Lottery refund campaign to feature on tonight's Dispatches2

Fundraising | Tania Mason | 2 Jul 2012

The campaign spearheaded by the Directory of Social Change to convince the government to return the £425m it diverted from good causes to fund the Olympics could be given a fillip tonight after it is featured on Channel 4’s Dispatches programme.

The Dispatches programme is called Cashing in on the Games and apparently covers various things including the raid on National Lottery funding that forms the basis of the DSC’s campaign.

The DSC’s director of policy and research, Ben Wittenberg, has been interviewed and the producers have spoken to some charities too.

The programme is expected to show past footage of ministers pledging that the money would be returned to the sector at the end of this year’s Games.

It is also likely to feature sports minister John Penrose’s reply to a Parliamentary question in February this year, where he states that the lottery distributors should start to receive repayments “in the mid-2020s”.

Dozens of charities have signed up to the DSC’s Big Lottery Refund campaign including Mencap, Navca and Urban Forum.

Directory: Directory of Social Change (DSC) | Mencap | National Association for Voluntary and Community Action
Who's Who: Ben Wittenberg

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Catherine Clark
Head of Communications, Marketing & Development
Royal School of Church Music
2 Jul 2012

The grammarian in me begs people to write 'persuade to' or 'convince of' but not 'convince to'. And yes, we should get that money back!

[Reply]

Carl Allen
2 Jul 2012

There must be a return.

But considering government's strapped for cash, what other assets might we ask for on a better than even return?

[Reply]

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