Living Landmarks initiative targets local environment

A major new funding initiative launched by the Big Lottery Fund aims to breathe new life into the local environment through multi-million pound awards.

Living Landmarks offers the chance of winning as much as £50 million for a single project of UK national significance.

Through Living Landmarks, the Big Lottery Fund said it will fund a small number of large-scale projects of national and regional significance across the UK, which will transform, revitalise and regenerate communities.

It believes that the new programme will capture the imagination of communities and increase their involvement with the Lottery by re-connecting people with the good causes they support.

Breidge Gadd, a Big Lottery Fund NI Board Member said: “We are tremendously excited to be launching Living Landmarks. This programme is a chance for us to ask communities what they need, what their priorities are on a local level, what will really make a difference.

“We want to fund projects that make communities better places to live, work and play so this will be an opportunity for real innovation.”

Around £140 million will be awarded across the UK through two distinct funding streams. Under the first stream, a small number of grants of between £10 million and £25 million will be awarded to projects of regional significance. The successful projects will be chosen by the programme committee, which will include experts from the areas of architecture, regeneration and the environment.

Under the second stream, a single grant of between £25 million and £50 million will be awarded to a project of national or regional significance, in conjunction with the People’s Millions programme and ITV. The winning project will be decided by a public vote.

(MB/SP)