People’s Lottery millions up for grabs for ITV Granada communities

The People’s Millions 2010 competition opens its doors today for projects in the ITV Granada region to put in their bids to receive up to £50,000 from the Big Lottery Fund (BIG).

It is the sixth year of The People’s Millions competition, allowing communities across ITV Granada to improve facilities or get more enjoyment from their local area.

Five bumper Big Lottery Fund grants are on offer in ITV Granada, with a total of £250,000 to be awarded to community projects in the region.

The People’s Millions, a partnership between the Big Lottery Fund (BIG) and ITV, aims to improve communities across the UK and gives the public the chance to vote on which local projects should receive lottery good-cause funding.

Shortlisted projects will be showcased on local ITV evening news where they will have to convince the public why they need the cash. It will then be up to the public to vote for groups to win the funding.

To date the contest has awarded more than £1.2 million in the ITV Granada region, funding a wide range of community projects from those running sports activities for young people during school holidays to others breathing new life into outdoor spaces and restoring much-loved community venues.

Helen Bullough, Big Lottery Fund Head of the North West Region, said: “BIG and ITV are calling on people to come forward with their brilliant ideas to improve their communities. I would urge you to seize this opportunity to get funding for something special that you know will make a real difference to the people around you.”

This year a new streamlined online entry form will mean that applying to the contest will be even simpler. Entry forms are available from 10 March at www.peoplesmillions.org.uk. Entries need to be returned to the Big Lottery Fund by the deadline, 12 noon on Friday 14 May 2010.

Keri Eldridge, Granada's People's Millions Presenter, said: “Now in its sixth successful year, The People’s Millions continues to offer the public a chance to decide which projects benefit from Lottery good cause funding. It’s wonderful to see how local communities from all walks of life have been enhanced with much-needed money from the programme in years gone and I’m excited that we’re set to do it all again. Long may it continue!”

Watch Peter Wanless on the GMTV sofa to launch The People’s Millions 2010.

Further Information

For more information please call: Big Lottery Fund Press Office: 020 7211 1888
Out of Hours contact: 07867 500 572

Full details of Big Lottery Fund programmes and grant awards are available at: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk

Notes to Editors

• 75 awards are up for grabs across the UK – four awards and one bonus award in each of the 15 ITV regions
  ITV Anglia, ITV Border, ITV Central, ITV Granada, ITV London, ITV Meridian (East of the region), ITV Meridian (West of the region), ITV Tyne Tees, ITV West, ITV Westcountry, ITV Yorkshire, stv Central, stv North, UTV

• Since the launch of People’s Millions in 2005, the aim of the contest has been to fund projects that improve the quality of life of local communities through transforming the local environment.
• New and existing voluntary or community organisations, schools, local authorities and health bodies are all eligible to apply.
• Telephone voting numbers – As with previous years, ITV and the Big Lottery Fund will use a low cost telephone number. ITV and Big do not make a profit from the voting telephone numbers.
• The Big Lottery Fund (BIG) is the largest distributor of National Lottery good cause funding responsible for giving out half the money raised for good causes by the National Lottery.
• BIG is committed to bringing real improvements to communities and the lives of people most in need and has been rolling out grants to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK since June 2004. The Fund was formally established by Parliament on 1 December 2006.
• Since the National Lottery began in 1994, 28p from every pound spent by the public has gone to good causes. As a result, over £24 billion has now been raised and more than 317,500 grants awarded across arts, sport, heritage, charities, health, education and the environment.