Creating More Space to Breathe

Chair of the Big Lottery Fund Sir Clive Booth said:

“I’m also very excited about today’s launch of the second phase of funding which will allow even more people to create and care for green places wherever they live; everywhere from neighbourhood parks, school grounds and workplaces to local nature reserves.”

The Breathing Places programme is a UK wide small grants programme developed in partnership with the BBC. It complements the BBC’s Breathing Places campaign by giving funding for small groups.

The Breathing Places grants programme has two aims:

• Increase participation and access to local breathing places by encouraging people to become actively involved in them, and by supporting activities that are open and accessible to everyone.
  
  
• Make a lasting improvement to the local environment by supporting activities that develop existing breathing places or help create and sustain new ones.
  

They want the programme will bring about the following changes:

• improved biodiversity, and wildlife habitats that are accessible to all
• increased community use of local breathing places
• increased opportunities and support for volunteers
• improved skills to manage local breathing places.

A breathing place is a green space that benefits wildlife and the local community. It may be local woodland, roadsides, parks, local nature reserves or wildlife areas, ponds, green corridors and wildflower meadows.

This autumn, they are particularly interested in applications from communities to create or improve woodland. Voluntary and community groups, schools, statutory health bodies, parish councils in England, community councils in Scotland and Wales, district councils in Northern Ireland and town councils may apply.

They will only make one grant for each breathing place. Grants must be spent within one year of being awarded.

If you have any questions about this programme, call the Big Advice Line on 0845 4 10 20 30.

Completed applications for phase 2 must be received no later than noon on Wednesday 13 December 2006.

You can find more information about the Breathing Places campaign on the BBC website www.bbc.co.uk/breathingplaces.