Thanet Getting a Fairer Share of Lottery Funds

16 September 2003

Thanet Getting a Fairer Share of Lottery Funds

Fair Share - the scheme to ensure certain areas receive their slice of lottery funding - has reached its half-way stage in Thanet.

Community Fund and the New Opportunities Fund are working in partnership to ensure more lottery funds reach certain areas that have in the past been missing out. Community Fund set aside £1,325,000 of its budget over three years to invest in Thanet.

Already over £557,000 has been awarded to four local organisations in the past 18 months - up on funding to Thanet in previous years.

Dorothy Buckrell, South East Regional Manager for Community Fund, says: 'We are delighted that our support is reaching deserving groups in Thanet. However, we would like to hear from more groups to help us ensure that more local organisations benefit from the money that has been put to one side for them. In particular we would like to hear from smaller local groups who can apply for our medium-sized grants with a quicker application process and simpler application form.'

The success rate in Thanet is higher than the regional average at 44 per cent - nearly one in two.

Those groups to have benefited so far are:

The Christian Housing Trust: £150,101 awarded in September 2002
St Paul's Community Trust: £91,246 awarded in November 2002
Thanet Community Transport Association: £168,416 awarded in January 2003
Rethink (NSF): £147,328 - awarded in March 2003

Another major award will be announced in Thanet in October this year.

The Community Fund has been working with local agencies to run a series of events in Thanet, offering advice and support to local groups. Anyone interested in finding out more should ring the Community Fund enquiries officer on 01483 462941.

The scheme began in March 2002 and runs until 2005.

Notes to editors

The Community Fund (formerly known as the National Lottery Charities Board) provides lottery funding for projects run by voluntary and community organisations throughout the UK. Its main aim is to meet the needs of those at greatest disadvantage in society and improve the quality of life in communities throughout the country. Since October 1995 the Community Fund has announced more than 40,000 grants worth more than £2 billion.
In May 2001 the Government announced that two National Lottery distribution bodies - the New Opportunities Fund and Community Fund would work together to support deprived areas of the UK which have not received their fair share of lottery money. The fair share areas were identified in March 2002 and the financial targets announced in June 2002.
The fair share areas were determined on the basis of deprivation and low levels of lottery funding across all the National Lottery distributors. The Index of Multiple Deprivation 2000 has been used as the indicator of disadvantage. This approach is recommended by the Government's Neighbourhood Renewal unit and provides the most up-to-date measure. All the districts selected for fair share contain at least one ward amongst the 10 per cent most deprived.
Community Fund grants will be available in all fair share areas through its normal grants programmes, but the Community Fund will prioritise 26 areas in England which are not reaching median levels of funding. The New Opportunities Fund is to introduce an expendable endowment scheme which will provide longer term funding in fair share areas, and most fair share areas in England will benefit from a share in its Transforming Communities (Quality of Life) programme.

Media contacts

For more information contact:

Sandra Lamont, Regional Development and Communications Manager on 01483 462924 or 07801 837428, or
Resource Base on 023 8023 6806.

	16 September 2003 Thanet Getting a Fairer Share of Lottery Funds
	Fair Share - the scheme to ensure certain areas receive their slice of lottery funding - has reached its half-way stage in Thanet. Community Fund and the New Opportunities Fund are working in partnership to ensure more lottery funds reach certain areas that have in the past been missing out. Community Fund set aside £1,325,000 of its budget over three years to invest in Thanet. Already over £557,000 has been awarded to four local organisations in the past 18 months - up on funding to Thanet in previous years. Dorothy Buckrell, South East Regional Manager for Community Fund, says: 'We are delighted that our support is reaching deserving groups in Thanet. However, we would like to hear from more groups to help us ensure that more local organisations benefit from the money that has been put to one side for them. In particular we would like to hear from smaller local groups who can apply for our medium-sized grants with a quicker application process and simpler application form.' The success rate in Thanet is higher than the regional average at 44 per cent - nearly one in two. Those groups to have benefited so far are: The Christian Housing Trust: £150,101 awarded in September 2002 St Paul's Community Trust: £91,246 awarded in November 2002 Thanet Community Transport Association: £168,416 awarded in January 2003 Rethink (NSF): £147,328 - awarded in March 2003 Another major award will be announced in Thanet in October this year. The Community Fund has been working with local agencies to run a series of events in Thanet, offering advice and support to local groups. Anyone interested in finding out more should ring the Community Fund enquiries officer on 01483 462941. The scheme began in March 2002 and runs until 2005. Notes to editors The Community Fund (formerly known as the National Lottery Charities Board) provides lottery funding for projects run by voluntary and community organisations throughout the UK. Its main aim is to meet the needs of those at greatest disadvantage in society and improve the quality of life in communities throughout the country. Since October 1995 the Community Fund has announced more than 40,000 grants worth more than £2 billion. In May 2001 the Government announced that two National Lottery distribution bodies - the New Opportunities Fund and Community Fund would work together to support deprived areas of the UK which have not received their fair share of lottery money. The fair share areas were identified in March 2002 and the financial targets announced in June 2002. The fair share areas were determined on the basis of deprivation and low levels of lottery funding across all the National Lottery distributors. The Index of Multiple Deprivation 2000 has been used as the indicator of disadvantage. This approach is recommended by the Government's Neighbourhood Renewal unit and provides the most up-to-date measure. All the districts selected for fair share contain at least one ward amongst the 10 per cent most deprived. Community Fund grants will be available in all fair share areas through its normal grants programmes, but the Community Fund will prioritise 26 areas in England which are not reaching median levels of funding. The New Opportunities Fund is to introduce an expendable endowment scheme which will provide longer term funding in fair share areas, and most fair share areas in England will benefit from a share in its Transforming Communities (Quality of Life) programme.		Media contacts For more information contact: Sandra Lamont, Regional Development and Communications Manager on 01483 462924 or 07801 837428, or Resource Base on 023 8023 6806.