Member Article

Newcastle becomes a gateway to lottery money

A new base for rolling out millions of pounds in Lottery cash will be officially opened in Newcastle today. Minister for Sport, Richard Caborn will preside over the opening ceremony of the Big Lottery Fund’s northern headquarters at the newly built St James’ Gate Development. The expansion, which has created 150 new jobs on Tyneside, is a result of the Big Lottery Fund’s decision to establish key operational centres in Newcastle and Birmingham. The new centre will take the lead in distributing Lottery cash - a role previously carried out in London and eight other regional centres. Richard Caborn, Minister for Sport, said: “Today is a vote of confidence in the North East as the Big Lottery Fund relocates some of its operations from London to Newcastle. The North East has been transformed by such iconic Lottery projects as the BALTIC, the Gateshead Millennium Bridge and the Angel of the North. But the Lottery is not just about such large, eye-catching projects but about awards to communities the length and breadth of the country, impacting on individuals and making a real and lasting difference to their lives. The new centre also delivers on the Government’s commitment in the Lyons review to spread public sector activities across the country. The Big Lottery Fund is creating new jobs in the North East and maximising efficiency.” Big Lottery Fund distributes more than £600 million a year, focusing on health, education, environment and charitable purposes, and has made close to 4,000 grant awards in the North East totalling over £306 million.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .