Corrie stars launch People’s Millions cash giveaway for Meridian South groups

Area:

South East England

Programme:

The Peoples Millions

Release date:

13 3 2007

Jane Danson (Leanne Battersby) and Vicky Entwistle (Janice Battersby) announced that five awards of up to £80,000 are ready to be won by community projects across ITV Meridian South.

People throughout the region have until 17 May 2007 to enter the competition. ITV Meridian South viewers will be able to vote on which local community projects they want to win the Lottery good cause funding, when the on-air contest hits TV screens in November.

Since the launch of People’s Millions in 2005, a total of £409,341 has been awarded to eight projects in Meridian South. Previous winners have been using their awards to make their local communities a better place to live. These include Brighton District Scout Council, which used a £50,000 award to create an underground caving complex for the scout group and local people of all ages. Across in Fareham, Hampshire, The Rainbow Centre for Conductive Education Limited was another winner, with £50,000 to plan and build a sensory garden and a specialist play area for the Rainbow Centre children and the wider community.

Application packs for People’s Millions are available by calling the hotline: 08450 10 11 12 or by visiting www.peoplesmillions.org.uk. The deadline for applications is 12noon, Thursday 17 May 2007.

Sir Clive Booth, Chair of the Big Lottery Fund, said: “This is the final year of People’s Millions and, if last year was anything to go by, the contest is going to be enormous! In 2006 the programme had a huge response with 350,000 people across the UK voting for their favourite project to win. This year’s funding bar has been raised to up to £80,000 and even more projects than ever before will be able to compete for a share of the £7.8 million pot.

“We've funded a wide range of projects since People's Millions started, including play areas, sensory gardens and nature trails. So if you have an idea to breathe new life into your community, don't delay and apply today!”

Vicky Entwistle, who plays Coronation Street’s Janice Battersby, said: "The People’s Millions gives people across the UK a fantastic opportunity to get Lottery money for their community and ITV viewers will play a big role in deciding who deserves the cash in the on-air contest later this year. People's Millions has already given cash to projects that have transformed communities and made dreams a reality, but you have to be in it to win it, so everyone needs to make sure they apply today!”

Notes to Editors

Big Lottery Fund Press Office: 020 7211 1888
Out of Hours contact: 07867 500 572
ITV Press Contact: Melissa Loughran on 0113 222 7117

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

ITV broadcast regions in the People’s Millions:

ITV Anglia (East), ITV Anglia (West), ITV Border, ITV Central (East), ITV Central (West), ITV Granada, ITV London, ITV Meridian (South), ITV Meridian (South East), ITV Thames Valley, ITV Tyne Tees, ITV Wales, ITV West, ITV West Country, ITV Yorkshire, stv Central, stv North and UTV.

90 awards are up for grabs – 4 plus one bonus award in each of 18 ITV regions.

Key People’s Millions dates for forward planning diaries:

• 17 May 2007: Closing date for applications
• 31 October 2007: Final project shortlist announced to the media
• 26 - 30 November 2007: People's Millions competition televised on ITV.

• 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. This year projects that provide opportunities or facilities for enjoying the local environment have also been added to the funding criteria.
• The Big Lottery Fund rolls out close to £2 million in Lottery good cause money every 24 hours, which together with other Lottery distributors means that across the UK most people are within a few miles of a Lottery-funded project.
• Telephone voting numbers – As with previous years, ITV and the Big Lottery Fund will use a low cost non-premium rate telephone number. ITV and Big do not make a profit from the voting telephone numbers.
• The Big Lottery Fund, the largest of the National Lottery good cause distributors, has been rolling out grants to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK since its inception in June 2004.
• On 1 December 2006 the Big Lottery Fund was officially established by Parliament and at the same time assumed the residual responsibilities of the dissolved National Lottery Charities Board (Community Fund) the New Opportunities Fund, and the Millennium Commission. The Fund is building on the experience and best practice of the merged bodies to simplify funding in those areas where they overlap and to ensure Lottery funding provides the best possible value for money.

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