BIG opens Breathing Spaces programme

• Natural Environment
• Community Gardens
• parks
• local woodland
• local nature reserves
• ponds
• green corridors

The Breathing Places programme is a UK wide small grants programme developed in partnership with the BBC. It complements the BBC’s Breathing Places campaign by giving funding for small groups. In phase 1 and 2 of the programme around £5 million was distributed for projects that improved the local environment or created new breathing places.

Phase 3 of the programme opened for applications on 12 November 2007.

The aim of phase 3 of the programme is to:

• increase the number and range of people making use of, and helping to develop and maintain, breathing places, and
• make a lasting improvement to the natural environment of new and existing breathing places.

We want the programme to bring about the following changes:

• The natural environment of the breathing place is developed to encourage plant life and animals
• People in the local community make more and better use of the breathing place
• People in the local community are more engaged in developing and maintaining the breathing place.

A breathing place is a green space that benefits wildlife and the local community. It may be local woodland, roadsides, parks, local nature reserves or wildlife areas, ponds, green corridors and wildflower meadows.

Voluntary and community groups, schools, statutory health bodies and district councils in Northern Ireland are able to apply.

Completed applications for phase 3 must be received no later than noon on Friday 18 January 2008.

The minimum grant will be £1,000 up to a maximum of £10,000.

For information about the Breathing Places grants programme and an application pack, call the Big Advice Line on 0845 367 0610. Altenatively you can click on the link below to view all the relevant information.

http://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/index

You can find more information about the Breathing Places campaign on the BBC website, including details of some of the projects funded through phase 1 and 2 of the programme, at www.bbc.co.uk/breathingplaces.