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Have your say on how National Lottery funding is distributed

27 July 2026

The UK Government has announced a call for evidence to:

  • ask people to share their views on how money raised for good causes by National Lottery players should be spent

  • understand the priorities and needs of people and communities across the UK

Seated audience at an event, with attendees holding The National Lottery Community Fund flags.

You can:

It's an opportunity to share your views on how National Lottery funding has made a difference in your community.

The survey is open until 23 September 2026.

How National Lottery funding supports communities across the UK

Find out how National Lottery Funding is making a difference by:

Thanks to National Lottery players, we awarded £939.7 million to communities across the UK. That's an average of £3 million every working day.

Our grants ranged from £300 to £21.6 million. And 86% of our awards were small grants that supported local grassroots groups.

The funding we distribute covers every postcode in the UK. Our funding teams work in the communities they serve, across every region and nation. And they use their local knowledge, evidence, decision-making and relationships to ensure funding reflects what communities need.

Our recent Impact Report shows that we:

  • reached nearly 7 million people

  • allocated over 13,000 grants in 2024 to 2025

  • are making a difference to people every day

We invest where it's needed most. And where it matters to communities. We aim to make funding simple and flexible so organisations can do their best work and create lasting change.

We know that when communities are strong, they:

  • change people's lives

  • help people feel healthier and more confident

  • give people more of a sense of control over their future

David Knott, Chief Executive Officer of The National Lottery Community Fund said:

"We welcome this call for evidence - it's vital to ensure that the good causes being funded through the generosity of National Lottery players are driven by the needs, hopes and aspirations of people across the country long into the future.

We will work with our colleagues across the UK and grant holders to ensure this builds on our collective experience of providing life-changing grants to communities over the last 30 years. We know there is so much more we can do to support communities and we encourage people to share their views and stories."