£22m funding package announced to commemorate Queen’s Platinum Jubilee
Melanie May | 17 November 2021 | News
Over £22million of National Lottery funds is being made available to help communities across the country celebrate The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee next year.
New programmes and activity from The National Lottery Community Fund, National Lottery Heritage Fund, Arts Council England, Sport England as well as the BFI, made possible by the funding, will support communities to develop activities that bring people together to celebrate the Jubilee in June 2022.
Funding for community projects & events
The National Lottery Community Fund is today launching a £3.5million Platinum Jubilee Fund, which will provide grants of up to £50,000 to 70 community projects across the UK, celebrating the Queen’s 70 years of public service.
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Grants of up to £10,000 from The National Lottery Awards For All programme will be available for community-led events throughout 2022.
The Platinum Jubilee weekend will also be celebrated with The Big Jubilee Lunch from 2-5 June. Part of a two-year programme of activities supported by £2.3million of National Lottery funding, the Jubilee-focused version of the annual Big Lunch event will aim to bring thousands of communities together and help people celebrate while also getting to know their neighbours.
Grants of up to £10,000 for creative & cultural activities
Arts Council England is launching the Let’s Create Jubilee Fund, a £5million programme that will support voluntary and community organisations in England to develop creative and cultural activities as part of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations with grants of up to £10,000. UK Community Foundations will administer the fund and applicants will be encouraged to partner with established artists, creatives and cultural organisations to develop their activities.
Throughout the year community organisations will also be able to apply for grants from the Arts Council’s £98.75million National Lottery Project Grants programme, which has been refreshed with new guidance to better support a broader range of ambitious cultural projects. The Arts Council will publish more detail on how to apply for the Let’s Create Platinum Jubilee Fund in December.
Funding for green spaces
To mark the Jubilee year, The National Lottery Heritage Fund will invest £5million in supporting communities across the UK to re-connect with the nature on their doorstep. From wilding verges and sowing meadows, to digging ponds and creating highways for nature, communities will be encouraged to take action to help natural green spaces flourish as a legacy of the Platinum Jubilee. An additional £2million funding will create 70 paid placements for young people from under-served and disadvantaged backgrounds. These employment opportunities will provide the skills, experience and practical qualifications for those looking to enter a career in wildlife and nature.
Support for sports & physical activity
Sport England will commit up to £5million towards a Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Activity Fund, which will open at the beginning of 2022 and focus on the role of sport and physical activity in tackling inequalities and building stronger communities. Further details will be announced in due course.
National Lottery supported film collection
The BFI is launching a Royal Jubilee themed BFI Player collection in 2022. The collection of archival films will show how royal Jubilees have been celebrated and captured on film and television since the earliest days of the moving image. The films, drawn from the collections of the BFI National Archive and regional and national archives across the UK, have mostly been digitised with the support of the National Lottery, and will be available for free on BFI Player.
Blondel Cluff CBE, Chair of The National Lottery Community Fund and Chair of the UK Funding Committee said:
“Thanks to National Lottery players, we are proud to support communities across the United Kingdom to mark the momentous year of 2022.
“The £3.5million Platinum Jubilee Fund presents a wonderful opportunity for community spirit to shine, funding 70 projects that enable communities to come together, spurring fresh purpose and pride, whilst at the same time creating tangible legacies for the future.”
Darren Henley, Chief Executive at Arts Council England, said:
“We’re giving people across the country the chance to come together to experience the joy of culture and creativity in celebration of this historic milestone. With Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee taking place alongside the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Festival and the Unboxed festival of UK creativity, next year is set to be a magnificent celebration of our nation’s artistic achievements.”
Dr Simon Thurley, Chair of The National Lottery Heritage Fund said:
“I am excited that we will be bringing people together from across the UK during this special year with the shared purpose of celebrating, conserving and improving their unique community green spaces. The protection of our natural heritage is vitally important. On a grand scale it affects our ecosystem, our climate and the air that we breathe. For individuals, it inspires wellbeing and joy. I am delighted that, thanks to players of the National Lottery, not only will individuals from diverse backgrounds have the opportunity to work in nature but nature’s spaces will be kept safe for the enjoyment of generations to come.”
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About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.