Putting Communities First: Our Impact Report 2016-17 to 2020-21

Introduction

This research shares the impact of The National Lottery Community Fund in five years to 2021. The report shows how National Lottery funding enabled over 72,000 charities and community organisations to support people and communities across the UK.

Findings

The research found that in a typical year, The National Lottery Community Fund grants enable community organisations to

• support around 5.2 million people

• recruit 4,700 full-time equivalent staff

• mobilise 290,000 volunteers

And every month, around 1.8 million people enjoy the benefits of National Lottery Community Fund-supported community venues like village halls and parks.

The research also found that:

• National Lottery funding reaches every parliamentary constituency in the UK, investing most in areas of greater deprivation

• 97% of grant holders report positive benefits for people, like improved wellbeing, more social contact, and better confidence and self-esteem

• 91% of projects targeting people with complex needs report improvements in participants’ mental health

• without dedicated coronavirus funding in England, 56% of grant holders would have delivered significantly fewer services