06 April 2011
Big Lottery Fund and London Evening Standard support People Powered Change.
The Big Lottery Fund has announced that it will be supporting the Evening Standard Dispossessed Fund with up to £1 million, as part of ‘People Powered Change’. Grants of up to £10,000 will be made in May 2011 and later in the autumn in addition to the regular grants from the Dispossessed Fund’s endowment. The £1 million from BIG will enable the Dispossessed Fund to support a larger number of local groups who applied for funding during the last call for grants.
The Dispossessed Fund, a campaign run by the London Evening Standard and administered by CFN, was established in July 2010 with the aim of making a permanent difference to the lives of London’s most vulnerable residents. The money raised will go to inspirational local charities that seek to support Londoners who need and deserve aid with effective, practical help.
‘People Powered Change’ is a platform to build, accelerate and extend new and different approaches to develop great community-led action already underway across England. Through ‘People Powered Change’ BIG will provide support, information and tools to release the talents of individuals and community groups, to improve and strengthen their neighbourhoods.
Geordie Greig, Editor of the London Evening Standard said: “This astonishingly generous grant of £1m to the London Evening Standard Dispossessed Fund will have a dramatic effect to help us transform the lives of the most vulnerable people in our capital. It is immensely generous of the Big Lottery Fund to award us this money under People Powered Change which shares our aim of acting as a catalyst to bring significant social change to the lives of the poorest and those in need. We are immensely grateful and will ensure that the money is used to greatest effect.”
Sanjay Dighe, England Committee Chair, Big Lottery Fund said: “We are delighted to be working with the London Evening Standard to enable people across London to make a difference locally. People Powered Change is about creating the right conditions for local communities to take action for themselves and build on the great work they are already doing. We’re looking forward to seeing the emergence of new resilient, innovative and inspirational projects across London that will help communities achieve their goals and unlock hidden talent.”
Lesley Talbot, Director of Programmes & Development, Community Foundation Network, said:
“The enduring success of The Dispossessed campaign is a wonderful testament to those people who are working in London to lift people out of poverty by targeting education, crime, health and unemployment.”