Big Lottery Fund to manage £30m Community Assets Fund
30 March 2007
Ed Miliband, Minister for the Third Sector, today announced that the Big
Lottery Fund (BIG) will manage a new £30m programme to enable community–led
third sector organisations to own and run under–used public buildings.
The new Community Assets Fund (CAF) – set up by the Office of the Third
Sector (OTS) in the Cabinet Office – will offer grants for refurbishment of
local authority buildings, ensuring they are appropriate for community use
and for transfer to third sector ownership or management. The CAF will
provide valuable new facilities for communities and respond to the third
sector's desire to make best use of local assets.
BIG will bring valuable experience of working with local government and
community level organisations, and a strong track record on investing large
sums of money. They will also involve other partner organisations, such as
the Adventure Capital Fund, to make the most of their specialist expertise.
The OTS will run a 12–week consultation from today with key stakeholders on
details of how the fund will operate. This will take into account the
findings of the ongoing independent review into community ownership and
management of assets, being led by Barry Quirk, which will report to the
Department for Communities and Local Government.
First proposed at last year's Pre–Budget Report, the CAF aims to:
-
Improve the physical infrastructure available to local communities.
Upgrading run–down buildings will provide valuable new space and
facilities – such as advice and activity centres, recreation facilities
(which may include some outside space), meeting rooms and office space
available to small community groups;
-
Empower community–led third sector organisations to be innovative in
responding to local needs, and enhance their capacity to tackle social
disadvantage, transform lives and draw communities together;
-
Enable third sector organisations to strengthen their place in local
communities – not only through increased capacity but also through
greater independence and the opportunity to run a financially sustainable
asset;
-
Benefit the wider community by raising the potential for job creation and
further investment, and creating a focal point for local pride,
confidence and cohesion.
Ed Miliband, Minister for the Third Sector, said:
“Many third sector organisations are at the heart of local communities,
but lack the vital resources to bring people together in a single place
around which they can foster a sense of pride and belonging.
“I am delighted that the Big Lottery Fund is bringing its expertise in
making large–scale investments and working with local authorities and
community groups to this programme.
“By freeing up and revitalising public buildings, the Community Assets
Fund will catalyse the work of third sector organisations in transforming
local communities – encouraging innovation, promoting financial
sustainability and responding to the needs of local people.”
Sanjay Dighe, the Country Chair of England for the Big Lottery Fund, said:
“BIG is delighted to have been asked to deliver the Community Asset Fund,
working in partnership with local authorities and the third sector. The
opportunity to own and manage a dedicated asset will make a real
difference to the communities we support.
“As well as giving groups security and peace of mind, genuine assets
offer the potential to draw in further investment and leave a lasting
legacy for the future.”
If you want to input into the consultation process, please download
the Community Asset Fund consultation document[PDF 305KB, 8
pages] and respond as outlined in the document.
Following the outcomes of the consultation process, ministers together with
BIG will decide on the final criteria for the fund which will then be
launch later this year.
