Big Lottery Fund opens £20m fund for vulnerable children

[Alison J Stevens]

Big Lottery Fund opens £20m fund for vulnerable children

The Big Lottery Fund has launched Improving Futures, a £20m programme funding local voluntary sector organisations working in partnership with public services to help families with children aged between five and 10 years old with housing, health, employment and other needs.

The scheme, which will aim to help individual families, local communities and society as a whole, will fund up to 20 partnerships for three to five years, with up to £900,000 for each project. The Big Lottery Fund will also fund an evaluation of the programme that will assess how the different projects’ successes can be replicated elsewhere.

The scheme will aim to support organisations that have a track record of working with disadvantaged families. Each proposal must be endorsed by the chief executive of the relevant local authority.

Applicants will need to submit expressions of interest by midday on 12 May. These will then be reviewed and around 20 applicants will be invited to submit full applications by late September.

For further information visit www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/prog_improving_futures