WIREDGOV

Celebations are underway for supporters of the Lifelong Carers project, the second group to win the public vote and a slice of Lottery good cause cash from the Big Lottery Fund through the BBC’s Primetime programme.

A joint project between the BIG Lottery Fund and BBC Scotland, Primetime has £3 million in the pot to go towards projects aimed at helping improve life for the country’s over 50s.

Lifelong Carers won the hearts and minds of viewers across Scotland with their pitch to spend £418,090 to support older family carers of adults with learning disabilities in the areas of North and South Ayrshire, Dumfries & Galloway. The project will meet the needs of the growing number of carers by helping them to understand what their rights are, and how to access respite care and other services available to them.

Project leader Alex Russell, said: "We're absolutely delighted, this will make a tremendous difference to hundreds of older carers."

Lifelong Carers, which is run by Enable Scotland, is the second winner of the Primetime series, presented by Dougie Vipond, which transmits Mondays, on BBC Two Scotland at 8pm.

Each week three groups from one of six regional areas across the country will go to the public vote with the opportunity to clinch up to £500,000 of Lottery funding for their project. Further information on the project and the groups featured is available on bbc.co.uk/primetime.

Dougie Vipond, said: "Congratulations to Lifelong Carers. It was a difficult choice for viewers but we have four more opportunities for viewers to help change lives across the country with their phone vote.”

Alison Magee, Big Lottery Fund Scotland Chair, said: "The Primetime programme has really captured the imagination of the BBC viewers.  I am delighted this Big Lottery Fund money is going to a local project for which the public have expressed their enthusiastic support. I’d like to congratulate Lifelong Carers and wish them every success as they take their project forward. Throughout the coming weeks many more groups will go head to head in this exciting competition that gives viewers a direct say on how Lottery money should be spent.”

Further Information

Contact Landa Rolland at the Big Lottery Fund Scotland Press Office on
00141 242 1458/07789 033457
or Hilda McLean, BBC Scotland Press Office on: 0141 422 6377
Public Enquiries Line: 08454 102030
Textphone:  0845 6021 659ull details of the Big Lottery Fund programmes and grant awards are available at: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk

 Notes to Editors

• The Big Lottery Fund, the largest of the National Lottery good cause distributors, has been rolling out grants to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK since its inception in June 2004. It was established by Parliament on 1 December 2006.
• Since the National Lottery began in 1994, 28p from every pound spent by the public has gone to Good Causes. As a result, over £21 billion has now been raised and more than 290,000 grants given out across the arts, sport, heritage, charities, health, education and the environment.

 SCOTLAND

The Scotland Committee, led by Chair, Alison Magee, has been making Big Lottery Fund decisions on Scottish projects since March 2007. As well as taking devolved decisions on Lottery spending, the Committee has and will continue to play a strategic role in the future direction of BIG in Scotland.  

The Big Lottery Fund has £257 million to invest in Scotland’s communities before 2009 as follows:

£202 million for Investing in Communities
£25 million for the Young People’s Fund
£30 million for Awards for All

 *Investing in Communities is the Big Lottery Fund Scotland’s funding portfolio, which consists of four investment areas:

Growing Community Assets, to help communities obtain, improve, develop, manage, sustain and protect assets that will help them become stronger and more sustainable.

Life Transitions to support people at times of change in their lives – at different life stages and in different circumstances.

Supporting 21st Century Life to provide support to people and communities to deal with the pace of change, enjoy positive relationships, improve quality of life, and establish connections across 21st century society.

Dynamic and Inclusive Communities (DINC) to fund improvements to the capacity and infrastructure of national, intermediary or second tier organisations, to allow communities to engage in civic society and influence civic processes so that they can build strong and more inclusive local communities.