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New multi-million pound Lottery fund opens for business

8 July 2010

A new multi-million pound fund aimed at tackling need and supporting disadvantaged communities in Scotland is today (June 30, 2010) open for business.

The Big Lottery Fund (BIG) is second only to the Scottish Government in terms of public spending for the voluntary and community sector in Scotland. Today sees the launch of its flagship Investing in Communities portfolio, which will invest hundreds of millions of pounds in improving the lives of people in greatest need. Investing in Communities is part of a wider £400 million investment in Scotland planned by BIG over the next five years to 2015.

Speaking at the Scottish Youth Theatre in Glasgow where Investing in Communities was unveiled, Big Lottery Fund, Scotland Chair, Alison Magee, said: “I’m delighted to announce that Investing in Communities is now open for business. In these challenging times we hope that this new Lottery funding will open the door of possibility for local people and communities facing the greatest need here in Scotland.

“Over the next five years we will aim to make a positive difference to the lives of individuals, families and communities including helping more people to access sustainable jobs, preventing vulnerable young people from entering the criminal justice system and bringing communities together to run their own community enterprises.

“We know from our recent national consultation that we needed to build on what we’ve done before and our Investing in Communities portfolio does just that. It has been broken down into investment areas: Life Transitions, Supporting 21st Century Life and Growing Community Assets and while they may sound familiar they now have more clearly defined outcomes allowing applicants to clearly see what we want to fund.

“We have also changed our application process, putting in place a new development support team able to offer bespoke advice where appropriate or necessary and allowing us to be upfront about what we will and will not fund at an earlier stage of the application.”

For more information on Investing in Communities including how to apply, guidance notes, investment area information and required outcomes, and all the BIG Lottery Fund’s work in Scotland go to www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/scotland

 

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