WIREDGOV

This is the question being asked to communities across the UK as the Big Lottery Fund launches The People’s Millions today (Tuesday) in partnership with ITV.

Everyday someone comes up with a great idea to make their community a better place but all too often those ideas never take form – lacking the money and support to turn the dream into a reality. The People’s Millions could change that and best of all, the decision will not be made by a committee behind closed doors but the public will help decide the winners. If you feel passionate about making a difference in your community and have an idea that just won’t go away, the Big Lottery Fund wants to hear from you.

The competition opens today for entries from voluntary and community groups, local authorities, schools, statutory health bodies and branches of organisations or partnerships.

Anything from youth and environmental projects to schemes that improve employment prospects or help people in need are in with a chance of bagging the Big Lottery Fund cash, provided that entrants can convince their community through a broadcast on ITV regional news that their idea is worthy of the prize.

The People’s Millions is an annual TV competition run by Big Lottery Fund and ITV which awards National Lottery funding to community projects that will improve the lives of local people. This year there are four awards of up to £50,000 on offer in each of the 19 ITV regional news areas across the UK. 

Peter Ainsworth, Chair of Big Lottery Fund said: “The People’s Millions has had such a positive impact on the lives of so many people across the UK. This year we are looking for ideas and projects which are new, inspired and have the ability to make lives better I urge anyone who has a great idea and wants to make a difference in their community to download a form today.”

Adam Crozier, ITV Chief Executive said: "This year The People's Millions is giving away almost £4million to improve the lives of people in their communities. These exciting projects, which will be featured on ITV news programmes throughout the country, can make a real difference not just to the winners but to the people they live and work with every day."

So far 599 projects have received over £31 million of National Lottery funding over the last nine years and any of these projects can tell you that it is a great way to make a difference locally.

Entry packs are available at www.peoplesmillions.org.uk, and the deadline for completed entries is 12 noon on Monday 16 May 2014.

This year The People’s Millions is offering a total of £3.8 million to 76 projects across the UK.

Further information

Big Lottery Fund Press Office: 020 7211 1888     Out of Hours contact: 07867 500 572
Full details of Big Lottery Fund programmes and grant awards are available at: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk
Follow BIG on Twitter: www.twitter.com/BigLotteryFund #BIGlf
Follow People's Millions on Twitter using:  #pplsmillions

The People’s Millions 2014 Diary Dates
• 12noon 16 May 2014: Deadline for applications
• May – July: Big Lottery checks applications and draws up shortlist and reserve list
• End October  - Shortlist announced
• 24-26 November 2014: Voting week on ITV

ITV Regions
ITV broadcast regions in The People’s Millions: ITV Anglia East; ITV Anglia West; ITV Central East; ITV Central West; ITV Granada; ITV London; ITV Meridian East; ITV Meridian West; ITV Tyne Tees; ITV Westcountry East; ITV Westcountry West, ITV Yorkshire North; ITV Yorkshire South; STV West; STV East; STV North; ITV Borders ; UTV; and ITV Wales.

Notes to editors

• The People’s Millions is a Big Lottery Fund initiative in partnership with ITV
• Through The People’s Millions BIG will be making 76 awards of between £20,000 and £50,000 to new projects that will improve local places or the lives of people in the community.
• The People’s Millions has given the public the chance to vote on which local projects should receive National Lottery good-cause funding since its launch in 2005.
• New and existing voluntary or community organisations, schools, local authorities and health bodies are all eligible to apply.
• Telephone voting numbers – as with previous years, ITV and the Big Lottery Fund will use a low cost telephone number. ITV and BIG do not make a profit from the voting telephone numbers.
• The Big Lottery Fund is responsible for giving out 40% of the money raised for good causes by the National Lottery.
• The Fund is committed to bringing real improvements to communities and the lives of people most in need and has been rolling out grants to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK. Since its inception in 2004 BIG has awarded close to £6bn.
• In the year ending 31 March 2013, 28% of total National Lottery revenue was returned to the Good Causes.
• Since the National Lottery began in 1994, over £30 billion has now been raised and more than 400,000 grants awarded across arts, sport, heritage, charities, health, education and the environment