Big Lottery Fund Announces Village SOS Scheme

The Big Lottery Fund is working in conjunction with the BBC and has announced a new Village SOS project. This new scheme will provide funds to support the regeneration of six villages across the country. Villages are invited to submit proposals for business projects that could be support by UK lottery funding.

There will be a shortlist of eighteen villages each receiving £10,000 to aid the development of their venture. A Village Champion will be appointed who has the tenacity and drive to take the business idea forward.

Finally six villages will be chosen to receive £40,000 worth of funding in May 2010. With this cash the Village Champion will be assigned to turn the business idea into a living reality.

BBC Wales will report on the project and broadcast a six part series later in 2010. The series will follow the Village Champions on their journey to win their village the national lottery funding and highlight how Good Causes cash is helping the wider community in the UK.

The Chair of the Big Lottery Fund, Sir Clive Booth commented:

“While rural village life is in decline we believe that many villages are sitting on a range of untapped potential that, with the strength of the community behind them, can be turned into thriving businesses. Village SOS will leave a genuine legacy for each of the villages involved and ultimately, we hope, will inspire other villages, showing them what can be achieved when communities work together.”