Nine Community Spaces Receive GBP4m Lottery-funded Boost

BIRMINGHAM, England, March 30, 2010 - Community Spaces, which is managed by Groundwork UK and funded by the Big
Lottery Fund, has today announced nine significant grant awards to
community-led projects across the country. Successful groups have each
secured up to GBP450k of funding to transform green spaces across the
country.

At a time where the threat to funding for parks and green open spaces is
rife, Lottery funding is enabling local people to take control of public
spaces and transform them for community benefit. The transformations range
from a new state of the art natural play area in Torbay to a digital
technology clad heritage park in Cleveland.

The following nine projects have been awarded a grant from Community
Spaces;

    - The Dean & Chapter of Exeter Cathedral will be using the
      grant award to realise their Vision of the Green - they will be
      transforming the area around the cathedral into an accessible green
      space, which will nurture wildlife.
    - Saltash Waterfront Resident's Association in Cornwall will be
      using funding to open up access to the Elwell Woodlands; the project
      will also see the installation of an iconic 20 metre Celtic Cross.
    - Paignton Town Community Partnership will be using just under
      GBP450k from Community Spaces to transform a former green space on the
      Paignton sea front into a state of the art natural play park.
    - All Saints Community Development Company will be using the
      funds to create an open village square off a busy High Street in Kings
      Heath, Birmingham.
    - Dudley Canal Trust will be revitalising and opening up access
      to the Dudley No.2 Canal Corridor, which is a 4-mile stretch of canal
      between Dudley and Sandwell.
    - Friends of Tees Heritage Park in Cleveland will be improving
      accessibility to the park and installing a trail around the site using
      digital and Bluetooth technology.
    - The Byker Centre in Newcastle has secured funding to create a
      community garden, which will include an amphitheatre, play facilities
      as well as more spaces for recreation.
    - Halton Community Association will be creating a Heart of
      Halton using GBP450k from Community Spaces. The project will open up a
      green space for all ages, the facilities will include a toddler and
      teenager play area, a multi-use games area, a skate park as well as a
      wildlife area.
    - Heeley Development Trust has planned to use the funds to
      create the Heeley Millenium Park in Sheffield. The local community hope
      to take more control of the existing local park and introduce better
      play facilities, BMX trails and community orchards.

Groundwork UK awards Community Spaces grants to local groups that want to
improve or create parks and green spaces. Projects range from community
gardens and play areas to outdoor gyms and nature reserves.

Flagship grant awards were available in a one-off bidding round that
closed in January 2009. The groups that have been selected to receive the
grant awards had to demonstrate how their project will improve the space for
local people as well as significantly benefit the wider community.

Tony Hawkhead, Groundwork UKs Chief Executive, said, "I am delighted to
be able to announce these significant grant awards today. At a time when
tightened Local Authority budgets are leaving many of our parks and outdoor
recreation areas facing uncertain futures, the flagship grant awards will
help secure much needed green spaces that will have a big impact in their
local communities. I'd like to wish all the groups the very best of luck and
look forward to seeing the finished sites."

Peter Wanless, Big Lottery Fund's Chief Executive, said, "The flagship
awards announcement from the Community Spaces programme includes some
exemplary projects that are set to help people of all ages enjoy and improve
their local natural environment. The Big Lottery Fund's Changing Spaces
programme is already engaging communities in the regeneration of green spaces
and in growing their own local food, and it gives me great pleasure to see
these awards today."

If you're a community-led group that wants to transform a patch of land,
green space or park in your neighbourhood then smaller grants of GBP10k to
just under GBP50k are available from Community Spaces until January 2011,
please visit the website; www.community-spaces.org.uk for more
information.

Notes to Editor

Community Spaces

Community Spaces is a GBP50 million open grants programme that is managed
by Groundwork UK as an award partner to the Big Lottery Fund's Changing
Spaces initiative. The programme helps community groups create or improve
green and open spaces so that the quality of life in neighbourhoods across
England is enhanced.

Only community groups in England are eligible to apply - a full
eligibility criteria is available online: www.community-spaces.org.uk.

There was only one opportunity to apply for a grant of between GBP50,000
- GBP450,000 - these grants closed to applications in January 2009. The
programme will remain open for small and medium grants (GBP10,000 -
GBP49,999) until January 2011.

The programme has awarded almost 250 small and medium grants across the
country - projects range from small facility and access improvements to
larger creations of community gardens, outdoor gyms and play areas.

For media enquiries please contact, Nisha Virdi: +44(0)121-237-5872 or
+44(0)7748-320-074. Email press@community-spaces.org.uk

Photo of cheque presentation with a successful Flagship project in the
West Midlands will be available.

Groundwork UK

Groundwork supports communities in need, working with partners to help
improve the quality of people's lives, their prospects and potential and the
places where they live, work and play.

Our vision is of a society of sustainable communities which are vibrant,
healthy and safe, which respect the local and global environment and where
individuals and enterprise prosper. For further information visit:
www.groundwork.org.uk

Big Lottery Fund

The Big Lottery Fund's Changing Spaces programme was launched
in November 2005 to help communities enjoy and improve their local
environments. The programme is funding a range of activities from local food
schemes and farmers markets, to education projects teaching people about the
environment. Groundwork UK was appointed as a Changing Spaces award partner,
responsible for distributing GBP50 million through its Community Spaces
scheme.

The Big Lottery Fund, the largest of the National Lottery good cause
distributors, has been rolling out grants to health, education, environment
and charitable causes across the UK since its inception in June 2004. It was
established by Parliament on 1 December 2006.

Big Lottery Fund Press Office: +44(0)20-7211-1888, Out of hours:
+44(0)7867-500-572

Public enquiries line: +44(0)8454-102030, Textphone: +44(0)8456-021-659

Full details of the work of the Big Lottery Fund, its programmes and
awards are available on the website: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk

For media enquiries please contact, Nisha Virdi: +44(0)121-237-5872 or +44(0)7748-320-074. Email press at community-spaces.org.uk. Big Lottery Fund Press Office: +44(0)20-7211-1888, Out of hours: +44(0)7867-500-572. Public enquiries line: +44(0)8454-102030, Textphone:
+44(0)8456-021-659