Small community organisations to get £80m – and other third sector Budget announcements
In today's Budget(21 March 2007), the Chancellor announced a new £80 million fund to provide small grants to community groups to make a real difference in their neighbourhood.
The fund will be distributed over four years by local grant makers with the greatest knowledge of their areas and local community groups.
The fund responds to a need identified in the Government's third sector review, informed by consultation with hundreds of third sector organisations and the Local Community Sector Taskforce.
The details of the programme will be developed with the sector over the Spring as part of the final stage of the Third Sector Review.
Ed Miliband, Minister for the Third Sector, said:
“Much of the life–changing work accomplished by the third sector takes place at a community level, through small organisations responding to unique combinations of local needs.
“In recognition of the importance of their work, we are launching a fund to provide small but crucial injections of funding to ensure they can continue to tackle disadvantage in innovative ways.”