WIREDGOV

Big Lottery Fund yesterday launched the ‘Your Voice, Our Vision’ online conversation open to anyone interested in having a say on how the £4billion of Lottery funding should be spent between 2015 and 2021.

From now to July 2014 the Fund is asking anyone with a stake in Lottery funding, including grant holders, the voluntary and community sector and the general public to take part in a UK wide conversation around the Big Lottery Fund’s work.

Everyone is invited to add their voices to this conversation via submitting a blog, posting a film, sending a tweet or contributing a comment. These views will then inform the Fund’s new framework, which will be published by spring 2015.

Dawn Austwick, Chief Executive of the Big Lottery Fund explained: “Our mission to help communities and those most in need hasn’t changed, but the world around us has and we need to look at how we can adapt, what we can do better or differently.

“Our vision is that of thriving communities, but how can we best support the growth of social capital and help communities make the most of their strengths and talents? What can we do to support people living in poverty to achieve a better quality of life? How can we share our information, data and resources for the benefit of others? We need to ask these questions to better understand our role as a funder now and what kind of funder we want to be in a few years time.

“We are not opening a traditional consultation today – we are starting a dialogue, an exchange of thoughts and ideas, challenges and opportunities. We want people to be creative and honest in their responses. This conversation will inform how we use £4billion of National Lottery good cause funding, so please join in.”

The conversation is open to all at:

• Twitter: @blfyourvoice #yourvoice
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/BigLotteryFund 
• Email: yourvoice@biglotteryfund.org.uk / eichllais@cronfaloterifawr.org.uk
• Web: http://yourvoiceourvision.org.uk/

Big Lottery Fund Press Office: 020 7211 1888
Out of hours media contact: 07867 500 572

If you have a hearing or speech impairment you can contact us using Text Relay at
18001 plus 0191 376 1776

Full details of the Big Lottery Fund programmes and grant awards are available on the website: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk
Ask us a question here: http://ask.biglotteryfund.org.uk
Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/BigLotteryFund #BIGlf
Find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/BigLotteryFund

Notes to editors

• The Big Lottery Fund is responsible for giving out 40% of the money raised for good causes by the National Lottery.
• The Fund is committed to bringing real improvements to communities and the lives of people most in need and has been rolling out grants to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK. Since its inception in 2004 BIG has awarded close to £6bn.
• The Fund was formally established by Parliament on 1 December 2006.
• In the year ending 31 March 2013, 28% of total National Lottery revenue was returned to the Good Causes.
• Since the National Lottery began in 1994, £31 billion has been raised and more than 400,000 grants awarded across arts, sport, heritage, charities, health, education and the environment.