WIREDGOV

Young people across England have just a few weeks left to make their bid for funding for local activities and services from the Big Lottery Fund’s Young People’s Fund 2 (YPF2) Local Grants programme.

The deadline is fast approaching for applications to the YPF2 Local Grants programme, which extends BIG’s commitment to support projects that put young people at the heart of planning, developing and running activities and services that can improve their lives.

Either working alone or in partnership with other organisations, companies and local authorities, grants of between £10,000 and £500,000 are available to voluntary and community sector (VCS) organisations for local projects led by and for young people.

The programme aims primarily to fund local activities and services that address the needs of young people, but will also make grants of up to £50,000 available for youth-based projects to develop land and buildings.

Projects must also help to achieve at least two of the five Every Child Matters outcomes – being healthy, staying safe, enjoying and achieving in life, making a positive contribution and having improved economic well-being.

BIG’s YPF2 Local Grants programme will build on the success of BIG’s original YPF programme where a wide variety of projects received funding, from youth theatres and arts initiatives to cafes, training programmes, campaigns and information services – all of which were set up and run by young people for young people.

The deadline for returning initial outline proposal forms is Thursday 16 October. Forms are available on BIG’s website: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk or by calling 08454 10 20 30.

Big Lottery Fund Chair of England Committee Sanjay Dighe said: “The YPF2 Local Grants programme is a great opportunity for grassroots youth-led organisations to develop new schemes and events, driven by young people today. The current generation of young people are once again under the spotlight; YPF2 enables local groups to help make a positive change.”

To help organisations that want to better involve young people in the planning and running of their projects, BIG has appointed the Participation Works Consortium which has developed a range of advice and information services that can be accessed free of charge.

Further Information

Big Lottery Fund Press Office: 020 7211 1888
Out of hours contact: 07867 500 572
Public Enquiries Line: 08454 102030
Textphone: 0845 6021 659

Full details of the Big Lottery Fund programmes and grant awards are available on the website: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk

Notes to Editors

• The Big Lottery Fund (BIG), the largest distributor of National Lottery good cause funding, is responsible for giving out half the money raised for good causes by the National Lottery.
• BIG 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 June 2004. The Fund was formally 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, more than £21 billion has now been raised and more than 290,000 grants awarded across arts, sport, heritage, charities, health, education and the environment.
• Participation Works is a consortium of youth charities led by National Children’s Bureau (NCB) that includes British Youth Council, Children’s Rights Alliance for England (CRAE), The National Youth Agency (The NYA), National Council for Voluntary Youth Services (NCVYS) and Save the Children – England. Information and support on involving young people is available at http://www.participationworks.org.uk/.