£50,000 of National Lottery funding to celebrate West Midlands community spirit
Published: Thursday 22 Mar 2018
Communities across the West Midlands have the opportunity to host celebrations funded by the National Lottery, thanks to a new partnership between the West Midlands Combined Authority and the Big Lottery Fund, the largest funder of community activity in the UK.
The first Mayor's Community Weekend will take place on Saturday 30 June and Sunday 1 July 2018, with £50,000 of National Lottery funding up for grabs for communities to hold celebratory events across the West Midlands.
Grants of up to £500 each will be on offer to groups across the region, including Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Herefordshire, Sandwell, Shropshire, Solihull, Staffordshire, Stoke, Telford, Walsall, Warwickshire, Wolverhampton and Worcestershire.
The aim of the Mayor’s Community Weekend is to bring whole communities together, who live side by side every day, to celebrate the experiences they share and make new memories. It will encourage people from all walks of life to build stronger community bonds and embrace community spirit by holding events such as a street party, a mini-festival or sharing in community activity.
The aim of the Mayor's Community Weekend is to bring whole communities together, who live side by side every day, to celebrate the experiences they share and make new memories. It will encourage people from all walks of life to build stronger community bonds and embrace community spirit by holding events such as a street party, a mini-festival or sharing in community activity.
The Big Lottery Fund distributes money raised by National Lottery players for good causes. In 2016/17, it awarded £64 million to the West Midlands to fund bright ideas, big or small.
90% of the grants it makes are for under £10,000.
Communities can apply for funding from 9am on Thursday 29 March 2018 to hold an event during the Mayor's Community Weekend. Applications close at 9am on Monday 16 April 2018.
To find out more visit https://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/about-big/mayors-community-weekend or https://www.wmca.org.uk/who-we-are/meet-the-mayor/mayors-community-weekend/