The UK government is launching a comprehensive public review of National Lottery Good Cause funding, the source of around a third of the BFI’s budget.
The public has the chance to have its say across the next 12 weeks on where National Lottery Good Cause funding should go and how it should be spent, for the first time in more than 20 years.
The BFI receives 2.7% of available National Lottery Good Cause funding. Based on predicted sales of National Lottery tickets, the BFI has set out a National Lottery funding plan for £150m from 2026-29, a 10% increase on the previous three years.
The National Lottery makes up around a third of the BFI’s budget and is used to back the BFI Filmmaking Fund, talent development and skills. Grant-in-aid and generated income each represent around a third of the BFI’s budget.
“We welcome today’s public consultation on National Lottery Good Causes funding. For more than 30 years, National Lottery players have helped change lives and strengthen communities across the UK,” said BFI CEO Ben Roberts.
“Funding for film does exactly that: opening doors for young people, through education and building skills and careers, keeping local cinemas and festivals at the heart of communities - often providing the only cultural offer for some across the UK, protecting our screen heritage, and backing our creative talent so they can bring UK stories to the screen.
“As the distributor of National Lottery funding for film, the BFI works with partners UK-wide to make that public investment count.”
“It is the public’s money”
Since 1994, the National Lottery has generated over £53bn to put towards causes and organisations ranging from Team GB at the Olympics and Paralympics to grassroots youth clubs and community groups.
Currently, nearly a quarter of every pound spent on a lottery ticket goes towards Good Cause funding at the National Lottery. However, a statement from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) noted the lottery’s “funding model is rooted in a different era. There has been no major review of how it works since former culture secretary Tessa Jowell’s in 2002-2003”.
National Lottery’s operator Allwyn has an ambition to double Good Cause funding to £60m a week by the end of 2034.
“The National Lottery is played by millions of people every single week,” said culture secretary Lisa Nandy. ” It is not just public money, it is literally the public’s money and they must be in the driving seat of how it is spent.
“But for two decades no government has asked people how they want their money to be spent. Decisions are made hundreds of miles from communities who know best and favour larger organisations who can meet the needs of the system, rather than bending the system to work for the small, grassroots organisations who are the lifeblood of our communities.”
No comments yet