for adults with learning disabilities; and �8,550 to Stainton and Streatlam Village Hall for a new roof on the Hall.

Today�s awards bring the North East total to over �84 million since our first awards in October 1995. Over 2000 groups in the North East have now benefited from Charities Boards grants.

New Procedures for Building Applications

The Charities Board has produced new guidance for applicants who intend to acquire or refurbish a building. This guidance will be available from May 1st and will explain the information we require in order to assess a building application. For organisations wishing to acquire premises, it will also set out a new procedure which will allow us to give an applicant an expression of interest before they have identified a property.

We have arranged a briefing session on the new guidance for funding advisers, lottery officers and helper organisations. It will take place at Baron House on 8 May at 2.00pm. Contact the North East office to book a place.

Introduction of New Computer System

The dates for the introduction of our new computer system, have now been confirmed as 26 June to 4 July (inclusive). Training for staff and other practical arrangements mean that staff at the regional office will be unavailable for routine enquiries. As previously advised, this also reduces the time available for assessment, so applicants who need an early decision should continue to submit their application as a soon as possible.

Millennium Festival Awards for All

The Millennium Festival Awards for All programme announced its fourth round of grants in February, totalling �254,069 to 77 groups in the North East.

The awards which range from �500 to �5,000 are made possible by a �40 million National Lottery programme jointly run by the Arts Council of England, the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Millennium Commission, the National Lottery Charities Board and Sport England who are working with the New Millennium Experience Company to promote the programme. The scheme will help finance a variety of arts, charities, sports, heritage and millennial activities in the North East throughout the year 2000.

The Arts Council, Heritage Lottery Fund, National Lottery Charities Board and Sport England have now all committed to continuing the programme until at least March 2002. Revised application packs will be available from July and processing of applications using the revised pack will begin in October. Applicants whose projects begin before November should apply by the end of June (application packs are available until 15 June). The revisions are aimed at making the programme even more accessible. However, the basic objectives and terms will remain very similar to the current programme.

Recruitment ot the Regional Awards Committee

We are currently recruiting new members to our Regional Awards Committee, the committee which makes decisions on the grants we make. Closing date for applications is 26 May. Contact the North East office for more information.

Staff Changes

Suzanne Davies, our Core Grants Assistant, is now an Awards Officer with Awards for All. Terry Furlong Carter, our Enquiries Officer, has taken up the post of Grants Officer.

We would also like to welcome our new Grants Assistant, Paula Adams, who joined the Core Grants Team in March and to say farewell and good luck to Sue Vaughan, our Senior Awards Co-ordinator on Awards for All, who has left us to join the Countryside Agency.

ACTION POINTS

MF Awards for All

The next awards will be announced in early April 2000.

Main Grants Programmes

The next Awards Committee will meet in June 2000. Please note, we do not have deadline dates for applications. Please contact the North East regional office for information on when you can expect a decision.