Big Lottery Fund - Peoples Millions

The People’s Millions competition was launched in 2005 with two more rounds taking place in 2006 and 2007. The aim of the competition is to fund projects that improve the quality of life of local communities through transforming the local environment, or provide opportunities or facilities for enjoying the local environment.

They are particularly interested in supporting community-based projects that can show that they will increase community involvement or help people who are most in need. By a 'project' they mean a piece of work that is not part of the everyday work of your organisation. You must be able to start the project within three months of being offered a grant from them and finish it within a year of being offered the grant.

They expect to fund projects costing at least £20,000. The maximum grant size is £50,000 (plus VAT) and the maximum total project cost must be less than £100,000 (plus VAT).

Projects must meet one of the following four themes:

• Making the local environment cleaner, safer or greener: This could include setting up community allotments, tidying up communal areas, or redesigning spaces to make them less vulnerable to crime and make people more likely to use them.
• Improving the local natural environment: This could mean creating an urban nature reserve, clearing up an overgrown waterway or starting up a tree planting scheme.
• Improving the design, appearance, or accessibility of local amenities: You might want to add a playground to a local community centre, create a sensory garden, or open up a community facility to different people, perhaps by improving pedestrian, cycle or pushchair access or refurbishing a room so that it can be used by young people.
• Providing opportunities or facilities for enjoying the local environment or local amenities: You might want to run a series of activities to encourage your local community to get involved in your project or to encourage more people in your local community to use a local facility.

How to Apply

There are two ways of entering your project into the competition.

• By applying online: You can complete and submit a simple online entry form by going to their website: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/peoplesmillions
• By printing a copy of the entry form from their website.

The closing date for this years scheme is 15 May 2008.

Big Lottery Fund, 1 Plough Place, London , England

EC4A 1DE, 0845 010 1112, www.thepeoplesmillions.org.uk