Fair Share

Summary of the programme

Some parts of the UK missed out on Lottery funding in the past. The Fair Share programme has been helping to change that.

Targeted at 77 areas, Fair Share was the first joint programme from the New Opportunities Fund and the Community Fund - now merged as the Big Lottery Fund. The programme had three strands, of which one remains open:

The Fair Share Trust is a £50 million trust providing sustained funding in Fair Share Areas until 2013 (2009 in Scotland). The Community Foundation Network (CFN) is the sole UK trustee and has appointed delivery agents in each of the Fair Share areas. Selected neighbourhoods in each area are receiving targeted support from these agents, and local people are getting the opportunity to make decisions on where the funding goes.

The Fair Share Trust programme aims to:

• Build Capacity and Sustainability – by involving local communities in decision-making about lottery funding.
• Build Social Capital – by building links within and between communities to promote trust and participation.
• Improve liveability -  by improving the living environment for communities.

If you are interested in finding out more about the Fair Share Trust, please go to the Community Foundation Network website.

In Wales, this programme only operates in Neath Port Talbot, Caerphilly, Blaenau Gwent, Wrexham and Anglesey. It is managed by the Community Foundation in Wales. For details contact Community Foundation in Wales: 02920 52 0250

The remaining two strands of the Fair Share programme are now closed:

• The Community Fund delivered £92 million through its existing grants schemes to 37 Fair Share areas up until the end of March 2005. This programme is now closed.
• The New Opportunities Fund delivered the Fair Share: Transforming Your Space (England) programme. It allocated £37 million of funding to the 51 fair share areas in England to support projects which improved local environments and the quality of life of communities. This programme is now closed.