Too much, too soon

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In response to our Fair Funding analysis last month, Kay Caldwell and Samantha Rennie argue that the Community Fund’s work in Fair Share areas is starting to show results 

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When the government announced that a fair share initiative would begin on 1 April 2002, the intention was to tackle inequity in the spread of lottery funds in disadvantaged areas – not to tackle disadvantage itself. The sums of money involved in Fair Share (£176m over three years spread across 77 of the most deprived areas in the UK) would be spread too thinly to make a great impact. Nor could the combined efforts and budgets of only two lottery distributors (Community Fund and New Opportunities Fund) compensate for inequities that had arisen in the funding patterns of all 15 distributors. Tackling disadvantage through lottery funding and ensuring even spread are long-term objectives. More immediate objectives than either of those were set – and clear progress towards them can now be seen.

A year after the scheme was launched, the Community Fund has injected £31m into its target areas. The New Opportunities Fund – with some money already committed to fair share areas through its Transforming Your Space pro-gramme – also has a newly created fair share trust poised to invest in local communities over the next five to ten years.

Fair share areas in England were selected from the 100 most deprived which had not had their fair share of all lottery funding (not the 100 most deprived areas – some of them had been successful in attracting funds). Those areas which fell below the median point of per capita allocations were selected. Within that list of 51 areas in England, only 26 were below the median for the Community Fund – early evidence that Community Fund monies were already accurately targeting the most disadvantaged areas. The figures make the point emphatically:

51% of all 354 authorities fell below the CF median;
25% of the 100 most deprived fell below;
8% of the 50 most deprived fell below;
2% of the 20 most deprived fell below.

Put another way, almost every one of the most disadvantaged areas in England was last year receiving a level of funding from the Community Fund which was above the median. The Community Fund set itself the objective over three years of bringing those remaining 26 areas which fell below the median up to the projected median for 2005. Eleven of these (38%) have now met their targets for this year (as well as two areas in Wales and one in Scotland) and most are close to reaching their targets. All of these are areas which over the past seven years have found it very difficult to access funds and which distributors find difficult to target. One area – Bolsover – in 12 months has surpassed the target set for the next three years. Something must be working! In fact the issues being tackled by fair share are longer-term concerns. The initiative is not just about sums of money. In fair share areas the Community Fund is focusing on the difficulties people face in accessing lottery funds in the first place. The blocks are being examined and dismantled. Simplified processes and an unprecedented level of pre-application support for grant applicants, combined with an aggressive information pro-gramme is producing results. When the New Opportunities Fund money comes on stream, it will bring decision-making down to local level with local people deciding local priorities. The real investment fair share is making in disadvantaged neighbourhoods is one of time, staff and imagination so that the real obstacles to getting funds of any sort can be overcome.

Tom Winsborough, Director of Bolsover Voluntary Action believes that the Community Fund’s stepped-up outreach programme has delivered the goods in Bolsover. ‘I admit I was one of the sceptics about Fair Share. The voluntary sector in Bolsover is quite small and diverse and I couldn’t see how the groups were big enough to go for the large amounts of money the Community Fund was offering.

‘But it is a refreshing change that people now come here to help. The fact that the Community Fund’s officers have been coming to Bolsover and meeting with the people who need the funding has really made a difference. They give people advice on their applications – and tips on how they can be successful. This system is user-friendly and enables people to really get what they want.’ Similar endorsements come from around the country. Wigan Family Welfare made contact with the local fair share officer at the Community Fund when an earlier grant was running out and no other funding was forthcoming. ‘The officer was able to provide advice and support on Community Fund policy and procedures. This advice, whist sometimes difficult and painful, has helped inform a new Community Fund application. We know the bid is as good as it gets, covering areas we would never have thought of without the invaluable help of the fair share officer. Fair share will allow the smaller organisations to get their fair share!’ Wigan Family Welfare went on to make a successful application and received a grant for £300,000 from the Community Fund’s North West Committee.

Anecdotal evidence doesn’t fit into statistical tables. These endorsements in themselves won’t produce the shift in funding league tables that everyone is looking for. But the story that they are telling is the story that counts: disadvantaged places which previously found it difficult to access funds are now finding it easier. That is the change that Fair Share set out to achieve. One year on, the early indications are that it’s happening. 

Kay Caldwell is the Community Fund’s communications manager, Scotland; Samantha Rennie is UK Fair Share Coordinator