Lottery distributor may get wider role

Culture secretary Tessa Jowell favours the
idea of the Community Fund becoming a distributor of non-lottery
money, according to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport.

Any
such change to the role of the Community Fund, formerly known as
the National Lottery Charities Board, would make it easier for
voluntary groups and charities to access government
funding.

Welcoming the news, Community
Fund chief executive Richard Buxton said: “What was recognised by
the secretary of state regarding the future of the lottery is that
there may be a case for the Community Fund being able to distribute
money on behalf of other distributors. This may mean, that we could
integrate lottery funding with some other forms of public sector
funding, perhaps even including European funding.”