Big Lottery Fund
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Final call to enter life-changing £50k People's Millions TV contest

The deadline for communities across the UK who want a chance to win a Big Lottery Fund grant of up to £50,000 is fast approaching. There is less than a month left to enter The People’s Millions TV contest and secure the funds to help make a difference to the lives of people in their communities.

The TV contest, which can award funding for anything from youth and environmental projects to schemes that improve employment prospects or help people in need, must be received by noon 13 May 2013. Now in its eighth year, the contest run by the Big Lottery Fund (BIG) and STV gives the public the chance to choose which local projects receive Lottery funding.

This year there are four awards of up to £50,000 on offer in each of the three STV regional news areas across Scotland, amounting to a total of £600k to 12 projects. 

Later in the year, shortlisted projects will be screened on local STV regional news where viewers will be able to cast their vote for the projects they want to win the good-cause cash.

Big Lottery Fund Scotland Director, Jackie Killeen, said: “With just one month left before the deadline, I really wouldn’t want anyone to miss out, especially if you have a brilliant idea which will improve the lives of people in your community. The People’s Millions is a great opportunity for people to make a difference in their areas and a unique chance to put your community on the map. I would encourage everyone passionate about where they live to read the guidance carefully and get their completed applications in as soon as possible!”

Entry packs are available at www.peoplesmillions.org.uk and the deadline for completed entries is 12 noon on Monday 13 May 2013. Applications are welcome from voluntary and community groups; local authorities; schools; statutory health bodies and branches of organisations or partnerships.

To date the competition has awarded over £27.8 million Lottery cash to 523 projects since it was launched in 2005 including over £5.1 to 94 projects across Scotland.

The People’s Millions 2013 Diary Dates

  • 12noon 13 May 2013: Application deadline
  • Late October 2013: Shortlist announcement
  • 25-28 November 2013: Voting week

Big Lottery Fund Press Office: 0141 242 1451     Out of Hours contact: 07867 500 572
STV Press Contact: Anna Hendry : 0141 300 3830

Full details of Big Lottery Fund programmes and grant awards are available at: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk
Follow BIG on Twitter: www.twitter.com/BigLotteryFund #BIGlf
Follow People's Millions on Twitter using:  #pplsmillions

Notes to Editors

  • The People’s Millions is a Big Lottery Fund initiative in partnership with ITV
  • Through The People’s Millions BIG will be making 76 awards of up to £50,000 to new projects that will improve local places or the lives of people in the community.
  • The People’s Millions that has given the public the chance to vote on which local projects should receive lottery good-cause funding since its launch in 2005.
  • New and existing voluntary or community organisations, schools, local authorities and health bodies are all eligible to apply.
  • Telephone voting numbers – as with previous years, ITV and the Big Lottery Fund will use a low cost telephone number. ITV and BIG do not make a profit from the voting telephone numbers.
  • The Big Lottery Fund (BIG), the largest distributor of National Lottery good cause funding, is responsible for giving out 40% of 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 its inception in June 2004 BIG has awarded close to £6bn.
  • 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 £29 billion has now been raised and more than 383,000 grants awarded across arts, sport, heritage, charities, health, education and the environment.

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