National Lottery Community Fund Chair appointment

The National Lottery Community Fund, the UK’s largest funder of community activity, has today announced the appointment of the new Chair of its Northern Ireland Committee.

Paul Sweeney will lead the Committee, advising how National Lottery funding is best distributed across communities in Northern Ireland, helping them to thrive. National Lottery players raise £30 million each week for good causes throughout the UK.

More than a year after the UK entered its first lockdown, Paul takes up his new position as the Fund continues to provide critical funding and support for communities in Northern Ireland as they recover from the pandemic and adapt to new challenges.

Paul has a wealth of experience working in the voluntary, community, and public sectors in Northern Ireland. From 1987 to 1994 he was the Director of the Northern Ireland Voluntary Trust that supported community-based self-help initiatives.

He joined the Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS) in 1994, initially on secondment, as an adviser on community development and reconciliation. Throughout his subsequent career in the NICS he held a number of senior positions including Deputy Secretary in the Office of the First and Deputy First Minister, Permanent Secretary in the Department for Culture, Arts and Leisure, and Permanent Secretary in the Department of Education.

Since retiring from the NICS in 2017 Paul has undertaken a trustee role in a number of not-for-profit organisations focusing on regeneration, culture, and young people.

He said: “I consider it a privilege to be appointed into this role and to be afforded the opportunity to build on the success of the Fund's grant making in the years ahead.

“The Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise sector across Northern Ireland has responded to the challenges of COVID-19 with leadership, resilience, and compassion. I believe that The National Lottery Community Fund is well-placed to continue supporting local people as we re-build after the immediate pressures of the pandemic.”

Blondel Cluff CBE, Chair of The National Lottery Community Fund, said: “Paul’s experience, expertise, and vision will be invaluable to The National Lottery Community Fund as we continue to provide vital support to communities in Northern Ireland – and across the entire UK - working closely with them to ensure that they emerge from the current crisis stronger and better placed to face the future.”

To find out more visit www.TNLCommunityFund.org.uk.