Dear Chancellor,

In the last 24 hours I have become aware of reports that you plan to raid the Big Lottery Fund to the tune of £320 million.

The Big Lottery Fund is currently the UK voluntary sector’s largest single funder. Its share of proceeds has already decreased from 50% to 40%, and this move would see a further reduction to 22%. This could mean an end to new grants for the next few years. The impact of this locally on small voluntary groups and community activity is likely to be severe.

Since 2010 the Big Lottery Fund has funded:

•             124 projects in my constituency of Brighton, Pavilion, worth £6,301,712.

•             85 projects in Brighton, Kemptown, worth £1,623,799.

•             74 projects in Hove, worth £1,571,111.

These grants were for health, education, environment and other charitable purposes. They were for work helping people to get and keep homes in the private rented sector, helping people into work, and helping people access advice and guidance.

Many grants made are for sums of £10,000 or less. This funding is the life blood of small, local charities, and representatives of the local community and voluntary sector tell me that further cuts would have catastrophic consequences for our communities. They also express concern about the current context of diminishing resources for local authorities to provide grants to community groups, alongside increased demand for services as a result of other Government cuts.

Lottery funding was set up with the intention to provide additional funding not to replace government funding. It’s unacceptable that you are contemplating cutting the Big Lottery Fund at all, let alone to plug the gaps created by your own austerity policies.

I urge you to think again and not cause any more damage to the community initiatives on which so many of my constituents rely.

Yours sincerely, Caroline.