Lottery £90 Million Boost puts Parks at Heart of Community Life

The 'Parks for People' grant scheme has been designed to encourage local people to get actively involved in and benefit from their parks, and to make sure open spaces play a vital role in community life.

The Big Lottery Fund and Heritage Lottery Fund are working together to put an additional £90 million into making our parks community places as well as recreation spaces.

Over the next three years, the two Lottery Funds will work in partnership to deliver a multi-million pound lottery investment which will see parks grow into more attractive and safer places for everyone to come together and enjoy - from kids and teens, to older people and families.

This is the first joint programme from the two Lottery Funds and builds on their shared commitment to bringing a real improvement to local environment and quality of life, making a lasting impact on the lives of local people and the places they live. The scheme will be administered by the Heritage Lottery Fund which has delivered a successful programme supporting public parks for the past 10 years.

The £90 million over three years from the Big Lottery Fund will be added to the Heritage Lottery Fund’s significant continuing investment in parks anticipated at around £70 million over the period. Whilst the Big Lottery Fund has spent £514 million on environmental initiatives and the Heritage Lottery Fund has invested £400 million in the regeneration of public parks, there is still a great deal to be done to ensure parks are at the centre of community life.

For further information visit: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk or call Michelle Harris at the Big Lottery Fund on 020 7211 1818. Out of hours: 0786 7500 572
Also visit: www.hlf.org.uk or contact: Lisa Cox or Alison Scott at the Heritage Lottery Fund on 020 7591 6143 / 6032. Out of hours: 07973 613820