The Big Lottery Fund has teamed up with Channel 4 for a new show which will see £10m invested into charities.

A five-part documentary series is to follow celebrities as they work with five frontline charities developing new projects – at the same time secretly trying to help secure £2m from the Big Lottery Fund (BIG).

The program is named The Secret Millions and will feature Gok Wan, Katie Piper, Jimmy Doherty, Dave Fishwick and George Clarke helping out one charity apiece.

The organisations were chosen as a result of a 2011 survey by BIG and Channel 4 to decide which five themes were the nation’s priorities for funding during the current financial climate.

The five chosen projects include the Foyer Federation’s 'jobcentre for young people, by young people'; a course in fashion design through Kids Company; and Papworth Trust’s care retreat on a working farm, for families caring for mentally disabled children and young adults.

The final two are a workshop for ex-offenders set up by Acumen Development Trust, designing, manufacturing and marketing furniture; and a programme from London Youth bringing together retired craftsmen and unemployed youth to refurbish derelict social housing.

Peter Wanless, chief executive of BIG, said that The Secret Millions is one of the most exciting projects the Fund has ever been involved in, and called it “an excellent experience”.

This is the first time BIG has asked the public to help design and develop a grant programme from choosing the programme themes to the types of projects and beneficiaries they want funded – and the £10m sum is the largest amount ever handed out on a Channel 4 series.

The Secret Millions will begin on Sunday 17 March at 8pm on Channel 4.

 

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