Deadline: The consultation will close on 12 August 2016.
The government has launched a consultation welcoming views into how National Lottery money is distributed across England and the UK.
The government is seeking views on new directions for the Big Lottery Fund as part of an update of the guidelines governing how and why it gives out money. The BLF operates independently of government in its individual funding decisions but is given a set of directions by ministers to ensure its overall strategy is broadly in line with government policy. The government has proposed the first new set of directions since 2012 and opened a consultation asking whether the proposals match the BLF’s remit. Proposals in the document include a direction that would requires the BLF to take into account “the desirability” of requiring partnership funding. It also calls for charities to take into account whether a project could deliver measureable outcomes. Money distributed by the BLF, the proposed directions say, should go towards issues such as:
- Strengthening social mobility
- Strengthening volunteering
- Supporting communities with integration, health, education and environmental outcomes
- Strengthening the capability and sustainability of civil society organisations
- Supporting organisational infrastructure in the youth sector.
Views are particularly welcome from members of the public, customers, stakeholders and partners of the Big Lottery Fund. Once all responses have been considered the government will again consult the Fund on how best to amend the directions, before a final version will be issued in autumn 2016.
