Community groups across England will benefit from a £50 million lottery-fund investment in green space.

The Community Spaces programme will provide grants and support to community groups wanting to make their neighbourhoods cleaner and greener.

The scheme aims to help local people improve and create play areas, community gardens, parks, wildlife areas, ponds, courts and village greens.

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 £10,000 and £49,999 and some limited grants of up to £450,000 to community groups that want to create and improve public spaces in their neighbourhoods.

Gardening personality Charlie Dimmock, who officially launched the programme at a project in London, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for the 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."

Tony Hawkhead, CEO, Groundwork UK, said: "Groundwork UK can make a real and lasting difference to thousands of people across the country through the Community Spaces programme.

"A number of environmental organisations have invested a great deal of knowledge and expertise in developing this programme and we are sure the community will reap the rewards through successful and sustainable projects on the ground."

In addition to funding, Community Spaces is providing a network of trained facilitators to help groups turn their 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 CEO, said “The Big Lottery Fund’s Changing Spaces scheme will mean local people themselves can take charge of improving their local area, promoting a better quality of life and regenerating green spaces. This is the largest grant BIG has ever distributed to an Award Partner, demonstrating our commitment to the environment and to people’s health.”

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 09:54:14 +0000