Lottery Merger Fears. 14 January 2003

NICVA, the umbrella body for the voluntary and community sector in Northern Ireland, has called on Minister for Social Development, Des Browne MP, to ensure that any merger of the Community Fund and the New Opportunities Fund does not result in a decrease in funding for voluntary and community organisations in Northern Ireland. As part of the government’s lottery review, it is promoting a merger between the Community Fund ­ (formerly the National Lottery Charities Board) ­ and the very different New Opportunities Fund (NOF).