The National Lottery Community Fund launches new 2030 strategy to support communities (Northern Ireland)

The National Lottery Community Fund has today launched its new UK wide strategy, ‘It starts with community,’ which sets out its plans as a funder from now until 2030.

Over the next seven years The Fund will focus on four key priorities where it wants to make the biggest impact. These are to support communities to come together; to be environmentally sustainable; help children and young people thrive; and enable people to live healthier lives.

Launching the strategy at Liberty Consortium's Thrift Charity Shop in Derry/Londonderry

The funder has also committed to taking an equity-based approach to its work going forward, with a sharper focus on addressing inequalities.

Showing commitment to supporting grass roots organisations, the small grants programme, National Lottery Awards for All will be doubling the amount groups can apply for from £10,000 to £20,000 and doubling the term from 1 year to 2 years with these changes coming into effect from late autumn this year.

Launching the strategy at National Lottery funded, Liberty Consortium in Derry/Londonderry today, Paul Sweeney, NI Chair said: “I am delighted to be in the heart of the community in Derry today, to outline our plans for making a bigger difference, both by listening and responding to communities.

“Our new strategy, ‘It starts with community’ will be implemented over the next two years during which time we plan to have conversations with customers, stakeholders and those people who need our funding most to help us develop new Northern Ireland funding programmes.

“In the meantime all of our Northern Ireland funding programmes remain open and available for people to apply, and we look forward to joining our colleagues across the UK as we increase our investment in National Lottery Awards for All later this Autumn.”

Owen Kelly, Anne Marie Donnelly, Services Manager, Liberty Consortium, Kate Beggs, NI Director, The National Lottery Community Fund, Lucille Harrigan, Manager, Supervalu Northside Shopping Centre (National Lottery retailer), Paul Sweeney, NI Chair, The National Lottery Community Fund, Lorraine Gallen, Funding Officer, The National Lottery Community Fund and Sarah McCrystal

£15 million is also being earmarked for a new UK wide programme that will connect communities, as well as an additional £9 million boost going into its popular Climate Action Fund.

Further information about the delivery and implementation plans for the new priorities will be shared before April 2024.

To read ‘It starts with community’ visit tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/itstartswithcommunity

The National Lottery Community Fund distributes money raised by National Lottery players. Thanks to National Lottery players, during the last financial year, The National Lottery Community Fund in Northern Ireland awarded 663 new grants totalling £27.9 million to support local communities.

Date published: 6 June, 2023
Region: Northern Ireland

Notes to Editors

About The National Lottery Community Fund

We are the largest non-statutory community funder in the UK – community is at the heart of our purpose, vision and name.

We support activities that create resilient communities that are more inclusive and environmentally sustainable and that will strengthen society and improve lives across the UK.

We’re proud to award money raised by National Lottery players to communities across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and to work closely with Government to distribute vital grants and funding from key Government programmes and initiatives.

As well as responding to what communities tell us is important to them, our funding is focused on four key missions, supporting communities to:

1. Come together

2. Be environmentally sustainable

3. Help children and young people thrive

4. Enable people to live healthier lives.

Thanks to the support of National Lottery players, we distribute around £500 million a year through 10,000+ grants and plan to invest over £4 billion of funding into communities by 2030. We’re privileged to be able to work with the smallest of local groups right up to UK-wide charities, enabling people and communities to bring their ambitions to life.

National Lottery players raise over £30 million each week for good causes throughout the UK. Since The National Lottery began in 1994, £47 billion has been raised and more than 670,000 individual grants have been made across the UK - the equivalent of around 240 National Lottery grants in every UK postcode district.