National Lottery Community Fund announces multimillion pound fund & new funding focus for Northern Ireland
Melanie May | 2 October 2024 | News
The National Lottery Community Fund has launched a new multimillion funding programme for Northern Ireland that prioritises those experiencing poverty, discrimination and disadvantage, and preventing problems before they arise.
This marks a change to its main funding offer in the country, which will see it concentrate on helping communities most in need from now on.
The new National Lottery Community Fund programme, called Strengthening Communities, will invest £20 million a year across Northern Ireland. Part of The Fund’s strategy to 2030, ‘It starts with community,’ the programme will start by targeting two of its mission areas: help children and young people thrive, and enable people to live healthier lives. It puts greater focus on where National Lottery funding should be targeted and was devised after consultation with communities.
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Multi-year grants of up to £500,000 will be available, and organisations applying will be expected to show how their project has made a difference and how they will measure that impact.
Commenting, Paul Sweeney, Northern Ireland Chair of The National Lottery Community Fund, said:
“We’re delighted to launch Strengthening Communities, which takes the best of what we’ve done before and builds on our work to make communities stronger, healthier and more inclusive.
“We want to fund projects, led by communities, that focus on early intervention and building strength – equipping people with the skills, networks and resources to protect them from adverse experiences and break negative cycles. We know that this type of preventative support works best.
“I want to pay tribute to all the National Lottery funded projects that continue to step up for communities to support people in need. We look forward to working with them and seeing what can be achieved.”
Invisible Traffick focuses on preventative activities and is using a £500,000 National Lottery grant to educate and empower young people to recognise the signs of modern slavery, criminal exploitation and human trafficking and protect them from being exploited.
Megan Phair, Invisible Traffick’s Project Leader, said:
“We are absolutely delighted to hear about the aims of Strengthening Communities. Even the name is clear, showing that communities need to work together and be supported to help themselves.
“Our work shows that focusing on supporting and educating young people before an issue turns to a crisis, such as being groomed by a criminal gang, is the best way to prevent damage and improve their lives in the longer term.”
Strengthening Communities will open to applications on Monday 21 October 2024. Groups with ideas for funding are encouraged to get in touch to discuss their idea on 028 9055 1455 or email en**********@tn**************.uk.
This year marks 30 years since the first National Lottery draw in 1994. To date, £786 million from the funds raised has been awarded to communities across Northern Ireland.
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.