THE ROYAL BOROUGH OF KENSINGTON AND CHELSEA
OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE ON COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT – 10TH NOVEMBER 2004
REPORT BY HEAD OF REGENERATION AND PARTNERSHIPS
CURRENT DEVELOPMENTS IN LOTTERY FUNDING
Members of the OSC have expressed a wish to be informed about the funding available from the National Lottery.
FOR INFORMATION
1. Background
The National Lottery began in November 1994 with approximately 28p in each pound going to a range of “good causes”. Originally these were classified as Arts, Charities, Heritage, the Millennium Commission and Sports. Eleven bodies, who acted independently of Government, were appointed to be responsible for distributing funds and were overseen by the regulator, the National Lottery Commission. By February 2004, they had distributed over £15 billion. In 1999, a group of priorities “Education, Health and Environment” were identified as a replacement for the Millennium Commission, and the New Opportunities Fund was set up as the umbrella group for these themes. The New Opportunities Fund (NOF) and the Community Fund have now merged to form the Big Lottery Fund. The current availability of lottery funds can be broadly categorised as follows:
ß Big Lottery Fund (BLF) ß Awards for All ß Arts Council England ß Sport England ß UK Sport ß Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) ß UK Film Council
1.1 Big Lottery Fund (BLF):
Big Lottery Fund (BLF) was launched on 1 June 2004 and is a merger between the New Opportunities Fund and the Community Fund. It aims to: • Build on the experience and best practice of NOF and the Community Fund. • Simplify funding in those areas where the two bodies currently overlap. • Ensure lottery funding provides the best possible value for money.
BLF will distribute 50% of the funds available from the National Lottery. As well as leading on good practice in funding distribution, the BLF will lead on joint working on a range of lottery issues and develop new approaches to the way organisations are funded by the lottery.
Funds for charities and the voluntary sector and health, education and the environment, will continue but BLF will also take on the Millennium Commission's ability to fund large-scale regenerative projects. It aims to be a fund for community transformation, from smaller grants at local level through to big capital projects, intended to regenerate and revitalise communities.
There will be a range of different types of funding programmes. Some of these will be 'open' grant programmes, where a wide range of organisations can apply by completing an application form. Other programmes are likely to concentrate on strategic partnership working across different sectors, funding for infrastructure and development, or opportunities for voluntary sector involvement in the delivery of community services.
Income will come from the same streams of funding currently available to the Community Fund and New Opportunities Fund: the sale of Lottery tickets. This is anticipated to be between £600 and £700 million a year until 2009.
Consultation has taken place to determine how the BLF should develop new programmes for funding. Consultation Phase One has now closed and a summary of the findings will be available in January 2005, however the Government has indicated that funding will follow three main themes: • community learning and opportunity • community safety and cohesion • promoting well-being.
Consultation Phase Two was launched on Monday 4 October 2004 to consult about the kinds of projects should be funded in the first set of programmes. How to apply for BLF funding.
If work is for young people. one way is to apply to the Young People’s Fund (YPF), a new sub programme within the BLF. Within the YPF there is £157.5 million ear-marked for England (77.5% of the total YPF). Of this, £77.6m is not ring-fenced and will be for the priorities listed below:
• Being healthy • Staying safe • Enjoying and achieving • Making a positive contribution • Economic well-being
The remaining funds are already committed and ring fenced as follows:
• £25m is for Positive Activities for Young People (part of the existing NOF Commitment) • £28.4m is for School Sports Co-ordinators and Out of Ours School Learning • £14m for Extended Schools. • There was an additional £12.5m is for the Get REAL programme - a national funding programme to enable a wide range of 11-17 -year-olds to participate in summer residential activities during the summer holidays of 2005 and 2006 but the deadline has closed for this.
Three types of grant will be given under the Young People's Fund:
• Grants to individual young people (or small groups of young people) to help them make a difference in their communities • Grants to voluntary and community organisations to run local projects with and for young people • Grants to voluntary organisations to fund national projects.
To make an application either visit the website http://www.thebiglottery.org.uk or call 0845 4 10 20 30 for further information.
Other ways of currently accessing BLF funding (as of October 2004)
In addition to the YPF, and whilst the final consultation completes, BLF are still accepting applications under the original lottery bodies, the Community Fund and the New Opportunities Fund. However this will be for a limited period only and last return dates are now being put on application forms that are sent out. Community Fund Applications
The main objective of the Community Fund remains the same, i.e. supporting projects that help people who face severe, long-term, projects that find solutions for difficult to tackle disadvantage, or projects that help people who face a combination of needs.
There are a number of grant streams within the Community Fund Programme:
• Grants for large projects - for groups whose total project costs more than £60,000 (or more than £30,000 if it involves property).
Current London priorities are: Older people and their carers Black and Minority Ethnic Communities Refugee and Asylum Seekers Projects that promote linking of divided communities
• Grants for medium size projects - for groups whose total project costs are between £5,000 to £60,000
Eligibility for both: Charities and voluntary groups
To make an application either visit the website http://www.c- f.org.uk telephone 020 7587 6609 to discuss a particular London project or telephone 0845 4 10 20 30 for general information.
• Grants for Strategic programmes – grants of £5,000 and above.
Eligibility: The strategic grants programme funds projects that benefit people who live in either: three or more England regions, England as a whole, more than one UK country, or the UK as a whole.
To make an application, visit the website http://www.c-f.org.uk
Grants are also still being accepted for research and international programmes. To make an application, visit the website http://www.c-f.org.uk New Opportunities Fund
As with the Community Fund, it is possible to access BLF funds through the NOF programme but only under a few, very specific priorities as follows:
Education: Football Foundation Heroes’ Return Home Front Recall
Environment Transforming Waste
Eligibility: Relevant delivery organisations.
To make an application, visit the website http://www.thebiglottery.org.uk to download guidance and an application form or telephone on 0845 4 10 20 30.
Following consultation, further information will be available in 2005 regarding new methods of applying for BLF funding.
1.2 Awards for All
Awards for All is a lottery grants programme aimed at local communities, where grants of between £500 and £5000 are awarded in a simple and straightforward way.
It is supported by funds from a range of lottery bodies i.e. the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Arts Council of England, Sport England, the New Opportunities Fund and the Community Fund.
Awards for All funds projects that enable people to take part in art, sport, heritage and community activities, as well as projects that promote education, the environment and health in the local community.
Awards for All can fund a wide range of projects and activities, for example: • publicity materials for a group that recycles computers for use by the community • a training and activities programme to involve more disabled people in sport • a project to develop creative writing skills among young adults, to enable their work to be published and performed • materials for an exhibition and trail walk featuring buildings of local historical interest • play and sports facilities with qualified coaching for young people on an urban estate
Examples of the things that a grant could be spent on:
• putting on an event, activity or performance • providing training courses • setting up a pilot project • running a conference or seminar • improvements to community facilities • start up costs, including staff and premises • publicity • professional fees • research costs • equipment and materials • transport costs • volunteers' expenses • updating facilities/equipment for health and safety reasons
Eligibility: Not-for-profit groups; Parish or Town Council, School or Health bodies.
To make an application visit the website http://www.awardsforall.org.uk/ and click on the “England” part of the map for guidance and application forms or telephone 0845 600 20 40.
Applications can be made at any time and the application form is short and simple. Results of applications are known within 8 weeks. The grant must be used within one year 1.3 Arts Council England
Arts Council England (ACE) is the national development agency for the arts in England, distributing public money from Government and the National Lottery.
The vision of ACE is to promote the arts at the heart of national life, “reflecting England's rich and diverse cultural identity”. It sees the arts as having the power to transform lives and communities, and to create opportunities for people throughout the country.
Eligibility: It is best to check website as there is such a range of grants to apply for. To make an application visit the website http://www.artscouncil.org.uk and go to the “Funding” section or telephone 0845 300 6200
1.4 Sport England
Sport England distributes money raised through the National Lottery to sports organisations and activities in England. In addition to the joint distributor Awards for All programme, there are two main funding programmes:
Community Projects Capital Fund For clubs trying to improve their existing facilities, or build new ones.
Grants are for building or equipment projects costing over £5,000.
Eligibility: Particularly funds projects that will get more young people, women, people on low incomes, people from ethnic communities and people with disabilities to take part in sport.
Active Communities Development Fund (ACDF)
For groups that are looking to do something active, or a community sports group that wants to do more, for example setting up some sort of activity group.
Grants are between £5,000 and £30,000 a year for up to five years.
Eligibility: ACDF helps people from low-income groups, people with disabilities, women and girls, and people from ethnic minority communities to get on the road to an active lifestyle.
To make an application for either of the above grants, visit the website http://www.sportengland.org/ for an application form and guidance or telephone 08458 508 508
Other Sport England Lottery Programmes There are also a number of special programmes run through schools, local authorities, governing bodies of sport and other local organisations to provide more sporting opportunities for communities.
Active Sports is a partnership between local authorities, schools, governing bodies and local sports club to give young people more chances to play their most popular sports and improve their skills.
Safer Sports Grounds helps selected rugby and cricket clubs improve spectator safety.
The School Sport Coordinators programme builds links between with local clubs and provide coaching and competition opportunities for pupils.
The Playing Fields and Community Green Spaces programme provides, protects and improves playing fields and green spaces. It is part of the New Opportunities Fund's Green Spaces Programme.
Sport Action Zones bring the benefits of sport and physical activity to communities in the most socially and economically deprived areas of the country.
Eligibility: There is a regional plan for the London are and it is best to check the website http://www.sportengland.org/ for eligibility with regard to these other programmes before considering making an application.
1.5 UK Sport
UK Sport targets Lottery funding at the nation's top sportsmen and women through its World Class Performance Programme, supporting them in their drive to achieve success at international level.
Lottery funding is awarded through UK Sport's World Class Performance and Events.
Eligibility: This is aimed at elite sporting bodies and individuals. To make an application visit the website http://www.uksport.gov.uk/ or telephone 020 7211 5100.
1.6 Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF)
The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) enables communities to celebrate, look after and learn more about their diverse heritage. “Heritage” includes:
• important natural habitats and countryside • historic parks and gardens • museum collections; historic library collections and archives • historic buildings and sites • industrial, transport and maritime heritage
Examples of work funded are as follows:
• building repairs and conservation work; • buying items, land or buildings which are important to our heritage; and • making it easier for people to gain access to and enrich their experience in heritage.
Grants are given in the following categories
. Awards for All . Local Heritage Initiative (Grants of £3,000 - £25,000) . Your Heritage (Grants of £5,000 - £50,000) . Heritage Grants (Grants of £50,000 or more) . Repair grants for places of worship in England . Townscape Heritage Initiative . Public Parks Initiative . Landscape Partnerships . Young Roots
Eligibility: Grants are to a range of organisations including museums, churches and local authorities as well as community groups.
To make an application visit the website http://www.hlf.org.uk/ for further details of the grant categories or telephone 020 7591 6042.
1.7 UK Film Council
The UK Film Council is the Government-backed strategic agency for film in the UK. Its main aim is to stimulate a competitive, successful and vibrant UK film industry and culture, and to promote the widest possible enjoyment and understanding of cinema throughout the nations and regions of the UK.
Eligibility: This funding is aimed at individuals and production companies.
To make an application visit the website http://www.ukfilmcouncil.org.uk/ or telephone on 020 7861 7861.
2. Funding awarded in Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea The first lottery distributor, was set up 10 years ago in 1994, others have been set up in the years following. The funding awarded in Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea since each body began its grants programme is as follows:
Lottery Body Recipients* Total Amount Community Fund A range of voluntary £11,799,472 and community groups. NOF A range of groups as £9,653,950 well as a number of grants directly to RBKC. Awards for All Examples are ADKC, 127 grants in total a range of supplementary schools and a range of BME groups such as Al-Hasaniya Moroccan Women’s Group. Arts Council England Info not available. Info not available. Sport England Info not available. Info not available. UK Sport Info not available. Info not available. Heritage Lottery A range of historic £58,977,740 Fund (HLF) organisations and museums as well as local groups. UK Film Council Info not available. Info not available. Total of known £80,431,162 grants excluding the Awards for All grants .
*Full details of recipients are available from the PPU on request.
3. Opportunities for RBKC
The new themes within the Big Lottery Fund:
• community learning and opportunity • community safety and cohesion • promoting well-being
fit well with the Council’s own key aims, and with the anticipated themes and priorities for the new Community Strategy. There should be a number of opportunities to access this funding for existing priorities, to extend and enhance existing work, and to develop new initiatives. The BLF “large scale regeneration projects” may also be of interest.
In addition, opportunities could be explored within the other lottery bodies such as the Arts Council England and Sport England to develop new or existing projects.
As Members may be aware, the new NRF Programme Manager’s post now includes some responsibility for external funding. Although this is a limited resource, it does allow some capacity for identifying and exploiting funding opportunities, and some degree of co-ordination locally.
4. Conclusion
Members are invited to note the information set out above, and to request further information about the various grant programmes or grants already received in RBKC if required.
FOR INFORMATION
Public background papers used in preparation of this report:
Information sheet on the Big Lottery Fund (issued by BLF) “Funding for a Change” magazine (published by the Directory of Social Change, Issue 6) Other information obtained from the internet via the National Lottery’s “Good Causes Portal”
Officer Contact :
Mrs. Gillian Reid, NRF Programme Manager, The Town Hall, Hornton Street, W8 7NX (tel. 020-7361-2509) E-mail: [email protected]