087/06
21 June 2006
Lottery 'Tick Boxes' Pilot To Give Public A Say In Lottery Grants
The public will get more say in where Lottery grants go under a pilot voting scheme announced today by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Tessa Jowell.
In the 'Your Pound, Your Choice' trial, the public will, for the first time, be able to tick boxes on voting slips at participating lottery retailers to vote for which local projects should get Lottery money. Camelot and the Big Lottery Fund have identified two regions to pilot the scheme. Further details of participating areas will be made once final operational plans have been confirmed. The pilot scheme is expected to run in August, with up to five projects in the two regions competing for Lottery grants of up to £50,000.
The move is part of the Government's aim to give the public more say in where Lottery money goes, so that people can more easily see the public value of the Lottery at work in their own communities. The trial scheme will be run by Camelot and the Big Lottery Fund.
Tessa Jowell also announced today that the division of money between sport, arts, film and heritage good causes for the period 2009-19 will remain unchanged, after an extensive public consultation showed strong support for the present distribution.
Speaking at the Lottery Monitor Conference in London, Tessa Jowell emphasised the importance of the public value of National Lottery in supporting good causes, and the importance of involving the public in shaping Lottery policy.
Tessa Jowell said:
"The National Lottery is not just great fun for players, it is a major funder of good causes in the UK - £18.6 billion to date. Just imagine what Britain would be like without the Lottery. Major public value projects like the Tate Modern, Eden Project and the Angel of the North would not have happened. The National Lottery also has the overwhelming support of the general public.
"It is vital that the public feel that they have a genuine sense of ownership of the National Lottery and real power to shape decisions and influence outcomes. We have already made the Lottery more responsive to the views of the public - the tick box pilots and decisions about how Lottery money is spent over the next 10 year period take that a step further."
Other examples of public voting on Lottery grants include the BBC 'Restoration' show which used Heritage Lottery Fund money and the Big Lottery Fund's 'People's Millions' on ITV-1.
Today's announcement on the division of good causes money follows a public consultation which received a record 11,000 responses. The public's views have also influenced the revised priorities for the distribution of Lottery money. From 2009 to 2019 these will be:
- Increasing participation,
- Inspiring young people,
- Involving local communities
- Supporting volunteers, and
- Encouraging creativity among new talent and developing their skills.
Tessa Jowell also confirmed today that £410 million of Lottery cash will be part of the 2012 Olympic's funding package beyond 2009.
Notes to Editors
1. The money raised by the National Lottery for good causes goes to five areas: arts and film; heritage; sport; charities; and environment, health and education. The consultation on the division of funds between arts, film, heritage and sport was launched on 25 November 2005 (see DCMS press notice 167/05, 25 November 2005).
2. The results of the public consultation are available here.
3. For every £1 Lottery ticket bought 28p goes to the lottery good causes. Of the remaining money, 50p goes to prize winners, 12p goes to the Treasury, 5p in commission to the lottery retailers, 4.5p to the lottery operator (Camelot) for operating costs; and 0.5p profit to the lottery operator.
4. Sport, arts and film, and heritage each receive 16.6 per cent of the good cause money raised. The remaining 50 per cent is distributed by the Big Lottery Fund to projects supporting areas such as health, education and the environment.
There are currently 14 independent distributing bodies responsible for distributing National Lottery money.
Sport: Sport England; Sport Scotland; the Sports Council for Wales; and the Sports Council for Northern Ireland are all responsible for distributing National Lottery grants for sport in their nations. UK Sport is responsible for high performance sport in the UK and distributes Lottery funding through grants to governing bodies and athletes to deliver world class sporting performances.
Art: Arts Council England; Arts Council of Wales; Arts Council of Northern Ireland; and Scottish Arts Council, provide National Lottery funding to artists and arts organisations in their respective countries.
Film: UK Film Council and Scottish Screen. The UK Film Council is responsible for developing film industry and culture in the UK. They help the UK film industry compete successfully in the global market, raise the profile of the UK and encourage the making of distinctive UK films by new and established filmmakers.
Heritage: The Heritage Lottery Fund works safeguards and enhances the heritage of buildings, objects and the environment of the UK supporting projects which preserve and enhance, or widen public access to, the national heritage.
Millennium Commission distributes Lottery funds to support projects across the UK that mark the year 2000 and the beginning of the third millennium. Projects range from world-class attractions such as the Eden Project to smaller, community-based developments such as village halls and local parks. The Millennium Commission will be replaced by the Big Lottery Fund when the National Lottery Bill becomes law.
Big Lottery Fund which gives out half of all Lottery money, was launched on 1 June 2004, following an administrative merger between The New Opportunities Fund and The Community Fund. This will be formalised when the National Lottery Bill becomes law.
5. The anticipated £410 million contribution of the National Lottery to the 2012 Olympic Games between 2009 -2012 was included in The Horserace Betting and Olympic Lottery Bill in December 2003.
6. Following the announcement that the 2012 Olympic Games will be hosted by London, an additional distribution body has been established - the Olympic Lottery Distributor. The Olympic Lottery Distributor's role it is to fund any facility, function or service it considers necessary or practical for the delivery of the 2012 Olympic Games and will monitor grants to ensure they are spent effectively.
Press enquiries: 020 7211 6263
Out of hours telephone pager number: 07699 751 153
Public enquiries: 020 7211 6200
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