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Community Spaces, which is managed by Groundwork UK and funded by the Big Lottery Fund, has today announced nine significant grant awards to community-led projects across the country. Successful groups have each secured up to £450k of funding to transform green spaces across the country.
At a time where the threat to funding for parks and green open spaces is rife, Lottery funding is enabling local people to take control of public spaces and transform them for community benefit. The transformations range from a new state of the art natural play area in Torbay to a digital technology clad heritage park in Cleveland.
The following nine projects have been awarded a grant from Community Spaces;
Groundwork UK awards Community Spaces grants to local groups that want to improve or create parks and green spaces. Projects range from community gardens and play areas to outdoor gyms and nature reserves.
Flagship grant awards were available in a one-off bidding round that closed in January 2009. The groups that have been selected to receive the grant awards had to demonstrate how their project will improve the space for local people as well as significantly benefit the wider community.
Tony Hawkhead, Groundwork UKs Chief Executive, said, “I am delighted to be able to announce these significant grant awards today. At a time when tightened Local Authority budgets are leaving many of our parks and outdoor recreation areas facing uncertain futures, the flagship grant awards will help secure much needed green spaces that will have a big impact in their local communities. I’d like to wish all the groups the very best of luck and look forward to seeing the finished sites.”
Peter Wanless, Big Lottery Fund’s Chief Executive, said, “The flagship awards announcement from the Community Spaces programme includes some exemplary projects that are set to help people of all ages enjoy and improve their local natural environment. The Big Lottery Fund’s Changing Spaces programme is already engaging communities in the regeneration of green spaces and in growing their own local food, and it gives me great pleasure to see these awards today.”
If you’re a community-led group that wants to transform a patch of land, green space or park in your neighbourhood then smaller grants of £10k to just under £50k are available from Community Spaces until January 2011, please visit the website; http://www.community-spaces.org.uk/ for more information.
On the site if the existing Churchyard, which will be transformed in to a vibrant village square with Community Spaces funding.
From Left to Right:
Wendy Jenkins (Groundwork UK, Director of Open Grants)
Jack Lowman (Big Lottery Fund, West Midlands)
Stan Hems (Director, All Saints Community Development Company)
Dave Travis (All Saints Roads Resident’s Association)
Carl Hodgkiss (Development Manager, All Saints Community Development Company)
- ENDS -
Community Spaces
Community Spaces is a £50 million open grants programme that is managed by Groundwork UK as an award partner to the Big Lottery Fund’s Changing Spaces initiative. The programme helps community groups create or improve green and open spaces so that the quality of life in neighbourhoods across England is enhanced.
Only community groups in England are eligible to apply – a full eligibility criteria is available online: http://www.community-spaces.org.uk/.
There was only one opportunity to apply for a grant of between £50,000 - £450,000 – these grants closed to applications in January 2009. The programme will remain open for small and medium grants (£10,000 - £49,999) until January 2011.
The programme has awarded almost 250 small and medium grants across the country – projects range from small facility and access improvements to larger creations of community gardens, outdoor gyms and play areas.
For media enquiries please contact, Nisha Virdi: 0121 237 5872 or 07748 320 074. Email press@community-spaces.org.uk
Photo of cheque presentation with a successful Flagship project in the West Midlands will be available.
Groundwork UK
Groundwork supports communities in need, working with partners to help improve the quality of people’s lives, their prospects and potential and the places where they live, work and play.
Our vision is of a society of sustainable communities which are vibrant, healthy and safe, which respect the local and global environment and where individuals and enterprise prosper. For further information visit: http://www.groundwork.org.uk/
The Big Lottery Fund’s Changing Spaces programme was launched in November 2005 to help communities enjoy and improve their local environments. The programme is funding a range of activities from local food schemes and farmers markets, to education projects teaching people about the environment. Groundwork UK was appointed as a Changing Spaces award partner, responsible for distributing £50 million through its Community Spaces scheme.
The Big Lottery Fund, the largest of the National Lottery good cause distributors, has been rolling out grants to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK since its inception in June 2004. It was established by Parliament on 1 December 2006.
Big Lottery Fund Press Office:020 7211 1888
Out of hours: 07867 500 572
Public enquiries line: 08454 102030
Textphone: 08456 021 659
Full details of the work of the Big Lottery Fund, its programmes and awards are available on the website: http://www.nof.org.uk/
