Two new National Lottery funds for Scotland

The National Lottery Community Fund (Scotland) has today unveiled two new funding streams: Fairer Life Chances, and Community Action. Both funds are open to applications now, with no deadlines currently in sight.

Community Action and Fairer Life Chances will both focus on helping communities to tackle poverty, disadvantage, and discrimination, and ask groups to demonstrate how they will reach and support people facing these challenges.

These new funds will award bigger and longer grants and fund organisations of different sizes and levels of experience. They will also support many smaller organisations to apply for multi-year funding for the first time, allowing them to develop over a more sustained period.

• Community Action replaces the former Community Led fund, and broadens its definition of "community" to include people who share an identity, interest or experience, as well as people living in the same place. Funding of up to £250,000 is available for projects that bring communities together to improve wellbeing and develop positive relationships within those communities; and that encourage connection with other people and/or connection with the environment.
• Fairer Life Chances will fund projects that support children, young people and families, or that help people to be healthier and have better access to support. It aims to fund vulnerable or excluded communities and, in particular, those that find it hardest to access support, with up to £500,000 available.

To apply to either fund, contact the National Lottery Community Fund's team to discuss your project, and go from there.

The National Lottery Community Fund has many funding streams across Scotland and the wider UK. To view more funds from the National Lottery, view their funds on Funding Scotland here:

• National Lottery Community Fund (Scotland)
• National Lottery Community Fund (UK)

The National Lottery Community Fund (Scotland) - Fairer Life Chances

This funding is for projects that support children, young people and families; or that help people to be healthier and have better access to support.

Projects should support people experiencing poverty, disadvantage or discrimination.

Your project should be designed with the people you support. You should:

• involve them in how it’s developed, delivered and led
• make use of their existing skills and interests
• complement and make connections with other services that support them.

Projects must meet one of these outcomes:

• Children, young people and families thrive.
• People have better relationships, connections, and physical or mental health.

Access the details at Fairer Life Chances

The National Lottery Community Fund (Scotland) - Community Action

This funding is for communities in Scotland: people who share an identity, interest or experience, or people living in the same place. They offer funding from £20,001 to £250,000 for up to 5 years.

They're looking for projects that will help people connect more with each other, and will support projects that are open, inclusive and led by their community.

Your project must achieve at least 2 of these outcomes:

• build positive relationships
• support people’s health or wellbeing
• help people improve their access and connection to nature
• make a positive difference to the environment.

These are a few examples of projects that achieve their outcomes:

• a regular programme of activities that improve the wellbeing of the community. And help people to connect with each other.
• community kitchens, larders, pantries and advice or support activities
• community gardens or growing projects
• environment clear ups, waste reducing activities or mending, repairing and upcycling workshops.

Access the details at Community Action

Picture credit: Gatto78 via Canva