The search is on for this year’s winners of the National Lottery Awards.
The awards celebrate the UK’s favourite Lottery-funded projects – and of course your Community Spaces project is included.
If you run a fantastic Lottery-funded project, or are feeling inspired and would like to nominate a project that you think deserves a little bit of recognition, then why not get in touch for this year’s awards?
For more information, click here
TV presenter Jenni Falconer with Irfan Rahman aged 2 as she launches the National Lottery Awards 2012 at the National Lottery-funded family support charity Home-Start Photo/Geoff Caddick, PA Wire
The search is on to find the nation’s favourite National Lottery-funded projects.
Since the National Lottery began in 1994, over £27 billion has been invested in good causes across the UK. Any organisation that has received Lottery funding is encouraged to enter.
National Lottery TV presenter Jenni Falconer said: “National Lottery players raise a staggering £30 million every week for good causes. An impressive variety of Lottery-funded projects have touched the lives of many. For example, Lottery funding is supporting war veterans, helping vulnerable children and transforming parks and local sporting facilities.
“The National Lottery Awards recognise the unsung heroes, selfless volunteers and dedicated workers improving lives with Lottery funding. There are literally thousands of Lottery-funded projects across the UK deserving of recognition. So if you know of a project that is making an outstanding impact in your community, we want to hear from you.”
Entrants that make it to the finals will receive national recognition at a star-studded event, broadcast on BBC One, later this year. They will also have the chance to win a £2,000 cash prize to spend on their project.
The National Lottery Awards have seven categories, each reflecting an area of Lottery funding: Arts, Education, Environment, Health, Heritage, Sport and Voluntary/Charity.
If you want to see a project celebrated in this year’s National Lottery Awards, or you are involved with a Lottery-funded project and want to enter it, visit www.nationallotteryawards.org.uk to find out more. Entries must be received by Monday March 12.
Good luck!
Here’s your chance to guide the future of British broadcasting… or at least one small part of it!
Radio One DJ Sarah Cox and comedian Rufus Hound are about to embark on a camper van tour of the UK, showcasing National Lottery-funded projects and highlighting the difference they make to their surrounding communities.
There’s a choice of two projects in each area, with Cox and Hound only visiting the project that gets the most votes. At each location they will take part in a ‘challenge’ to be featured on the National Lottery draw show on BBC1 on Saturday November 19.
Two projects that have received Community Spaces grants are in contention – Rosliston Forestry Centre in Derbyshire representing the Midlands, and Sheffield Manor Lodge in South Yorkshire representing the North.
To vote, go the Cox and Hound Facebook page then follow the instructions on screen.
Simple!
The Barnfield Estate Resident’s Committee have been working tirelessly to create their very own urban oasis in the middle of their Woolwich Common estate. The patch of green land, which is surrounded by social housing, acts as a back yard for most of the local residents and is in one of the most deprived neighbourhoods of South East London.
To read about the groups project visit from the Chief Executive of the Big Lottery Fund, Peter Wanless, visit our website.
The Lord Mayor of the City of London, Michael Bear opened one of only 33 large projects funded by Community Spaces at the weekend.
Avenue House Estate Trust received £100,000 from Community Spaces to redevelop and restore their Victorian garden that was endanger of closing to the public.
To read more about the story, visit the news section on our website
Robinsons Fruit Shoots are offering communities £15,000 to redevelop their tired and unloved playgrounds.
Parents can nominate any playground that they think is in desperate need for some TLC. The winning playgrounds will get a complete revamp by leading play experts.
You can find all the information about how to nominate a playground here.
The campaign closes for nominations on March 16th.
Here at Community Spaces, we love to hear about community groups that have been recognised for their great achievements.
However, it is rare when we here about a group that has won four awards in the space of two years!
The Iremongers Pond Association was created two and a half years ago when they obtained the lease for Iremongers Pond in Nottingham. Over the past couple of years, the group and local volunteers have put a great deal of volunteering time and effort into improving the pond and it’s surroundings for both fishing, walking and natural enjoyment.
Back in November, the group received just over £21,000 from Community Spaces to create a walkway around the pond so people can enjoy walking safely around the area.
The group’s hard work and community involvement has meant that the group have won four community based awards.
The first award they won was the National Association of Neighbourhood Management, Cleaner and Greener Innovations Award back in 2009.
Following this, the group went on to be in the highest awarding category for the East Midlands in Bloom competition for two years running.
Then, 2010 saw the group win a Green Flag Community Award, and already this year, the group have been awarded the ‘Clubmark for Angling’ award that recognises quality, well-managed angling clubs.
However, it’s not just community awards that the group are being nominated for. They have recently been short listed for the NVCO photo competition.
Julian Taylor, chairman of the Iremongers Pond Association took a photo (pictured above) of Bill Roughton, the groups secretary when he was cleaning out the pond, and it has been shorted listed for the photo competition.
Congratulations to the group for all their success and we look forward to seeing the finished project when it launches in May.
CABE, the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment are clearing out their stockroom and are giving away all their design guidance publications for FREE!
Stocks are limited, so it’s on a first come, first serve basis. So to place an order for a FREE copy of any of their publications, click here.
Alternatively, you can download and electronic version here.
Another fantastic Community Spaces launch!
The Friends of Riverside Park celebrated their newly built playground opening last week with celebrity TV presenter Chris Packham.
To read the full story, visit our website.
This week it’s National Story Telling Week and we are encouraging all community groups to tell us their story about their Community Spaces project.
You could share with us how your community reacted to your newly developed project and what events have you held there?
To read about other communities stories, and how their Community Spaces project has changed their life, visit our case studies page.
Follow this link to send us your story and we’ll post all your entries on our blog.
See all these images at the Community Spaces Flickr Pool.
See all these images at the Community Spaces Flickr Pool.
See all these images at the Community Spaces Flickr Pool.
See all these images at the Community Spaces Flickr Pool.
See all these images at the Community Spaces Flickr Pool.
See all these images at the Community Spaces Flickr Pool.
See all these images at the Community Spaces Flickr Pool.
See all these images at the Community Spaces Flickr Pool.
See all these images at the Community Spaces Flickr Pool.
See all these images at the Community Spaces Flickr Pool.
See all these images at the Community Spaces Flickr Pool.
See all these images at the Community Spaces Flickr Pool.
See all these images at the Community Spaces Flickr Pool.
See all these images at the Community Spaces Flickr Pool.
See all these images at the Community Spaces Flickr Pool.
Image from the Community Spaces Flickr Group
