BIG Reveals New Strategy

The Big Lottery Fund is to pump a multi-million pound package of funding into communities to help them cope with the effects of the recession and increase its funding commitment to the Voluntary and Community Sector following its Big thinking Consultation, it has been announced.

An additional £43 million is to be invested across the UK to tackle the longer-term effects of the recession on the UK’s communities.

BIG is working closely with stakeholders to determine what form the support will take, but it is thought it could include targeted funding for specific services such as debt advice and support to help train increasing numbers of volunteers.

Responding to the increasing pressure facing the Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS), BIG has also reprioritised and refocused its portfolio and increased the budgets of some of its most popular programmes this year, to the tune of around £45million.

All these adjustments have been made to help get funding fast to where VCS voices are saying it is needed most.

In England the move includes a £20million increase in Reaching Communities.

A key difference in BIG’s approach will be an enhanced UK-wide target that at least 80 per cent of funding goes directly to the Voluntary and Community Sector between 2009-2015. A range of other factors that will determine BIG’s approach to funding through to 2015 are contained in BIG’s Strategic Framework, published on www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/bigthinking