The maximum Awards for All grant to communities will double to £20,000 this autumn, as part of a seven-year strategy revealed today by the National Lottery Community Foundation.
Groups will also be given two years to complete the Awards for All bidding process – up from the current 12 months.
NLCF’s chief executive, David Knott, said: “This is what gets me out of bed in the morning,” as he predicted handouts from the UK’s biggest community funder totalling £4bn up until 2030.
He said: “With Awards for All, we get an idea from a community or a group every three minutes. It’s where we have our biggest reach.”
The new strategy, called ‘It starts with community’, includes £15m for a new programme to connect UK communities as the funder seeks to tackle some of the big social issues facing them.
There will be another £9m to tackle climate issues, one of NLCF’s four key missions.
Knott said there was determination to help ticket-buyers feel more connected to the results of their purchase.
He said: “We want to be here for another 30 years. We will see other ideas coming to fruition in the future.
“For example (though it’s not ready yet), there’s no reason why a ticket-buyer should not see on the back the details of a local cause that has benefitted from NLCF money.”
Knott added: “The prizes are a big reason to play, but a video we are releasing says: ‘When you buy a ticket, you make a life-changing purchase.’
“Increasingly, people are playing because they want to see real change in their communities. We want to strengthen that connection.”
In a press release, NLCF said it had “committed to taking an equity-based approach to its work going forward, investing most in places, people and communities experiencing poverty, disadvantage and discrimination”.
It added: “‘It starts with community’ is the result of extensive consultation and feedback over the last 15 months involving over 18,000 people and organisations across a spectrum of different stakeholders.”
Knott said: “This is about building on a 30-year UK success story – the next chapter starts here and it starts with community.
“We want to thank the 18,000 people and organisations who have helped shape our direction of travel until 2030 – your passion, innovation and generosity have inspired us and set us on a great path for supporting communities across the UK for the years to come.”
NLCF distributes money raised by National Lottery players, whose ticket purchases contribute more than £30m each week for good causes across the UK. Last year, the fund awarded £588.2m.
