London region update
February/March edition
National Lottery Awards
The search is on to find the nation's favourite lottery funded project and we need your nominations.
The National Lottery Awards recognise the difference that Lottery-funded projects make to local communities across the UK, and celebrate the difference that the people behind them are making.
The entrants that make it to the finals of The National Lottery Awards will appear on a star-studded prime-time BBC1 TV show later this year. They will also have a chance to win a £2,000 cash prize.
The Awards have seven categories - each reflecting an area of Lottery funding: Sport; Heritage; Arts; Environment; Voluntary/Charity (in association with Woman magazine), Health and Education.
So if you want to see a winner from London in one or more of these categories in 2010, visit lottery's good causes website to find out more.
Last year's winners of the Education charity, Tower Hamlets Summer University said, 'It is an absolute honour to have won this Award. Our Lottery funding has enabled us to make a real difference to the young people who come through our doors to learn new skills. We have received tremendous support throughout all stages of the competition would like to thank each and every one of the thousands of people who voted for us."
Nominations can be made from 9am on Monday 11 January 2010 by calling
020 7324 4366 or enter on-line.
Entries must be received by 5pm on Friday 12 February 2010.
Awards for All, now easier for all
BIG has introduced three key changes to the Awards for All small grants programme:
- Following a review of the new programme that launched in April this year, and after assessing how applicants have been using the new application materials, we have made some small changes to make some of the questions, and the guidance notes clearer.
- We will be introducing a new guide to support groups during the application process. It fully explains our requirements of groups that have been offered a conditional grant, and should prove useful for deciding whether to apply to Awards for All in the first place.
- The third change, which will affect applicants the most, is the relaxation of the requirements for a referee. The application form will no longer ask for referee details to be included. Whilst we haven’t removed the requirement altogether – we may ask certain groups that we feel need a referee once we have looked at their application – it will make the initial application process quicker and easier for all.
Awards for All offers grants of between £300 and £10,000 for projects that improve communities, and the lives of people within them. It's for voluntary and community groups, schools and health organisations, parish and town councils and is open for applications now. Find out more and apply or call 0845 4 10 20 30
New closing date announced for mental health funding scheme
The Ecominds scheme, which is part of the Big Lottery Fund’s Changing Spaces programme, aims to help people with direct experience of mental distress become involved in environmental projects that improve mental and physical health and local communities.
Owing to the large number of applications received to date, the closing date for Small Grants (up to £20,000) has been brought forward to 12 noon, Friday 30 April 2010. No late applications will be considered. The amount of funding currently available for Small Grants is limited and applicants are encouraged to consider carefully before applying.
New Year, new projects
2010 got off to a cracking start for London projects celebrating awards from the Reaching Communities programme.
Age Concern Havering received a grant of £272,889 for a project to maintain and expand a successful volunteering service to provide improved support for older people. Whilst Age Concern Harrow received £115, 533 to provide older people from disadvantaged groups with a range of activities and services which will improve their health and wellbeing as well as reduce social isolation, enabling them to play more active roles within their local communities.
An exciting new Lewisham-based project involving young people in the regeneration of two underused sports ground areas, and bringing them back into multi-sport use for the wider community receives over £243,000.
Launched by Envirowork Lewisham, the new scheme based at Hilly Fields and Mayow Park, will provide valuable experience, employment and training for local long-term unemployed people aged 18 to 24. The project will enable the young people to develop their skills and gain a work-based diploma in horticulture leading to potential future career opportunities in grounds management.
Peter Ranken, Envirowork Lewishams Project Director, said: “The funding we have received from the Big Lottery Fund is crucial to the development of Park Sport Lewisham. This is an extremely exciting and innovative project to develop underused areas inour local parks, providing employment and training for local unemployed people whilst creating opportunities for local residents, young and old alike, to become healthier and fitter andencouraging them to get involved in community sport.
Open to all, Rephael House Bereavement Counselling Centre provides vital services in Barnet, Haringey, Brent, Camden, Enfield, Waltham Cross, Islington, and across Hertfordshire.
The project which is being funded will offer up to three-years of weekly counselling to help bereaved women, their partners and families cope with the loss of a pregnancy, baby or child. The service will meet a wide range of needs including one-to-one or couples counselling, play therapy and counselling for children and siblings, and mediation and support for the whole family.
Rosemary Decker-Thomas, Director of Services said: “We were overwhelmed with gratitude and relief on behalf of our clients and potential clients, on hearing the news that we had been awarded £93,000 by the Big Lottery Fund.For those who are struggling with child bereavement, our service provides a light in the darkness and support and care for the whole family when they are at an unimaginable place of grief."
Search for other BIG projects in London.
New resources available from BIG
Help available to measure project outcomes
The Research & Learning team at BIG recently awarded some small contracts to help organisations with the tricky task of measuring soft outcomes. The first two, Outcomes Star and Prove it! are both available now to use for free.
Find out more about Outcomes Star
Mapping Britain’s Unmet Needs
The Young Foundation launched the final report of their two-year study, Mapping Britain's unmet needs at the end of last year. The research, which has been supported by BIG, offers a comprehensive and rich insight into the lives of vulnerable people.
Find out more and read the full report
The Big Lottery Fund regularly publishes evaluation and research reports. These are all available on the publications section of our website.
Need help with developing your project.......it’s sported!
Sported is a new charity set up to provide funding and capacity building services to the community and voluntary sports sector organisations.
Sported helps groups or individuals that deliver:
- Projects for young people
- Based around sport or physical activity
- Looking to overcome particular issues within a community
- Based in Croydon, Lambeth, Hammersmith & Fulham, Haringey, Enfield or Lewisham
Sported offers help and advice in a number of areas which include governance, finance, policies & procedures, employment & volunteers and business planning. Sported can also help research and prepare funding applications.
For more info contact Lekan Ojumu, 0203 177 1684 or visit the Sported website.
