Charity and Voluntary Sector

BIG: A new London project to support people affected by fatal gun, knife and violent crime is to start after being awarded £108,821 from the Big Lottery Fund. The project offering help & counselling to friends and family of victims of violent crime is one of 3 London projects sharing over £600,000 from BIG’s Reaching Communities programme.
 
The Peace of Life Project, run by Southwark Bereavement Care, will use the funding over three years to reduce the effects of gun, knife and violence-related deaths in Southwark and Lambeth. Staff & qualified volunteers will offer counselling, trauma therapy, mentoring & anger management to people who have lost someone through a violent death such as murder, accident or suicide.  
 
The project will help the grieving process and mitigate a need for revenge, which can lead to stress, social isolation, insomnia, anxiety and anti-social behaviour.
Press release ~ BIG’s Reaching Communities programme ~ Southwark Bereavement Care ~ Castlehaven Community Association’s Help Elderly Local People Scheme (CCA HELPS) ~ Bengali Workers Association
 
CRC: The Commission for Rural Communities has responded to Big Lottery Fund’s 'Big thinking' consultation which is helping shape their future funding policies for 2009-15. They have welcomed Big Lottery Fund’s proposed continuing future focus on tackling disadvantage & vulnerability and helping people most in need.
 
There are different ways of delivering lottery funding, each with its own pros and cons.  The important challenge is to consider the needs of individuals and communities in rural areas, as well as urban.  They also suggest that in future the Big Lottery Fund uses the official urban rural definition to monitor the rural distribution of its grants in order to demonstrate and secure geographical equity.
Press release ~ 'Big thinking' consultation ~ CRC response
  
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