The Big Lottery Fund’s Investing in Communities programme is no more, and their new approach to larger grants is very different. Grants are available for “community-led activity” and for “improving lives”.
Alongside showing that they will achieve positive outcomes, applications will now also be judged on how they demonstrate they are adopting the Big Lottery’s ‘three approaches’. They will expect applicants to demonstrate that they will be ‘people-led, strength-based and connected’, and are unlikely to fund work that doesn’t show clearly how these approaches will be taken. They have also made practical changes to the grant processes, including the different levels of grants you can apply for and the process of applying.
ACVO the Third Sector Interface for Aberdeen City, which has mapped over 900 Third Sector organisations in the City and represents the sector in Community Planning, can see enormous benefits in these new approaches. We can also see challenges for some organisations who might be planning to apply but are not as connected as they might be. There are in particular challenges for some of the larger deliverers of services and opportunities for work led by smaller organisations serving particular geographic communities. This applies of course across Aberdeenshire and Grampian as well. These challenges will also be of relevance to the many NE firms that work with local Trustees.
We have therefore arranged with The Big Lottery to hold a free event in Aberdeen’s Town and County Hall on 13th May 2016 from 10.00 a.m. This is open to delegates from all sectors and from across NE Scotland and is influencing similar initiatives further afield through the network of TSIs across the country. The event will include the opportunity to hear from and talk about projects with The Big Lottery Fund team, and breakout support sessions from ACVO the Third Sector Interface to help organisations in key areas such as:
- Build evidence
- Identify connections
- Communicate effectively
- Understand social capital and why it is important
- Share good practice
- Support participants as volunteers and leaders
- Build volunteering as a key strength/asset in communities.
For further information visit www.acvo.org.uk or book here.