- Area:
- East Midlands
East of England
- Programme:
- The Peoples Millions
- Release date:
- 18 10 2006
Today six community projects across the region are discovering that they are in the running to win a £50,000 Big Lottery Fund award in the People’s Millions contest soon to be showcased on ITV Anglia West. Up to £200,000 in Big Lottery funding is up for grabs for four community groups in the region.
The contest will hit ITV Anglia West screens between 13 and 15 November. Two projects will be screened every night, in a head to head battle to win public votes. Viewers in the region can vote via phone and text for the project they think should win the Lottery cash.
This is the second year the Big Lottery Fund and ITV have teamed up to bring viewers across the UK the People’s Millions, giving the public a real say on where lottery funding will go to benefit their community. Last year’s contest was a huge success with almost 200,000 viewers casting votes to give 53 projects over £2.6 million to make a difference in their communities. Up to £15 million in grants will be given out by the Big Lottery Fund under the three-year public involvement initiative.
This year’s People’s Millions will be bigger and better, with the Big Lottery fund not only dishing out awards to each night’s winning projects in the ITV regions* but also giving an additional bonus award to the runner up in each region that chalks up the most public votes. A total of 84 awards across the UK, and up to £4.2 million in Lottery funding, is being decided by public vote.
On Monday 13 November, NTGA Ability Zone in Northampton will go head to head with Whittlesey Bowls and Petanque For All from Whittlesey, Peterborough.
NTGA Ability Zone would like to provide everyone with the opportunity to participate in trampolining gymnastics, especially those with learning difficulties. The Northamptonshire Trampoline Gymnastics Society will work with the Federation for Disabled Sport to increase participation and widen access to the sport.
Whittlesey Bowls and Petanque For All aims to make its facilities available to more people, including disabled people and the elderly. The project would like the funding to pay for building work and materials to replace old warped bowling rinks as well as to install new and accessible toilet facilities.
The following night, Tuesday 14 November, the Development of Gayton Village Green project in Gayton, Northamptonshire will be competing with the Hope Project Community House in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire.
Gayton Parish Council would like to develop Gatyton Village Green by creating a safer play area and improving the community facility and its surroundings. The funding is required for play equipment to be installed in a safe enclosed area, improved tarmac to create a proper car park and increasing the grass area to extend the football pitch.
The Hope Project would like to purchase and refurbish a new multi-functional community building for use by local residents in Wellingborough. If they win the competition, the funding will allow Hope Project Community House to be fully refurbished and redecorated.
The following night, Wednesday 15 November, Refurbish Thorney Toll Village Hall in Thorney Toll, Wisbech will be competing with Three Holes Playing Field in Three Holes, Cambridgeshire.
Thorney Toll Village Hall plans to develop the village hall to improve access, install accessible toilets, install a play area, refurbish the kitchen and purchase tables and chairs. The project aims improve this community facility to allow increase access better use of this facility by local residents.
Three Holes Playing Field project aims to develop and improve the facilities at the local community facility. The funding will allow the existing obsolete play area to be replaced with new innovative and safe play equipment in an enclosed area. The funding will also allow the project to engage young people from the village in the construction of a teen shelter.
Winners will be announced across ITV regional news on the day following the vote.
Sir Clive Booth, Chair of the Big Lottery Fund said: " I am delighted that People’s Millions is all set to return to living rooms across the country. With almost 200,000 people taking the opportunity to vote last year, we are hoping for an even bigger response this time around, with more viewers playing a crucial role in deciding where Lottery cash is spent in their community.
"Previous voting saw some fantastic projects receiving funding. Many of these are already up and running and proving to be valuable assets in their communities. This year’s competition is bigger and better. Not only do we again have an excellent array of worthwhile projects vying for votes, there is also the added incentive that the runner up with the most votes in each ITV region will win a grant of up to £50,000."
John Cresswell, Acting Chief Executive of ITV said: “One of ITV's greatest strengths as a broadcaster is our ability to connect with local people through our ground breaking regional news and I'm delighted that ITV is playing such a key role both in the regions and nationally with initiatives such as the People's Millions. Once again we are inviting viewers to have a direct say on what they want their lottery good cause money spent on by tuning in to their local ITV news programme and voting for their favourite project."
Further Information
Big Lottery Fund Press Office: 020 7211 1888
Out of Hours contact: 07867 500 572
ITV Press Contact: Zoe McIntyre on: 020 7261 3280
Key People’s Millions’ dates for forward planning diaries
- 6 November - Reminder to vote press release issued by Big Lottery Fund
- 13 November - People’s Millions starts on ITV and voting opens
- Winning projects will be announced to the media the morning after each vote
Every night two groups will go head to head on ITV regional news programmes and the project with the most public votes each evening will claim the prize of a Big Lottery Fund grant. One additional bonus grant will be awarded in each ITV region to the runner up with the most votes.
Telephone numbers for voting will be announced in regional news media on the day of voting. The voting numbers will also appear on The Big Lottery’s website. Voting lines will be open from 9.00am and close at midnight each day.
The 2005 People’s Millions contest was watched by 24 million viewers across the UK. 80% of the finalists were voluntary or community groups, 55% of applicants had never previously applied for Lottery funding, and 30 of the winning groups had never received Lottery funding before.
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