- Area:
- UK-wide
- Programme:
- Millennium Now
- Release date:
- 19 3 2013
This Sunday, Channel 4 viewers will discover whether celebrity farmer and TV presenter Jimmy Doherty has been successful in securing £2 million from the Big Lottery Fund to develop a farm offering free short breaks to disabled people and their families.
The project features in the second episode of the brand new TV series, The Secret Millions and airs at 8pm on Sunday 24 March. The series sees the Big Lottery Fund (BIG) team up with Channel 4 to highlight radical ideas for tackling some of Britain’s big issues. The projects are secretly assessed by BIG and if successful they can turn their ideas into reality with a share of The Secret Millions £10 million funding pot, the largest amount ever handed out on a Channel 4 series.
In this episode Jimmy helps test a new way of giving a much-needed break to families which include a disabled person. Joining forces with charity Papworth Trust, Jimmy offers his own farm to families needing respite, teaching them new skills such as making and selling their own ice cream together so they can share quality time without the stress of their everyday caring routine.
Jimmy volunteers at one of the Papworth Trust Youth Clubs, which has activities for disabled teenagers. The youth clubs mean that parents can have few hours to themselves every week. While there, he’ll be looking for families who might benefit from a stay on his farm.
One of the teenagers Jimmy chooses to take part in the trial is 19-year-old Luke from Peterborough. Luke has Down’s Syndrome and was joined by his parents for a stay on the farm.
Mum Jane said: “The farm experience will stay with us forever. When you’ve got time to think about things, you put your life into more perspective and think how you should really be spending more time together at home and doing different things. Just enjoying being with each other and having fun.”
But what the family didn’t know is that there’s plenty at stake. If Jimmy can prove the trial works, it could help convince The Big Lottery Fund to give £2 million to Papworth Trust in order to convert a 16th Century farm in the heart of the Welsh countryside into an accessible place where the charity can offer short breaks. As the project develops, Jimmy begins to look at disability in a totally different way. But have they done enough to secure the funding?
The episode is part of a five-part documentary series follows five Channel 4 faces as they work with charities on the frontline to develop new projects, meanwhile secretly trying to secure up to £2 million of money from the Big Lottery Fund.
Adrian Bagg, Papworth Trust Chief Executive, said: “At Papworth Trust we understand the impact disability can have. It can be hard to have quality, stress free time together as a family.
“Secret Millions gave us the chance to offer short breaks with a difference to families who needed them. It was an amazing experience for the people involved and it made a real difference; we’re hoping that we will be able to offer funded breaks to more families across the UK.”
Mike Theoudolou, Big Lottery Fund Committee Member, who took part in the filming process, said: “It was inspiring to see the difference that just a few hours on Jimmy’s Farm made to the young people and their families. I’m sure they are as excited as I am to see their project on Channel 4 and hopefully there will be a life changing surprise at the end of it all.”
Channel 4’s Documentaries Commissioning Editor, Emma Cooper, said: “It has been fantastic to watch Channel 4 talent get behind these amazing causes. In such austere times these projects are making a real difference to people in the most far-reaching ways. We are proud to have been involved and this series highlights just how important it is to support ideas for successful, sustainable and social enterprises.”
Over the series, five projects will work with an enthusiastic and experienced team of Channel 4 experts – Gok Wan, Katie Piper, Jimmy Doherty, Dave Fishwick and George Clarke. www.channel4.com/secretmillions
The 5 x 60m series is produced by RDF Television (a Zodiak Media company) and Twenty Twenty (a Shed Media company). The executive producers are Tayte Simpson (RDF Television) and Meredith Chambers (Twenty Twenty).
Channel 4 for The Secret Millions: Cécile Quinney: 020 7306 1095 or cquinney@channel4.co.uk
Papworth Trust: Helen Sampson 01480 357259 or helen.sampson@papworth.org.uk
Big Lottery Fund Press Office: 020 7211 1888
Out of hours media contact: 07867 500 572
Full details of the Big Lottery Fund programmes and grant awards are available on the website: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk
Ask BIG a question here: https://ask.biglotteryfund.org.uk
Follow BIG on Twitter: www.twitter.com/BigLotteryFund #BIGlf
Find BIG on facebook: www.facebook.com/BigLotteryFund
Notes to Editors
About the £10 million from the Big Lottery Fund
As part of the Big Lottery Fund making the £10 million available, the public was given a say on which issues they wanted to see funded. Launching a call-out in 2011, Channel 4 and the Big Lottery Fund asked people how they would spend £10 million of Lottery money in the current climate – via channel4.com/thebigdecision and commissioning a UK-wide Ipsos-Mori Poll of 2000 people. The results helped the Big Lottery Fund identify five charities who had devised exciting and innovative projects.
About the Big Lottery Fund (BIG)
• The Big Lottery Fund (BIG), the largest distributor of National Lottery good cause funding, is responsible for giving out 40% of 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 its inception in 2004 BIG has awarded close to £6bn.
• 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 £29 billion has now been raised and more than 383,000 grants awarded across arts, sport, heritage, charities, health, education and the environment.
This is the first time BIG has asked the public to help design and develop a grant programme from choosing the programme themes to the types of projects and beneficiaries they want funded.
About Papworth Trust
Papworth Trust has been working with disabled people for almost 100 years, and we know that small changes can make lasting differences to people’s lives. Our essential services support people to learn new skills, live as independently as possible in suitable homes and look for work.
We help people of all ages and with any kind of disability, impairment or long term illness. Many people come to our centres, cafés and youth clubs or we support them in their homes and communities.
You can call us for support or information on 0800 952 5000. To find out more or get involved, please visit www.papworth.org.uk or click like at www.facebook.com/papworthtrust.
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