Rush to beat ‘In It To Win It’ deadline for ITV Central People's Millions
Community groups in the ITV Central region have less than a month to beat the deadline and enter The People’s Millions TV contest to secure the chance to win a Lottery award of up to £50,000 to improve their local area.Community groups throughout the region will need to enter the contest by the deadline of noon on 15 May. Now in its fifth year, the contest is a partnership between the Big Lottery Fund (BIG) and ITV, which gives the public the chance to choose which local projects receive Lottery funding. Later in the year, shortlisted projects will be screened on ITV Central evening news where viewers will be able to cast their vote for the projects they want to win the good-cause cash.
This year in ITV Central the contest will make five awards of up to £50,000 for projects that will enhance local facilities or help people to enjoy their local area – a total of £250,000 will be invested in the region.
Previous projects that have been funded include Midland Railway Trust’s Golden Valley Park in Ripley, Derbyshire which received a grant to expand the park and make it more accessible, and Pathways-Shropshire Ltd’s Oak Farm Project, near Bridgnorth in Shropshire which introduced a Village History Archive, a bakery and a farm shop – run by adults with learning disabilities.
Other projects to receive funding include an Open Access Farm project in Knutton, which provides a hands-on experience to show visitors where food comes from and how it is produced, and the Renovation of the Ellenroad Engine House in Newhey, Rochdale which received a grant to protect and preserve the exhibits within the building.
The People’s Millions is part of BIG’s commitment to involving the public in deciding how Lottery money is spent. In the last four years, the competition has made 318 awards totalling £18 million to community projects across the UK through the contest.