MP urges groups to apply as BIG Lottery visits Balivanich

MP urges groups to apply as BIG Lottery visits Balivanich

Na h-Eileanan an Iar MP, Angus MacNeil has urged community organisations in the Western Isles to apply for funding from the newly launched Big Lottery Fund, which has £400 million to invest in Scotland’s communities between 2010 and 2015. Mr MacNeil is also urging community groups to try and attend the presentation and Question and Answers sessions that the Big Lottery Fund will be holding in Stornoway and in Balivanich during August.

Big Lottery will be presenting their new funding programmes in Stornoway on the 17th and Balivanich on the 18th August. The venues are the Comhairle Chambers, Stornoway and Balivanich Community Centre the following day. See our August What’s On calendar for more details.

The Big Lottery Fund in Scotland launched a new programme of funding on the 30th June 2010. BIG will have around £400 million to distribute until 2015 and will primarily focus on tackling need and addressing inequalities.

Although the BIG Thinking Consultation informed that wholesale changes to Investing in Communities were not required, the funder has three new investment areas with a more sharply defined focus. More information on the detail of the programme priorities, the outcomes and the application process is available on the BIG website and through BIG’s ebulletin.

BIG is also keen to outreach to ensure that people across Scotland will have an opportunity to speak with BIG staff about the new programmes. After consulting with a number of stakeholders, 23 regional outreach events have been planned and BIG will be in Lewis and Benbecula on 17th and 18th August respectively. The events will consist of presentations on BIG funding programmes followed by the opportunity for groups to speak to staff on a one to one basis about their projects. Up to two representatives from each organisation can attend.

This is an opportunity for communities to speak on a face-to-face basis with the Lottery Outreach team members and interested parties are urged to register with the website or prior to the presentation on the day.

Mr MacNeil commented: ‘This new fund could be of enormous benefit to many community organisations in the Western Isles, who are always trying to develop and promote events within their communities.

It is important that those that are involved with voluntary groups are aware of how they can access funding, and the Big Lottery Fund could be the financial key that will ensure that community groups develop projects in their local areas which will be of enormous benefit to that area.

The Big Lottery Fund will be in Stornoway and Balivanich next month, and I would urge representatives from local organisations to go along to these meetings, and find out what is on offer and whether they can benefit from this funding.’