Friday 22 June 2012

Is Wigan losing out on Lottery funding

I have today called on the Government to commission a fuller and more comprehensive analysis of the distribution of lottery grants following a report by the Industrial Communities Alliance (ICA).

The National Lottery is played by millions of people across the country and the report finds that the ‘good causes’ supported by lottery grants are not spread equitably across all parts of the country.

Entitled ‘The Postcode Lottery’ the report’s key findings include;

• Inequalities in the distribution of Lottery funding mean that industrial areas like Wigan receive only about 60% of the national average per head
• The cumulative loss of funding to these communities totals £3billion or £200million a year since the Lottery began

The ICA report includes Wigan as one of the 19 comparator local authorities.

At a time of spending cuts to local authorities, charities and the wider voluntary sector it is important that all communities are able to access their fare share of lottery funding. This report demonstrates that this is not the case.

The Government and the Lottery Boards must commission a comprehensive analysis of the distribution of lottery grants.

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