(P.39) Lottery Funding - May 2000

Pacing myself after operation for attack on the Olympics, by Denise Lewis

THE fall in sales of Lottery tickets has forced Sport England on to the offensive in an attempt to find extra funding for projects around the country.

Speaking on the day grants to sport in the community topped the £1 billion mark with £3.2 million going to the building of a new leisure centre in Knowsley, Des Wilson, Sport England's senior vice-chairman warned that limited resources will lead to more disappointed applicants.

He said: "Our share of Lottery money peaked in 1997 at nearly £300 million. This year, it will be nearer £200 million."

Wilson called on sport to support a call for the Chancellor, Gordon Brown, to make more money available in the Government's spending review.

Said Wilson: "In hammering home the limitations on Lottery funding, I hope I am helping to strengthen what I believe is an overwhelming case. Sport England have tended to be rather cautious on this issue in the past. We cannot stand aside from the debate any longer."

Among the sports likely to lose out are both codes of rugby and athletics. It is understood, for instance, that Bromley Council's application for £30 million towards the refurbishment of Crystal Palace could be rejected.

8 May 2000

Community sport scoops over a £1 billion from the Lottery

It's official: everyone's a winner with the Lottery. It's not just the few big winners who will be celebrating their windfall from last night's draw. Today, a further £4.9 million has been awarded by Sport England to local sports initiatives across the country bringing the total allocated over 3100 projects to over £1 billion from the Sport England Lottery Fund.

"Sometimes it's possible to lose sight of the importance of the sea-change we've helped to bring about over the past five years," commented Trevor Brooking CBE, Sport England Chair, "whilst everyone is looking to see if their own numbers have come up each week, they may not realise that their own community - wherever they are - has won many times over."

"It's not a question of 'maybe, just maybe': it IS you!", continued Trevor Brooking. "We've benefited every area of the country - and every person, whatever their sporting ability has been touched in some way by the influence of the Lottery. And as important as the facilities are, the real benefits are not the bricks and mortar or the hardware, but the fact that sport can help address key social issues in urban and rural communities.

"After years of under- resourcing in individual sports and across the entire spectrum of sports facilities, a generation of young people will now be able to grow up with a greater chance of a healthier and more active lifestyle. The benefits of Lottery-funded projects to the health of the nation are incalculable."

The latest statistics from Sport England show that every area of the country has benefited from new or enhanced facilities since the Lottery Sports Fund began in April 1995. In particular the Priority Areas Initiative has allocated £286,548,004 since Lottery funding began, and the School Community Sport Initiative has allocated £86,548,004; enabling over 650 projects to be completed and thousands of school children and under privileged communities to participate in sporting activities.

Following a commitment from Government that sport will benefit from the lottery for the next ten years, in May 1999, Sport England launched its 10-year Lottery Strategy Investing for our sporting future. The Sport England Lottery Fund has been divided into two parts - a Community Projects Fund, concentrating on grassroots facility support and mass sports participation; and the World Class Fund to support our top talent and medal winning prospects. Over ten years, from May 1999, we are committed to spending a further £2 billion on sport.

11th May 2000

For further information on any aspects of the Sport England Lottery Fund please contact the Sport England press office on 020 -7273 1590/1702, mobile 0836 273699 or e-mail carolinei@english.sports.gov.uk or jonathano@english.sports.gov.uk.
http://www.english.sports.gov.uk/press_releases/billion.htm

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See also (R.26) - Bromley's £20m threat to Sport England

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