The NOF said the money will encourage and support efforts in both urban and rural communities to regenerate local environments and develop more sustainable living schemes. The overall initiative would work in three strands – £50 million would support quality of life in urban and rural settlements, 50 million to go to the development of renewable energy sources and windfarms and £50 million to support community recycling schemes.
Baroness Pitkeathley, Chair of the New Opportunities Fund said: “This is a wonderful opportunity for the Fund to take forward its aim of using National Lottery money to improve the quality of life in communities, particularly in areas with significant levels of deprivation. By funding schemes that will enable local people to become involved in community regeneration, environmental renewal and more sustainable ways of living, we can help communities to build confidence and individual skills.”
Partnership
She added: “The Fund will work to deliver this initiative in partnership with existing organisations with relevant expertise, and in a way which complements national, regional and local strategies.”
The new initiative builds on the Fund’s existing £125 million environment programme, Green Spaces and Sustainable Communities. It will now be the subject of an extensive UK-wide consultation exercise carried out by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the devolved administrations, before policy directions are drawn up.
Full details of the New Opportunities Fund programmes and grant awards are available on: www.nof.org.uk
The public enquiries line is: 0845 0000 121.
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