Big Lottery ‘Fulfilling Lives: A Better Start’ programme

 The Big Lottery has recently launched its ‘Fulfilling Lives: A Better Start’ Programme.  Sheffield City Council is keen to submit a bid from our city.

The programme focuses on outcomes in three main areas of child development: communication and language development, social and emotional development, and nutrition in the first years of life.  The Big Lottery are looking to make between 3-5 awards of approximately £30m-£50m, each for up to 8-10 years in a specific geographic area of around 50,000 people.  The funding will be awarded to a VCS-led partnership. 

The submission date for an expression of interest is 22^nd February 2012.  In the EOI (which goes from the Local Authority) we need to: 

 1.  Identify a geographic area of need within our local authority;

 2.  Explain why we have selected this area;

 3.  Explain how local services in the wards that make up this area are currently committed to prevention in early life

 4.  List all the local organisations and agencies have been identified so far that will play a significant role in the partnership

 5.  Identify a VCS organisation which is willing and able to lead the  local partnership across health agencies, the local authority and the community. 

You will appreciate that this is a short deadline, and therefore we need to move forward on this as soon as possible.

 We are holding a stakeholder meeting on the 4^th February 12 – 2pm, Conference Room 2, Sheffield City Council Moorfoot Building.

 If you feel there may be others that can valuably contribute to this process, please pass on the details of the meeting.

 The aim of this meeting is to begin a conversation about how we proceed with this bid, discuss geographical areas of focus, map out existing good practice, and strategic priorities of provider organisations, and generate commitment to progressing with this bid.  We also need to start the process of coming to a consensus within the voluntary and community sector about who will lead the local partnership. 

 If you would like to attend please can you email Lorraine Gosnell: Lorraine.Gosnell@sheffield.gcsx.gov.uk by close of play Wednesday 30^th January.  Further details and an agenda will go out on Thursday 31^st January.

For further information please contact Siobhan Horsley: Siobhan.horsley@sheffield.gcsx.gov.uk or phone 0114 2930228