Big Lottery announces new

Howard Lake | 8 May 2013 | News

The Big Lottery in Northern Ireland has announced a new funding programme which will provide £15 million for local capital projects.

The Space & Place Programme will support local communities to connect people by developing under-used, contested and/or difficult spaces. Funding will be distributed in three bands ranging from £50,000 to £1 million.

Grants will be awarded over five years and there is a two stage process with first grants being awarded by February 2014.

Space and Place, which is being managed by a consortium of organisations, seeks to improve the health and well-being of local people, supporting them to participate and engage more fully in their communities. The emphasis is on the most disadvantaged urban and rural communities of Northern Ireland.

The programme could fund a project to create a community garden and allotments in the grounds of a community venue, or a project to turn a derelict area into a mini park with cycle paths and walkways where people can meet and enjoy their local spaces and places.

Successful projects will also be able to contribute to sustainable land management as well as improved access to green spaces and learning opportunities linked to health and the environment.

The Space and Place Consortium will be delivering a roadshow across Northern Ireland this summer to promote the programme among potential applicants. Administration for the programme is being handled by the Community Foundation NI and application details and guidelines can be found on their website.

About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale. He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.