WIREDGOV

Thousands of disadvantaged people in Africa, India and Asia will be helped to build more sustainable futures following funding of more than £6.7 million from the Big Lottery Fund (BIG), announced yesterday.

Sixteen UK-based organisations have been awarded grants from BIG’s International Programme, which supports projects that tackle the root-causes of poverty and deprivation and help people to improve their life chances.

Among the 16 grants, five are going to projects that will help people rebuild their lives after the Asian Tsunami in 2004.

Sir Clive Booth, Chair of the Big Lottery Fund, said: “These UK-based charities are making a significant impact in some of the world’s most disadvantaged areas. We’re pleased that today’s funding will help them to tackle poverty and deprivation across the developing world, helping those who are desperately in need of help.”

In Ghana, more than 40,000 marginalised children are set to benefit from better quality education and a safer school environment following an award of £459,263 to Camfed International.

Working in the country’s deprived northern region, the project will tackle two key barriers to education faced by Ghanaian children - poverty, and a threatening school environment present in under-resourced schools. As well as providing funding for essential items such as uniforms and stationery to disadvantaged children at risk of dropping out of school, the project will offer training to teachers and community groups to help them devise strategies to prevent harassment and abuse in schools. Teachers will also be trained to provide counselling to vulnerable pupils.

The project will also address the lack of female role models within the school system by engaging a network of young educated women to act as mentors.

Dolores Dickson, Director of Camfed Ghana, said: “In our recent election, northern Ghana voted overwhelmingly in favour of change, and the Big Lottery Fund grant is an opportunity to convert this optimism into action. It will have a major impact on the future of our children by making schools safer places and improving the quality of education.”

Concern Universal, based in Hereford, is another group benefiting today, after receiving £489,034 to work in the Dedza Disctrict of Malawi. Dedza is one of the poorest districts in the country with 72 per cent of households surviving on just one meal per day by December each year.

The project will help to reduce poverty in the district by increasing food security and nutrition for more than 20,000 local people. Agricultural production will be improved, as well as soil and water conservation practices, wells and boreholes.

Another aspect of the project involves raising the awareness of HIV/AIDS to encourage people living with the condition to participate more in the community. A number of home care providers will also be trained to support people with HIV/AIDS.

Dr. Ian Williams, Executive Director of Concern Universal said: “We are thrilled to have received a grant from the Big Lottery Fund for our food security improvement initiative in Malawi. We will now be able to facilitate the improvement of the livelihoods of thousands of people living in vulnerable households through increased agricultural production and better irrigation. Also we will be able to enable the local communities involved to improve environmental management and develop sustainable businesses. This money will make a huge difference to people’s lives and we’re delighted that practical work can now go ahead – thank you to the Big Lottery Fund!”

All projects receiving grants today are:

Further Information

Big Lottery Fund Press Office: 020 7211 1888
Out of hours contact: 07867 500 572
Public Enquiries Line: 08454 102030
Textphone:  0845 6021 659

Full details of the Big Lottery Fund programmes and grant awards are available on the website: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk

Notes to Editors

• The Big Lottery Fund (BIG), the largest distributor of National Lottery good cause funding, is responsible for giving out half the money raised for good causes by the National Lottery.
• BIG 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 June 2004. The Fund was formally established by Parliament on 1 December 2006.
• Since the National Lottery began in 1994, 28p from every pound spent by the public has gone to good causes. As a result, over £22 billion has now been raised and more than 300,500 grants awarded across arts, sport, heritage, charities, health, education and the environment.