£3mn National Lottery funding boost for Coronation celebrations
Melanie May | 5 April 2023 | News
More than £3 million of National Lottery funding has been awarded to communities across the UK so they can come together in celebration for next month’s Coronation of King Charles III.
The National Lottery Community Fund has awarded grants to over 700 community organisations across the UK to date to help them mark the occasion, which is set to take place on Saturday 6 May. It is funding a range of activities through National Lottery Awards for All.
The grants range from £300 up to £10,000, and are to support activities across the Coronation weekend with an emphasis on events and activities that bring people together and have a positive and lasting impact on community engagement.
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Friends of Victoria Park, Stretford, in Manchester, for example, has received £10,000 to host a number of free community events at the park, including a Coronation picnic on 13 May, which will include a barbecue, live music and Coronation themed crafts. In South London, funding recipient Stanley Arts’ celebrations will be inspired by the King’s interest in conservation and sustainability. Vegan Caribbean food will be on offer, alongside music from a local steel band, green activities including ‘bug-hotel’ making and participatory planting, sculpture workshops using recycled materials, fashion up-cycling and swap-shops.
The King’s Coronation will also be celebrated with The Big Help Out, a campaign to recruit thousands of volunteers for more than 1,500 UK charities. Alongside this there will be a Coronation Champions campaign, which will celebrate the achievements of outstanding volunteers.
The campaigns, which will be delivered by Shaping the Future with Volunteering, Together Coalition and the Royal Voluntary Society with support from the Royal Household, have received over £280,000 in funding from The National Lottery Community Fund.
Blondel Cluff CBE, Chair of The National Lottery Community Fund, commented:
“Thanks to National Lottery players, these events and activities are the first we are announcing funding for that will have a real impact on people’s lives. The events will promote community cohesion and engage people from different generations and cultures to get to know one another and share experiences. By helping communities celebrate such a historic occasion, we hope to inspire a legacy of positive change that allows people to thrive together.”
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.