Big green fingers pull out multi-million enviro fix

New Lottery funding includes GBP 11.7 million for Imperial and other partners to run environmental community projects - News Release

Press release issued by the Big Lottery Fund

Strictly embargoed for
00:01 hrs Monday 20 August 2007

Green spaces will be sprouting up across England through a multi-million regeneration initiative being rolled out today by the Big Lottery Fund.

Over GBP 27.6 million from the Fund's Changing Spaces programme is being shared by two national organisations to seed nation-wide environmental initiatives. The Lottery good cause funding will enable people to improve and use their natural surroundings.

Sir Clive Booth, Chair of the Big Lottery Fund, said: "This is great news for our local environments. Changing Spaces will open up a world of opportunity through organisations with a real understanding of the environment and social issues confronting us today.

"The funding will promote community ownership and civic pride where people live, enabling communities to lead healthier and more environmentally sustainable lifestyles. It will also encourage people to learn more about their natural surroundings and engage with the great outdoors and their communities."

Social housing communities are in line for a green overhaul with a GBP 15.8 million plan by The Places for People Group. The Green Spaces for People scheme will rollout 75 projects delivering a range of quality accessible green spaces. Community gardens, multi-use games areas and children's play facilities in housing areas, which lack investment of this kind, are all set to benefit. Sporting and educational programmes such as weekly games sessions will also be delivered in order to develop patterns of use and foster greater ownership of sites.

In addition, GBP 11.7 million was awarded to Imperial College London, to implement the Open Air Laboratories (OPAL) network - an England-wide initiative designed to inspire and support communities to explore, study, enjoy and protect their local environment through engagement with some of the country's leading scientists.

Over the next five years sixteen OPAL partners – including nine regional universities - will run projects based on local needs and priorities identified in conjunction with local community groups. OPAL will work with an estimated 500,000 people of all ages and abilities across the country, and aims to inspire over one million people to appreciate the quality of open spaces around them through community engagement programmes and interactive website.

Every site where training, monitoring and recording activities occur is a 'laboratory' – a site of discovery. These 'laboratories' could be anything from a window box to a sports field or the grounds of a business. Activities could involve growing one plant in a pot to assessing the condition of local woodland, taking soil samples, measuring leaf sizes or learning about air, soil and water quality.

Through the tools and opportunities provided by OPAL, all those taking part will be able to name their space or 'laboratory' and start adding the information they record to build up a picture of the quality of their area and the organisms that live there. Indeed, OPAL will establish the first community-led study of the world around us, offering a hub for information, interaction, training and dialogue.

Dr Michael Dixon, Director of the Natural History Museum, one of the OPAL partners, said: "If we are to take full advantage of the opportunities for improving the quality of life offered by scientific knowledge and discovery, it is crucial that we bring scientists and the public closer together to explore issues such as the quality of local environment.

"We believe that through Changing Spaces and the Open Air Laboratories Network programmes we will pave the way for communities to share inspiring ideas and change the way they think about and use the spaces around them."

"We urgently need to know more about the quality of our local environments and OPAL will provide the training, practical experience, tools and support needed for communities to record the plants, animals and fungi in their local environments.

"These communities will be empowered to play a major role in the assessment and monitoring of local water, soil and air quality which in turn will raise awareness of wider environmental issues such as climate change and how all these aspects are related to the health and well-being of society."

The two environment schemes are part of a GBP 47million strong Changing Spaces initiative being rolled out nationally today by the Big Lottery Fund. Three other large-scale environment schemes are being given multi- million pound awards. These are focused on community farming, youth crime and support for struggling pupils.

Further information:

Big Lottery Fund Press Office: 020 7211 1888
Out of hours contact: 07867 500 572
Public Enquiries Line: 08454 102030
Full details of the Big Lottery Fund programmes and grant awards are available on the website: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk

Notes to Editors

1. The Big Lottery Fund rolls out close to GBP 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.

2. 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. It was established by Parliament on 1 December 2006.

3. Since the National Lottery began in 1994, 28p from every pound spent by the public has gone to Good Causes. As a result, over GBP 20 billion has now been raised and more than 250,000 grants given out across the arts, sport, heritage, charities, health, education and the environment.