The People’s Millions is a scheme run by the Big Lottery Fund in partnership with ITV, which is set to distribute £3.8 million to chosen charities during the course of this week (25-28 November 2013).
Awards of up to £50,000 will be given to four projects in each of the 19 ITV regional news areas – a total of 76 awards.
Two finalists in each region go head-to-head to try and win the public vote. A short appeal film is shown on the ITV regional evening news programmes to give voters an insight into each charity.
The result of the vote is announced the following day.
There is also a bonus award tomorrow (Thursday) that will be given to the runner up in each region with the most phone votes across the week.
Hospice victory!
Last night saw the first hospice victory, as Grace House Children’s Hospice in Sunderland battled it out with Ouseburn Farm Charity in Newcastle and won the contest.
Grace House Children’s Hospice will create a community shared garden with the £50,000 prize.
The hospice said that the fully accessible garden will including a sensory garden and vegetable patch and will bring together hospice users, local schools and the wider community to develop a therapeutic and welcoming environment for terminally ill children and their families.
Following the success, the hospice thanked all its supporters on its Facebook page: “We are delighted to announce that we were successful in our bid for the People’s Millions. We won! Thank you so much to everyone that has supported us through this campaign we couldn’t have done it without your help.”
Still time to vote
In ITV Anglia East region this evening (Wednesday) Funky SX Radio Station and Academy in Southend-on-Sea will take on St Clare Hospice’s project, ‘Space to Breathe – A Family Garden in Harlow’.
The hospice said, if successful, it will use the grant money to transform a currently unkempt and overshadowed area adjacent to the inpatient unit into a “calming space that maximises the healing power of nature.”
The garden will be wheelchair friendly and staff will also be able to wheel patients out into the fresh air in their beds.
And also competing tonight in the ITV Meridian East region, St Michael’s Hospice in Hastings will vie for the public vote with Have a Break, Have a Respite, run by Cerebral Palsy Care Kent.
St Michael’s Hospice has requested a grant of £49,998 and said the money would go towards transforming the Day Therapy service “to create a welcoming and creative space enabling people to come together and help them share their experiences, worries and fears.”
Changing local lives
Dawn Austwick Big Lottery Fund Chief Executive, said: “The highly imaginative range of projects shortlisted for The People’s Millions this year really will enable local lives to be changed by you.
“While it will undoubtedly present a challenge for the public to decide which good cause to choose, the end result is certain to benefit communities in need. We want to encourage everyone to show their support for the projects which capture their imagination, as every vote counts!”
Voting is open from 9am to midnight today (Wednesday).
You can find the voting telephone numbers as well as the daily results on the The People’s Millions website. Results will also be announced on the ITV regional evening news programmes.
To follow the social media support, use the hashtag, #pplsmillions or visit the Twitter profile @peoplesmillions
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