What’s better than communities receiving truly life-changing funding? Giving them the power to decide where the money goes

We believe everything starts with community. That’s who we serve – and where you’ll find us. For more than 30 years now, National Lottery funding – almost £50 billion of it – has helped transform communities and improved people’s lives across the UK.

I know that funding makes a huge difference. I see it every day in the communities we support. But it’s not enough. Not on its own. Not unless it comes with something more: the power to shape what it’s used for, and the ability to turn local vision into action.

Each year, thousands of people talk to us about the issues in their community and share their ideas for tackling them. We listen. We learn. We grow. And while we’re the largest funder in the room, we’re rarely the expert. Our communities are. They have the experience. They know their needs. They show up, every day, with an unstoppable passion for making a difference.

But, too often, something is missing. Something vital: Power. Agency. Control.

That’s why our strategy, It Starts with Community, commits to putting community agency at the heart of our funding. And that’s why, in that same spirit, we’ve joined teams with the government to launch a bold new initiative: the Community Wealth Fund.

The £175m Community Wealth Fund is funded by £87.5 million from the Dormant Assets Scheme with an additional £87.5 million in match funding from the National Lottery. It puts decisions directly in the hands of local people. Communities will decide how to spend the money, based on their needs, hopes and ambitions.

‘Community Wealth Funds’ are pots of money, which will support ‘doubly-disadvantaged’ communities across England. Communities with high levels of deprivation and the lowest levels of social capital and infrastructure. These communities will be allocated individual pots of funding – with residents empowered to identify and decide how best to spend them to improve their area and local people’s lives.

We know not every community has had the same starting point. Some communities face more complex and deep-rooted challenges than others. And we know not all communities have the same opportunities or the same set-up to come together. We want to help to change that.

These Community Wealth Funds will help rebuild the physical and social infrastructure that allows communities in England to thrive. Places where people meet, connect, organise, and support one another. Think green spaces, local networks, and the activities that bring people together and build belonging.

When people connect across generations, backgrounds and experiences, something powerful happens. Relationships grow. Confidence builds. Inequities are challenged. And change becomes possible – and sustainable. It’s something I’ve seen time and time again when we truly believe it starts with community.

Local decision making is central to the ambition of this scheme. Local people will be empowered to decide how to spend the money, according to what’s best for their area. They’ll oversee plans to make their community’s ambitions a reality. After all, no-one knows more than local people about what their own community needs.

This time, we’re doing things differently. The Community Wealth Fund will deliver targeted local investment across England. It is not open to applicants – like our regular National Lottery funding programmes. To reduce inequities, funding will be allocated to communities that have the highest level of need. This isn’t about short-term fixes. Instead, beneficiary communities will receive between £1 million and £2.5 million each, available over ten years.

We’re working hard to make this exciting new programme a reality. We’re grateful to the expertise, and experience of our communities and sector partners who have been so generous with their advice and insight. We don’t know all the detail yet. But we do know that we’re determined to do justice to the passion they’ve shown for helping us with it.

Together with the Department for Culture, Media & Sport and the Ministry for Housing, Communities & Local Government, we're working to be a positive force for change in some of our most disadvantaged communities. To build the social infrastructure where there is none. To make their own decisions on what's best for their community. To give people the bolder, lasting change they’ve been asking for and the power to shape the future.

This is a chance to do something different. To work alongside communities in England to build the future they want – and the foundations they need to get there.

Together, we can help create stronger, more connected, and more confident places – where power doesn’t just sit in the system, but lives in the community.