# Millennium Commission announces final major grants

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2003/07/14/millennium-commission-announces-final-major-grants/
- Published: 2003-07-14T23:00:00+01:00
- Author: Howard Lake

![](https://www.fundraising.co.uk/files/images/news/2337.jpg)

The Millennium Commission has today announced today its final tranche of major Lottery
grants – 150 new grants totalling over £32 million to build on the success of existing
Millennium Projects around the UK.
Grants in the final tranche include £10 million
for a new Education Centre for the Eden Project, £145,000 for enhanced children’s
play centres in Glasgow, and £1.5 million for a new Millennium Square for the City
of Sheffield.

Commenting on the grants, the Rt Hon Tessa Jowell MP, Chair of the Millennium Commission
and Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, said that she hoped these grants
would help demonstrate to the public the benefits that Lottery funding are still
delivering in their communities. She used the grants to re-emphasise the Government’s
commitment to a merger of the New Opportunities Fund and the Community Fund. She
hoped that “the Commission’s work in supporting large projects will be taken forward
by the new Lottery Distributor.”

The Millennium Commission announced its first grants in 1995 and has since provided
over £1.3 billion to 200 Millennium Projects across the UK. These have provided 
access to education, science, the arts and our environment, and many have won awards
including some of the most prestigious tourism, building and architectural awards.

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The Millennium Commission’s income from the Lottery ceased in August 2001 giving
it a total lifetime budget of just over £2.3 billion. It will be wound up in 2006
when its residual duties will be handed over to the new Lottery Distributor.

The Millennium Commission has supported:

 * over 100 Awards Schemes which distribute Millennium Awards to individuals for
   community based projects. Nearly 30,000 people have already received a Millennium
   Award and there are still Awards available. Further information is available 
   on 0800 06801 2000.
 * a UK-wide programme of community festivals which began on New Year’s Eve 1999
   and culminated on New Year’s Eve 2000 with celebrations in 32 towns and cities
   across the UK
 * The Millennium Encore Scheme which is enabling at least 50,000 young people across
   the UK to experience performing arts productions
 * The Millennium Experience at Greenwich and the National Programme.

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