Foreword by Sir Clive Booth
Foreword by Sir Clive Booth
Chair, Big Lottery Fund
It is over four years since I became Chair of the Big Lottery Fund. It feels like yesterday. But at the same time so much has happened since. One thing that has remained constant is my passion for the job. I’m as excited today as I was on the day I started. I’ve seen so many wonderful projects, and talked to so many inspirational people helping to improve the lives of those most in need in our communities. It is a privilege to be part of an organisation that, through our funding and support, makes this possible.
It was wonderful to see the recognition that Lottery funding achieved on the back of Team GB’s achievements in Beijing. The Lottery has, though, made possible so much more than just sporting achievement. Big thinking is an opportunity to recognise that and to have your say in telling us how we can continue and improve what we do.
The financial and economic turmoil of the past few weeks has been unsettling for communities across the country. It is too early to say what the eventual outcome will be. But we can be sure there will be a profound impact on many communities and families – psychological as well as material. And all the evidence shows that it is the worst off who will be affected the most.
That makes this conversation all the more important. We must ensure that BIG can make the best possible contribution to communities and people most in need. We must build on, but not duplicate, the work that others are doing. We must use the evidence we have gathered over ten years to inform our funding. Importantly, we must keep up-to-date with emerging need, and understand what matters most to people, wherever they live in the UK. And one of our great strengths is that we are able to learn about what works and what doesn’t by sharing our experiences of operating distinctive programmes in each of the four countries of the UK.
Identifying priorities is never easy. In these tougher times, it becomes even more of a challenge – and all the more important that we take these decisions together. Our website is designed to make it as easy as possible to tell us what you think. You can respond to the full consultation, or just send us a postcard or fill out a short quiz. And – something I’m really excited about – a chance to watch films of other projects and upload your own.
Big thinking runs until the end of February 2009 and we’ll be holding events across the UK to debate the issues, and give you the chance to challenge us face-to-face. At the end of the formal consultation, we will analyse your responses and feed them into our strategic framework, and separate country plans, for the period 2009-2015. We’ll also summarise all your responses and publish them separately, so you can see how they read across.
I hope that you find something interesting and thought-provoking in here. I also hope that you find some of it challenging – that you don’t agree with everything we say. I know you’re not afraid to tell us when you don’t!
I look forward to hearing from you.