The National Lottery Community Fund has distributed £3.4 billion to communities across the UK through more than 72,000 grants in five years, according to figures released this week.
£2.7 billion of this was National Lottery funding, with players raising more than £30 million each week for good causes. The remainder has been distributed on behalf of others, including the Government.
The figures come from the National Lottery Community Fund’s Putting Communities First report, which examines the impact of its funding over the last five years.
The report shows that between 2016-17 and 2020-21, National Lottery-funded community projects have supported more than 5 million people across the country each year, with 97% of grant holders reporting improvements in their participants’ mental health and self-esteem as well as increased social contact.
£1 billion was awarded in 2020 alone as charities and grassroots groups responded to the pandemic and its lockdowns, while over the last three years 51% of National Lottery community funding (£568 million) has gone to local areas in England with the highest levels of deprivation.
Throughout the UK, National Lottery money is helping to tackle issues including the climate emergency; and supporting young people, employment, and mental health.
Environment
Since 2016, almost £400 million through more than 6,000 grants has supported environmental action on issues such as food, waste, and consumption, as well as energy, transport, and the natural environment. In 2019, the National Lottery Community Fund launched the Climate Action Fund, a £100 million commitment to be delivered over 10 years and supporting local communities to take action against climate change.
Youth & employment
Over the last five years, The National Lottery Community Fund has also supported more than £1.2bn of local youth projects, while over the last 12 years, National Lottery-supported initiatives have helped more than 181,000 people facing barriers to employment. The largest of these, Building Better Opportunities, has supported some 127,000 people since 2016.
Homelessness & substance misuse
Between 2016-17 around £1.3 billion in National Lottery funding was awarded to almost 17,000 programmes and projects focused on helping people experiencing challenges such as homelessness and substance misuse. 91% of organisations working with people facing these multiple disadvantages reported seeing better mental health for participants with two thirds (68%) saying they saw improvements in physical health, too.
David Knott, Chief Executive of The National Lottery Community Fund, said:
“National Lottery funding changes lives. This report – the first to look comprehensively at the impact of our funding – demonstrates clearly the difference it is making in communities across the UK.
“Thanks to National Lottery players, over the last five years we’ve backed more than 72,000 community projects through over £3.4 billion of grants – often going to the people and places where it is most needed.
“Next year we’ll be renewing our strategy – this report lays foundations that will ensure we will continue to be responsive to communities, helping them to build back from the pandemic, prosper and thrive. By continuing to target our funding to where it is needed most and by using our resources carefully, we’ll ensure that National Lottery funding will still be making the greatest possible impact well into the future.”
The report follows one released back in September, again looking at impact over the past five years but specifically at the impact of £650 million of National Lottery, Government and third-party funding invested in community infrastructure over this time.
from UK Fundraising https://ift.tt/3lkcL94
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