# Return £425 million of Olympics underspend to good causes, urges DSC - Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2012/06/13/return-425m-olympics-underspend-good-causes-urges-dsc/ - Published: 2012-06-13T13:33:18+01:00 - Author: Howard Lake The Directory of Social Change (DSC) is calling on the government to return hundreds of millions pounds that will not be spent on the London Olympics to the Big Lottery Fund and ultimately to charities and community organisations. The [Department of Culture, Media and Sport today announced](http://www.culture.gov.uk/news/news_stories/9137.aspx) that “The overall funding package for the Games remains at £9.298 billion with £ 476 million of uncommitted contingency available.” Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme this morning, Hugh Robertson MP, Minister for Sport and the Olympics said that “all being well we should be able to hand half a billion pounds back to the Treasury”. ## Advertisement The DSC’s Big Lottery Refund campaign aims to get £425 million of the money that was taken from the Big Lottery Fund to pay for the Olympics refunded to the Big Lottery Fund. Jay Kennedy, Head of Policy at the Directory of Social Change, said: “It will be an utter outrage – and verging on money laundering – if lottery revenues raided by the Government to fund the Olympics go back to the Treasury. This money was taken away from supporting vulnerable people and communities across this country at a time when they needed it most. Government needs to keep its promises and do the right thing – any underspend must be used to refund the Lottery as soon as possible.” ## @BigLotteryRfnd on Twitter The campaign has been busy using Twitter to promote its argument. Some of the tweets referred to Dame Suzi Leather’s valedictory speech on leaving the Charity Commission where she said that the biggest risk facing charities was financial shortfalls. > ‘Charities underfunded’ say @[ChtyCommission](https://twitter.com/ChtyCommission).‘ > Olympics overfunded’ say @[DCMS](https://twitter.com/DCMS) @[2012GovPress](https://twitter.com/2012GovPress)… > If only there was something we could do… > — Big Lottery Refund (@BigLotteryRfnd) [June 13, 2012](https://twitter.com/BigLotteryRfnd/status/212831673488916480) > Dealing with a £500M underspend – Let’s ask for £425M for @[BigLotteryRfnd](https://twitter.com/BigLotteryRfnd) > at [#PMQs](https://twitter.com/search/%2523PMQs)! Tweet your MP: [tweetminster.co.uk/mps](http://t.co/mj2Dtgk0) > — Big Lottery Refund (@BigLotteryRfnd) [June 13, 2012](https://twitter.com/BigLotteryRfnd/status/212831313881866240) > ‘Charities underfunded’ say @[ChtyCommission](https://twitter.com/ChtyCommission).‘ > Olympics overfunded’ say @[DCMS](https://twitter.com/DCMS) @[2012GovPress](https://twitter.com/2012GovPress)… > If only there was something we could do… > — Big Lottery Refund (@BigLotteryRfnd) [June 13, 2012](https://twitter.com/BigLotteryRfnd/status/212831673488916480) www.biglotteryrefund.org.uk * **[Five funders propose post Olympic endowment fund to support grassroots sports](https://fundraising.co.uk/2012/07/24/five-funders-propose-post-olympic-endowment-fund-support-grassroots-sports/)**( 24 July 2012) * **[DSC chases first tranche of ‘Big Lottery Refund’](https://fundraising.co.uk/2014/07/11/dsc-chases-first-tranche-big-lottery-refund/)**( 11 July 2014) * **[Big Lottery Refund campaign secures £148 million refund](https://fundraising.co.uk/2014/08/01/big-lottery-refund-campaign-secures-148m-refund/)**( 1 August 2014)