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June 29, 2011

Good sense from the lottery

The Big Lottery has always claimed that it wants to be an intelligent funder. Not really sure what that means but the recent launch of a new funding programme – Community Spaces – suggests that they have been listening and learning as they go. £9m over three years for communities who want to improve the look and feel of a civic space or communal place (average grants around £100k) certainly makes them a commonsense funder

As part of Investing in Communities, Community Spaces Scotland supports communities to become more involved in, and to take responsibility for, their local environment, communal spaces and places. This will focus on bringing communities together while making them healthier, not just physically, but also through sharing activities in a space or place that is fit for purpose. We will do this by providing funding for communities to improve the appearance, functionality, accessibility, effectiveness and sustainability of local spaces and places (including buildings). 

We want this programme to help address the areas of greatest need in Scotland. To help us achieve this we have added eligibility criteria, based on the area where the project will be delivered, to ensure this funding is targeted where it is needed most. You can find out quickly and easily if your project is eligible by typing the postcode where your project will be based into our eligibility checker. 

To find out more about our approach to eligibility for this programme read our Community Spaces Scotland  guidance notes 

Outcomes

Projects must achieve all three of the following outcomes under Community Spaces Scotland:

Communities come together to make better use of local spaces and places.

Communities come together to improve their environment.

Communities come together to get healthier and be more active

What types of project will we fund?

We expect to fund a wide range of activities involving meeting spaces; recreation; and community green spaces. Examples include providing facilities for community activity through developing and improving: 

local parks

community paths and gardens

play parks 

allotments

community centres, and 

village halls. 

We may also consider funding suitable revenue projects that will meet our outcomes.

Through this programme we can also provide  development funding  to provide any relevant technical advice you may need to develop your full application. We can also fund business plans where these are considered necessary to securing the project’s long term sustainability.