DAVE Watts MP makes the case for more National Lottery funding to St Helens.

In fact it is difficult to make meaningful geographical comparisons of National Lottery funding as some areas of the UK are more densely populated than others.

Many National Lottery grants are recorded where an organisation is based, rather than where they work. Often national charities have head offices in London, but do excellent work in other areas. For example, the Lottery grant of £193,900 issued by the British Red Cross society to older people living alone in St Helens.

This isn’t recorded to St Helens because British Red Cross society is a national body.

The residents of St Helens may also benefit from funding which has been awarded to the wider region or from grants awarded to cover a number of years.

The National Lottery has helped some of the UK’s most deprived communities.

Since the Lottery began, 28 per cent of the total value of grants awarded in England has been channeled into the 10 per cent most deprived local authority areas. Lottery distributors undertake a great deal of work to raise awareness of Lottery funding where low levels of funding applications are made. The National Lottery is currently raising £33 million per week for good causes, and money is available for a wide range of projects; everything from the arts, to sports, heritage, health, education, environment and community groups.

We hope this will inspire others to apply for money. For more information go to lotterygoodcauses.org.

uk or call the National Lottery funding helpline on 0845 275 0000.

Nicola Bligh,

National Lottery Promotions Unit