Jowell signals the end for big money lottery projects

Deprived communities such as former mining towns with high unemployment rates are not getting their fair share of lottery cash and should receive more help when applying for funds, a Government report said yesterday.

Small organisations are daunted by the lottery's complicated application process and have lost out compared to projects in London such as the Millennium Dome.

Proposals announced yesterday by the Culture Secretary, Tessa Jowell, suggested the introduction of "one-stop shop" drop-in centres to help applicants for lottery grants to get a slice of the proceeds.

A report reviewing how the lottery funding is allocated says that more "micro grants" of between £500 and £5,000 could be issued in local communities. The grants would be easy to apply for with less red tape and quicker decisions.

The shift in emphasis follows accusations that millions of pounds of lottery funding have been diverted to high-profile or "elitist" projects such as the Dome and Royal Opera House.

"In eight years the National Lottery has funded over 100,000 projects in the UK. It is a resounding success," said Ms Jowell.

"But just as Camelot are adapting the way in which the game is played, so the Government wants to review how proceeds are shared out."

Many members of the public have little idea of where the money from lottery tickets goes and more should be done to raise the profile of good causes, the report says.

The public should have more influence at a local level over where lottery cash goes, the report concludes.

A national lottery day, which would involve organisations that have obtained lottery funding opening their doors without charge to the public, could help to "raise awareness". A special annual draw could also boost the lottery's public image.

The report says more must be done to boost awareness because research carried out by Camelot last year showed that only 34 per cent of those asked could cite a national lottery project.

"In spite of the undoubted success of the lottery, people are not as aware as they could be of what it has achieved in their local area, and of the potential for lottery funding within their community," the report says.

"The Government would like people to engage more with the Lottery, particularly at a local level and to become more involved in saying how and where Lottery money goes."

More than £12 billion has been allocated since the launch of the lottery in 1994, but the Government says the cash should be shared out more evenly.

A review of the 15 bodies which distribute lottery cash should be undertaken, with a view to possibly merging them into a single umbrella organisation.

It says that the lottery application process was "too complex" for many communities and that funds should be targeted on "areas of need".

The report suggests the creation of mobile teams of lottery advisers who would make sure "no particular area need be disadvantaged because of its geographical location".