One of the great privileges of being Crawley’s Member of Parliament is that I get to meet with a whole host of local charities and voluntary group. The dedication of those individuals in making a positive difference really does enhance the strength of our local community and for that I’m grateful.
Funding is important too though and so I am looking forward to attending the Crawley Community & Voluntary Service (CVS) AGM later on (Wednesday 1st October), where we will be joined by representatives from the Big Lottery Fund.
The Big Lottery Fund will be discussing their Awards for All programme, which any charity can apply for, even the smallest of local voluntary groups.
Grants available range from £300 to £10,000. The purpose of the programme is to show that applying for funding need not be a difficult process, and I would like to thank the BLF for their commitment to good causes in Crawley.
The BLF are coming to our town to provide help and support. In some cases, the grants available are relatively modest, but can still make a great deal of difference.
The Big Lottery Fund already has a track record of helping groups in the area. A variety of organisations have benefited, ranging from the 2nd Ifield Scout Group, to the Maidenbower Park Community Club, as well as a number of individuals regarding the Heroes Return initiative.
For every National Lottery ticket sold, 28 pence goes to good causes – which works out at £25 million a week. Crawley charities have received total of more than £1 million since April 2012
I would urge local groups to look into applying for funding from the Big Lottery Fund’s Awards for All scheme.
The BLF are about helping those charities that maybe don’t have the greatest resources or man-power, but do have dedication, desire and belief to help people. These organisations may be local, and their work may not always hit the headlines, but it by no means any less important.
One of the more frequent questions I am asked when meeting charities is with regard to funding, so I encourage as many Crawley charities as possible to attend, and to discuss with Big Lottery Fund staff how they can best apply for this funding.
For information on the Big Lottery Fund, please visit www.biglotteryfund.org.uk. Information on the BLF Awards for All programme can be found at www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/funding/Awards-For-All.
Please click here for a PDF of additional information regarding the BLF Awards for All programme in Crawley (requires Adobe Reader, please click here to install).