Your County - Putting Kent First

Kent 4 star Council

myplace - for youth facilities

The Big Lottery Fund is delivering myplace on behalf of the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF). £160 million will be available in year one of which up to £50 million is available through the fast-track application route.

Do you have the vision and drive to work with young people to deliver a world class place for them to go? If so, myplace may be able to help you turn your ideas into reality.

myplace aims to deliver world class youth facilities driven by the active participation of young people and their view and needs.

Funded projects must deliver all the following outcomes:

  • more young people, parents and communities feel that young people have exciting and safe places to go in their leisure time where they can get involved in an attractive range of activities
  • more young people, particularly the most disadvantaged, participate in positive leisure time activities that support their personal and social development
  • more young people have access to information, advice and support services from within places they feel comfortable
  • stronger partnership working between local authorities, third, private and public sector partners to plan, deliver and operate financially sustainable youth facilities with and for young people

myplace will only fund projects that will deliver on all four of these outcomes and demonstrate evidence of the real participation of young people, particularly disadvantaged young people, in the development, design and future running of the project.

All projects will need to demonstrate genuine cross-sector partnership between public sector bodies and third and/or private sector organisations.

The fast-track application process will enable early investment in projects that are already well developed and therefore able to submit robust business and capital plans with their application. This will enable final investment decisions to be made on the basis of the single application.

The standard application route will provide applicants with an in-principle investment decision prior to providing capacity building support to help them develop their detailed delivery plans.

Application and guidance materials for the first funding round are available from the Big Lottery Fund website (link opens in a new window). The deadline for fast-track applications is 29 July 2008 and the deadline for the standard route is 30 September 2008. For further information call: 0845 4 10 20 30

Important information about applying

All Kent applicants to this scheme either from the private, public or voluntary sectors are required to have the endorsement of Kent County Council before they submit their proposals.

Therefore could prospective applicants please contact KCC as soon as possible to discuss their potential bids. Applicants must complete and return a myplace KCC endorsement form to KCC by the 18 September 2008. Contact: Martyn Riley, External Funding Officer, Kent County Council Tel: 01622 694384 Email: martyn.riley@kent.gov.uk

Copyright Kent County Council 2009