Lottery funding cuts upset groups’ board

Press, 14 October 1986, Page 5

Lottery funding cuts upset groups’ board

Some welfare groups were upset that their Lottery Board funding had been cut, said the chairman of the board’s welfare services distribution committee, Mr Ray Burns, yesterday. Mr Burns said a change in funding policy had given priority to funding new projects or programmes. This decision was unpopular with welfare groups which had relied on an annual grant from the board for their normal running costs. More than 60 representatives of Canterbury welfare groups met the committee yesterday to discuss the board’s funding policies. ' Several people were concerned that new projects which received

assistance could not be sustained because of the absence of long-term funding. One woman suggested that the .new emphasis would encourage welfare groups to “dress up” applications. Rather than admit that money was needed for running expenses, they would instead say the money was needed for a new programme. “It is ridiculous that people have to dress these things up and present them as a new idea,” she said.

Mr Burns said that although the committee would look more favourably at new programmes, it was still possible to obtain funding for existing programmes.

The committee’s limited resources meant it could not meet all the 580 applications it had received this year, he said. The committee’s allocation for distribution had been $2.5 million, but applications for funding had been double this amount, Mr Burns said. The committee’s share of lottery funds had not increased in the last two years, but Mr Burns said he hoped the introduction of lotto would allow more money to be distributed. The public meeting was the second the committee has held this year to increase public awareness of its activities. Mr Burns said many voluntary welfare groups did not know how to apply for funds.