New Opportunities Fund hosts debate on caring about the environment
Howard Lake | 19 June 2002 | News
How do you inspire apathetic Britons to care about the environment? Focus locally, was the conclusion of an environmental debate hosted by the New Opportunities Fund.
A MORI survey commissioned by the New Opportunities Fund, the National Lottery distributor, revealed that the greatest threats to green spaces are believed to be from crime and vandalism (68%) and people’s lack of concern, care or interest (42%). Both were seen as far bigger concerns than traffic pollution and global warming.
A debate on the findings suggested that local projects are the much-needed catalyst for all sections of the community, motivating people ‘to make a difference’.
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Baroness Pitkeathley, Chair of the New Opportunities Fund, said: “The debate reinforced the enormous benefits of local community-based projects, an area in which the New Opportunities Fund has already committed more than £125 million of National Lottery money and where we are already seeing great steps being made into creating safer, greener and closer communities”.
The debate was held at a Green Fair in Central London which aims to highlight how National Lottery money is being used to set up schemes, including those addressing crime and vandalism and apathy, within urban and rural communities.
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.