The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has said it wishes to protect the level of National Lottery funding received by the voluntary and community sector (VCS), and looks to reduce the proportion administered by the Big Lottery Fund (BIG) from half to 40 per cent.

However, it has not outlined how it will ensure that VCS funds are protected, only that the change will be phased in to smooth the transition.

The department’s Secretary of State Jeremy Hunt (pictured) emailed 41 organisations plus the 17 Lottery distributors earlier this week outlining the plan and asking for consultation responses.

In it he said the government wishes to “restore the National Lottery to its original purpose” by increasing the shares received by the causes of sports, heritage and the arts to 20 per cent each.

Hunt proposes that arts, heritage and sport will be increased to 18 per cent each on 1 April 2011, then up to 20 per cent on 1 April 2012, with BIG moving to 46 per cent and then 40 per cent accordingly.

In a letter last week, Acevo chief executive Stephen Bubb called on Hunt to establish the level of Lottery funding going to the sector across the different distributors and to set it as “a minimum benchmark for the future”.

NCVO chief executive Stuart Etherington said his organisation would be looking carefully at the proposals, but “would be very concerned at any change which resulted in less money for voluntary and community organisations”.