Big ottery Fund Phase II Consultation What you told us Summary of results
Need more information? June 2005 Visit our website at www.biglotteryfund.org.uk Copyright Big ottery Fund, 2005 Design Print Further copies available from: We care about the environment Our equal opportunities commitment Graphicsi.com Burlington Press www.biglotteryfund.org.uk Also available on request in Braille, on audio-cassette, in large print and community languages The Big ottery Fund seeks to minimise its negative environmental impact and uses only proper sustainable resources The Big ottery Fund is committed to valuing diversity and promoting equality of opportunity, both as a grant maker and employer. The Big ottery Fund will aim to adopt an inclusive approach to ensure grant applicants and recipients, stakeholders, job applicants and employees are treated fairly. It is the responsibility of all staff and Board members to uphold and implement our equality policy Big ottery Fund is the joint operating name of the New Opportunities Fund and the National ottery Charities Board (which made grants under the name of the Community Fund) This summary was written by Ambreen Shah
1 Summary of results The Big ottery Fund came into being on 1 June 2004 through the merger of the New Opportunities Fund and the Community Fund. To determine our future direction we have conducted two consultations. This summary gives you an update on key decisions that have been made in England as a result of what you told us in our Phase I consultation, and details the results and actions taken arising from our Phase II consultation in England. A copy of the full results can be found on our website: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk. Our UK-wide Phase I consultation was launched on the very day that the Big ottery Fund came into being. The focus here was to ask for your views on what kind of funder you wanted the Big ottery Fund to be, and how you wanted us to fund projects in the future. Your responses were analysed and published in February 2005 and can be downloaded from our website. As a result of what you told us we announced that we will distribute no less then one third of our income via demand-led, lightlyprescribed programmes, including an expanded Awards for All scheme; that we will introduce more flexibility in the length of our funding; that we will adopt the principle of full cost recovery; and that we will continue to make international and research grants. Our Phase II consultation introduced the themes and outcomes that are to shape our future work community learning and creating opportunity; promoting community cohesion and safety; and promoting well-being. Using a range of methods, including a formal consultation document and questionnaire and key stakeholder events and meetings, it asked for comments on these themes and outcomes and our suggested priorities in England. Fifty per cent of responses were from voluntary and community organisations, 21 per cent from local authorities with the remainder a mix of other public bodies. Just over 850 people responded to the consultation questionnaire, with approximately 630 going on to answer the questions. These 630 responses have been analysed and the key messages emerging are summarised below in this document.
2 General questions In general, the majority of you agreed that the themes, outcomes and priorities provide a sensible and flexible strategic framework for our future funding. You did feel, however, that Outcome four (see page 6) would benefit from being widened and supporting more generally healthier lifestyles. As a result we have proposed that Outcome four is broadened out to Healthier and more active people and communities. Some concerns were raised that our framework neither states nor implies that disadvantage will be the focus of our funding. However, at the same time, many of you are keen for us to adopt a broad notion of target groups/areas, so as not to ignore pockets of deprivation and/or the needs of groups that are not traditionally considered disadvantaged. As a result we have adopted a new mission statement: To bring real improvements to communities and to the lives of people most in need, which will enable you to define need in the context in which you are working and the issues you are trying to address. You told us that keeping our application process simple, providing support, facilitating partnership working and networking opportunities, and building capacity would help in ensuring the voluntary and community sector (VCS) can benefit as much as possible from our funding. To this effect we have made a decision to introduce a two-stage application process wherever it is appropriate to do so, where stage one will provide applicants with an indicative decision on their proposed idea. This will speed up the application process as well as support the VCS in making applications. In addition, in England we have now earmarked up to 155 million for a VCS infrastructure programme that will help develop the sector over 2006-2009. Overall, you were encouraging us to fund projects that link across several outcomes. However, some of you were also telling us not to penalise projects/organisations that have expertise in single issues. You also saw partnership working as important in order to achieve complementarity with existing strategies. You wanted us to support both capital and revenue projects, providing small pots of money and large, as well as shorter and longer term grants (up to five years). As noted earlier, we have already made a commitment to flexibility in the length of funding. Also in our portfolio of programmes, including through our demand-led programme, both capital and revenue grants will be funded. More specifically on June 15, 2005 we launched iving andmarks, a programme committing up to 140 million over 2006-2009 which will make (in the main) capital grants of between 10-50 million to fund major projects of national significance. A whole range of views were expressed about the types of organisations that should be eligible for our funding: VCS organisations with charitable status, statutory organisations, notfor-profit organisations, consortium bids, VCS organisations that did not have charitable status. As there was no consensus we have decided to build on both the predecessor organisations, making a commitment that the Big ottery Fund will make 60-70 per cent of its grant to the VCS but will also have the capacity to fund public and private organisations.
3 Outcome one People better able to contribute to their communities through improved life skills. Under Outcome one a large number of you thought we should fund locally based life long learning opportunities, or in other words, adult learning projects. This included projects that promoted skills such as basic literacy, numeracy and IT skills but also more general life skills that would promote independent living like timekeeping, listening skills and cooking skills. You also wanted us to focus on softer skills like confidence building and self-esteem. You supported projects that focussed on the development of work/employment/business skills and parenting skills. With regard to parenting skills you wanted the emphasis to be on the family and many of the projects mentioned were about improving parent-child relationships. There was also some support for advocacy/advice work, projects focusing on debt management and credit unions. Other areas you thought we should prioritise were projects that develop leadership and/or communication skills and projects that promote community learning/citizenship (including mentoring and peer learning). There was also support for meeting the training needs of volunteers. To reflect what you told us we are proposing that Outcome one reads: People having better chances in life, with better access to training and development to improve their life skills The sorts of projects that will get priority under this outcome are those that: improve family skills improve literacy, numeracy, ICT and creative skills develop consumer skills, including finance and debt management develop basic business skills, particularly for social and creative enterprises remove barriers to and develop employability, including through improving communication and problem solving skills develop life skills, including skills which help improve personal independence and interactions with others support the training needs of volunteers.
4 Outcome two More people actively involved in their communities and able to make a difference to their local areas Under Outcome two there was significant support for projects that broke down the barriers to volunteering, increased volunteering opportunities and provided better support and training for volunteers. There was also support for capacity building activities for the VCS such as project planning, management, reporting and fundraising. In celebrating identities you were telling us it was important to not only bring together different ethnic and religious identities but urban-rural and young and old. You supported community events such as festivals as a way of helping to build strong communities. Other priorities that you highlighted were projects that promoted community learning/citizenship and local planning and delivery. To reflect what you told us we are proposing that Outcome two reads: Stronger communities, with more active citizens, working together to tackle their problems. The sorts of projects that will get priority under this outcome are those that: celebrate community identity, culture, diversity and achievements strengthen volunteering and voluntary sector infrastructure build capacity for community engagement broaden young people s experiences and raise expectations reduce isolation, for example for older people, disabled people and their carers, and enable participation in community and family life support citizenship, leadership and local planning and delivery.
5 Outcome three Enhanced rural and urban environments, which communities are better able to access and enjoy Under Outcome three you wanted us to focus on both the natural as well as the built environment. There was a lot of support for projects that enhanced the quality and use of green spaces, including parks and outdoor play and recreational facilities. To support this outcome, we have already announced up to 90 million to fund parks in conjunction with the Heritage ottery Fund. In addition, up to a further 264 million has been allocated to support strategic programmes that will support and develop community spaces; local community enterprise, and access to the natural environment. Reflecting on your support for the development of spaces for play, and based on the recommendations of the report Getting Serious about Play, we have also made a commitment to invest up to 155 million in England on Children s Play. Here you re-iterated that you wanted us to provide funds for new community buildings and the maintenance costs of existing buildings, feeling that poor maintenance often led to crime. You highlighted street safety as a key area of focus which included particularly high support for neighbourhood wardens. Young people were identified as a key target group for work on the environment. As with other outcomes there was an emphasis on projects impacting on the community rather then individuals. As such you saw community action/involvement as essential in encouraging and sustaining improvements as well as educational projects that promoted environmental awareness raising. Sustainability was also a key priority for this area. To reflect what you told us we are proposing that Outcome three reads: Improved rural and urban environments, which communities are better able to access and enjoy. The sorts of projects that will get priority under this outcome are those that: ensure safer places, free from anti-social behaviour and crime promote better designed, clean and wellmaintained public places and public art increase community usage of local parks, play facilities, public places, community buildings and the countryside enable communities to tackle local environmental problems and improve their local environment promote environmental awareness through educational projects.
6 Outcome four People and communities more physically active and better able to make choices about healthier eating You were keen that we continue to support exercise and physical activity projects. This included funding sporting and more recreational physical activity projects, as well as training for staff to facilitate activity. As a result we have decided that any strategic programmes that are developed will emphasise a healthier lifestyles by promoting physical activity through everyday activity like walking and cycling as well as through community sport. There was also support for making healthier food more accessible as well as food growing and cook and eat projects. Healthy eating initiatives will therefore be supported by us and up to 45 million has been allocated towards promoting healthy eating for children and their communities. As regards mental health there was support for projects that made mainstream services more accessible, addressed particular needs through specialist services and addressed issues of stigma. As a result of this support we have made a commitment to developing an intervention programme for common mental health conditions. Other priorities that were identified by you were the need for us to address health inequalities through the projects we fund; and to fund educational projects such as information campaigns about how to live a healthier lifestyle. In total, up to 165 million has been set aside for the development of well-being programmes that promote healthy lifestyles, adopting a holistic definition of health. To reflect what you told us we are proposing that Outcome four reads: Healthier and more active people and communities The sorts of projects that will get priority under this outcome are those that increase community participation in sport, dance, play and physical and creative activity. develop better approaches to tackle mental health problems,including through education, public awareness and the arts. improve opportunities for healthier eating and promote the relationship between methods of production and the environment address health inequalities through educational projects and information projects.
7 Diagram one Big ottery Fund proposed themes, outcomes and priorities Community learning and creating opportunity Promoting community cohesion and safety Outcome one Outcome two Promoting well-being Outcome three Outcome four People having better chances in life, with better access to training and development to improve their life skills Including these priorities Stronger communities, with more active citizens, working together to tackle their problems Including these priorities Improved rural and urban environments, which communities are better able to access and enjoy Healthier and more active people and communities Including these priorities Including these priorities Improving family skills Improving literacy, numeracy, ICT and creative skills Developing consumer skills, including finance and debt management Developing basic business skills, particularly for social and creative enterprise Removing barriers to and developing employability, including through improving communication and problem-solving skills Developing life skills, including skills which help improve personal independence and interactions with others Celebrating community identity, culture, diversity and achievements Strengthening volunteering and voluntary sector infrastructure Building capacity for community engagement Broadening young people s experiences and raising expectations. Reducing isolation, for example for older people, disabled people and their carers, and enabling participation in community and family life. Supporting citizenship, leadership and local planning and delivery Ensuring safer places, free from anti-social behaviour and crime Better designed, clean and well maintained public places and public art Increasing community usage of local parks, play facilities, public places, community buildings and the countryside Enabling communities to tackle local environmental problems and improve their local environment Promoting environmental awareness through educational projects Increasing community participation in sport, dance, play and physical and creative activity Developing better approaches to tackling mental health problems, including through education, public awareness, and the arts Improving opportunities for healthier eating and promoting the relationship between methods of production and the environment Addressing health inequalities through educational and information projects Supporting the training needs of volunteers
8
9