The National Lottery Community Fund appoints two new Directors

The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest community funder in the UK, is delighted to announce the appointment of two new Directors who will play a significant role in driving forward the organisation’s continued delivery of its strategy - It Starts with Community.

Nadine Smith will join the Fund as Director of Communications, Impact & Influence, and Mel Eaglesfield has been appointed Director of Funding Strategy, Innovation & UK. Both are new senior leadership roles.

Nadine brings a wealth of experience from a career supporting the public sector, including most recently as Executive Director for Government, Strategy and External Affairs at Social Finance. As well as serving as Head of Strategic Campaigns at the Cabinet Office, Nadine was a founding director of communications at the Institute for Government and is a former director of the Centre for Public Impact. She will take up her new role at the Fund in November.

Having spent over 18 years working across funding portfolios and corporate functions at The National Lottery Community Fund, Mel Eaglesfield brings a breadth of knowledge, expert insight and understanding to her new role leading the organisation’s funding strategy, innovation and UK-wide programmes. She has already taken up the new, permanent post following six months as interim Director.

Of her new permanent role as Director of Funding Strategy, Innovation & UK, Mel Eaglesfield said: “It’s such a privilege to have this opportunity to lead our Funding Strategy, Innovation and UK work, and I am deeply committed to working with and for communities and our incredible people whose energy and drive make things happen.”

Nadine Smith, incoming Director of Communications, Impact & Influence, said on her appointment: “It is a huge honour to be given this opportunity to support The National Lottery Community Fund to bring to life its strategy, It Starts with Community. 

“I have worked across business, government and the VCFSE, and I am a firm believer that better outcomes come about by working in genuine partnership. 

“I am looking forward to growing our collective voice from the ground up, ensuring learning and impact is seen, heard and inclusive of all our communities.” 

Both appointments were made through open competition.

David Knott, Chief Executive of The National Lottery Community Fund, said: “I’m delighted to welcome Nadine to the Fund and Mel to her new role, building on her vast experience of the Fund and track record of excellence. Nadine’s experience will enable her to lead from the front while bringing her passion and imagination to ensuring the hard work of our communities is seen and heard. Their dedication, drive and vision will play a vital part in our leadership team as we push forward with delivery of our strategy at a time when bold, community-led change has never been more needed”.

National Lottery players raise over £30 million a week for good causes across the UK. Thanks to them, last year (2023/24) The National Lottery Community Fund awarded over half a billion pounds (£686.3 million) of life-changing funding to communities across the UK, supporting over 13,700 projects to turn their great ideas into reality. 

Date published: 7 August, 2025
Region: UK-wide

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 over £600 million a year through 13,000+ 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, £49 billion has been raised and more than 690,000 individual grants have been made across the UK - the equivalent of around 240 National Lottery grants in every UK postcode district.

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