Six groups in the ITV Meridian (East) region are today preparing to lock horns to win a share of £200,000 in Big Lottery Fund good cause money in The People’s Millions TV contest.

Four groups in the region will win awards of up to £50,000 each for their community project from The People’s Millions contest, soon to be showcased on ITV Meridian’s (East) evening regional news.

This is the fifth year that the Big Lottery Fund (BIG) and ITV have given the public the chance to vote on where the Lottery good cause cash goes in their region. Projects up for the vote will enhance local facilities, help people to enjoy their local area and enable local people to get more involved in their community.  

The TV contest will see two projects go head-to-head each night in the week of 23 to 26 November. The six schemes will make their case for the public’s vote to win Lottery funding on ITV Meridian (East) regional news programme with the winners being decided in a phone vote.

At the end of the week four projects will have won a slice of £200,000 of Lottery good cause cash. The best runner-up with the most phone votes will win a grant to be the final winner, announced on Thursday 26 November.

This year across the UK £3.5 million will be awarded by the public through the People’s Millions. Over the last four years the programme has handed out £18.1 million to 318 good causes across the UK with more than 1.6 million people voting for their favourite project.

On Monday, 23 November, Lydd Town Council’s Dennes Lane Sport and Play Project in Lydd, Kent, will be battling it out against Newhaven Community Development Association Ltd’s Growing Together project in Newhaven, East Sussex.

If the Dennes Lane Sport and Play Project score the most votes, they will install an adventure playground, build a five-a-side football facility and restore an existing tennis court. These facilities will be used by the local community for sporting and recreational activities, enhancing the well-being of the whole community.

However if the Growing Together project wins the vote, they will transform an unused piece of land into a vibrant community garden, allotment and recreational space for the whole community. People will learn how to grow food, flowers and herbs and about healthy eating and recreational activities such as barbeques and picnics.

And on Tuesday, 24 November, the Margate Unit 235 Of The Sea Cadet Corps’ Training and Safety Boat project in Margate, Kent, will be competing against the Bexhill United Football Club’s Floodlight Fund project.

If the Training and Safety Boat project is voted the winner, they will provide a safety boat to facilitate the training of cadets in Margate. Sessions will be led by qualified instructors and volunteers and participants will learn more about sailing, power boating, sea safety and life saving skills. The vessel will be used in the event of sea emergencies and inland flooding and will also be available to local sea scouts, sailing clubs and schools.

But if the Floodlight Fund project gets the most votes they will install floodlighting at the club's pitch, increasing opportunities for training and football matches. The current club house facilities will also be upgraded and disabled access improved to encourage more people to use the club's amenities. The group will also establish a youth club so young people have a venue to meet and socialise.

Finally on Wednesday 25 November will see Bluebell Railway PLC’s Vintage Carriage 51 Restoration project in Horsted Keynes up against The Uptown Players’ Frontline Eastbourne project.

If the Vintage Carriage 51 Restoration project secures the most votes, they will fully restore a Victorian railway carriage to provide access and space for wheelchair users along its popular attraction. It currently has no provision for wheelchair users on its Victorian carriages so the grant will make the steam train accessible to all.

However, if the Frontline Eastbourne project wins the vote, they will run a series of events to raise awareness of World War II in Eastbourne. This will include putting on a contemporary play, a 1940s themed evening and a street party to mark the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. The events will enable the local community to come together to commemorate World War II.

Telephone voting lines* will open at 9am on the day the projects are due to appear on ITV and winners will be announced the following day.

Alison Rowe, Big Lottery Fund Head of the South East region, said: “Now in its fifth year, The People’s Millions contest promises to be as exciting as ever, giving groups the chance to win up to £50,000 in Lottery funding for projects that make a real difference to the local community. Voters in the ITV Meridian (East) region will have some tough choices to make in deciding which of the excellent projects going head to head will get their support.”

John Cresswell, Chief Operating Officer, ITV plc said: "I am delighted that ITV is continuing its partnership with the Big Lottery Fund on the popular People’s Millions programme. Many local communities across the UK have benefited from millions of pounds in Lottery good cause cash and so much of this has been down to our local viewers supporting their local projects. This year we look forward to helping community groups share in a total of up to £3.5 million."

Further Information

Big Lottery Fund Press Office: 020 7211 1888
Out of Hours contact: 07867 500 572
ITV Press Contact: James Macleod on 020 7156 7236

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

Notes to Editors

• *Calls cost 10p per call from BT landlines. Calls from other networks may be higher and from mobiles will be considerably more
• 69 awards are up for grabs including one bonus award in each of the ITV regions. The number of awards available in each region are listed below.

ITV broadcast regions in the People’s Millions:

ITV Anglia (4 winners & I bonus award)
ITV Border (3 winners & I bonus award)
ITV Central (4 winners & I bonus award)
ITV Granada (4 winners & I bonus award)
ITV London (4 winners & I bonus award)
ITV Meridian (East of region 3 winners & I bonus award and West of region 3 winners & I bonus award)
ITV Tyne Tees(3 winners & I bonus award)
ITV Wales (4 winners & I bonus award)
ITV West (3 winners & I bonus award)
ITV Westcountry (3 winners & I bonus award)
ITV Yorkshire (4 winners & I bonus award)
stv Central (4 winners & I bonus award)
stv North (4 winners & I bonus award)
UTV (4 winners & I bonus award)

• 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 by enhancing facilities, helping people to enjoy their local area and enable people to get more involved in their community.  
• This year BIG has created The People’s Millions website, designed to help groups taking part in the contest to campaign for support. Visit: www.peoplesmillions.org.uk (available from 28 October 2009)
• Telephone voting numbers – As with previous years, ITV and the Big Lottery Fund will use a low cost premium rate telephone number. ITV and Big do not make a profit from the voting telephone numbers.
• The Big Lottery Fund (BIG), the largest distributor of National Lottery good cause funding, is 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 £23 billion has now been raised and more than 317,000 grants awarded across arts, sport, heritage, charities, health, education and the environment.