Community Groups to get Millions to Create Community Spaces

BIRMINGHAM, England, March 19/PRNewswire/ --

ATTN: England Editors

Community groups across England are all set to spring clean their
neighbourhoods with the launch of a GBP50 million lottery-funded grants
programme today, Wednesday 19 March.

The Community Spaces programme will provide grants and support to
community groups wanting to make their neighbourhoods cleaner and greener.
Community Spaces will help local people improve and create play areas,
community gardens, parks, wildlife areas, ponds, courts and village greens.

Gardening guru Charlie Dimmock, who officially launched the programme at
a project in London, said: "This is a fantastic opportunity for people of
England to pick up their gardening tools and rejuvenate their local public
spaces.

I hope people will be inspired by the hard work of community groups and
the wonderful spaces they can create for their communities."

Community Spaces is being managed by Groundwork UK on behalf of a
consortium of environmental organisations and is funded through the Big
Lottery Fund. The programme will make grants of between GBP10,000 and
GBP49,999 and some limited grants of up to GBP450,000 to community groups
that want to create and improve public spaces in their neighbourhoods.

Tony Hawkhead, Groundwork UK Chief Executive, said: "The launch of the
Community Spaces programme has given Groundwork a wonderful opportunity to
work with local organisations across the country and make a real and lasting
difference to thousands of people from all walks of life.

"One thing we've learned over many years is that local people are best
placed to decide how to make their area a better place to live. Community
Spaces will give people the tools to turn their passion into action, to make
those improvements happen and, crucially, to make them last."

A lot of people have good ideas but need a little help to get started so,
in addition to funding, Community Spaces is providing a network of trained
Facilitators to help groups turn ideas into reality. Facilitators will advise
successful groups on a host of issues from biodiversity to budgets to ensure
their projects are a real success.

Peter Wanless, Big Lottery Fund Chief Executive, said: "Pleasant,
accessible, open spaces can make a vital contribution to the quality of life.
The Big Lottery Fund knows from previous successes that sustainable, happy
communities are those which feel empowered to preserve the things they value
and make positive changes to their surroundings.

"Enabling communities to have a say in designing, planning and running
projects tailored to meet their needs is the real strength of 'Community
Spaces' and I'm very excited to be supporting Groundwork in encouraging
people to get involved."

For further information about Community Spaces and to find out how to
apply visit: http://www.community-spaces.org.uk or telephone 0845-3671-671.

Photographs of Charlie Dimmock at the launch event are available on
request after 1pm.

Notes to Editor

Community Spaces

Community Spaces is a GBP50 million open grants programme that is managed
by Groundwork UK as an Award Partner to the Big Lottery Fund's Changing
Spaces initiative.

Only community groups in England are eligible to apply to Community
Spaces - a full eligibility criteria is available online. Application
materials will be available from 19 March 2008 and it is anticipated that the
programme will remain open for applications until 2011.

For further information visit: http://www.community-spaces.org.uk

Groundwork UK

Groundwork supports communities in need, working with partners to help
improve the quality of people's lives, their prospects and potential and the
places where they live, work and play.

Our vision is of a society of sustainable communities which are vibrant,
healthy and safe, which respect the local and global environment and where
individuals and enterprise prosper.

For further information visit: http://www.groundwork.org.uk

Big Lottery Fund

The Big Lottery Fund's Changing Spaces programme was launched in November
2005 to help communities enjoy and improve their local environments. The
programme will fund a range of activities from local food schemes and farmers
markets, to education projects teaching people about the environment.
Groundwork UK was appointed as a Changing Spaces award partner responsible
for distributing GBP50m for its Community Spaces scheme.

The Big Lottery Fund rolls out nearly GBP2 million in Lottery money every
day. Across the UK most people live within a few miles of a Lottery-funded
project.

The Big Lottery Fund, the largest of the National Lottery good cause
distributors, was set up in June 2004. It gives grants to health, education,
environment and charitable causes across the UK.

Public enquiries line: 08454-102030 Textphone: 08456-021-659

Source: Groundwork UK

For media enquiries or to arrange an interview contact: Felicity Russell-Jones on +44-(0)121-237-5874 or , Nisha Virdi on +44-(0)7748-320-074. Big Lottery Fund Press Office: +44-(0)20-7211-1888 Out of hours: +44-(0)7867-500-572.

2008-03-18 19:03:04 0315676 PRNEWSWIRE