Month: June 2018

• Funding will support charities and community groups to bring people together
• The money will go to support programmes that are proven to benefit individuals and society
• Hundreds of thousands of people will be helped to make connections in their communities

Charities and community groups will get £20 million of new funding to help isolated people and those suffering from loneliness, Prime Minister Theresa May said today.

The funding will go to support and expand programmes that bring people together and are proving to benefit communities.

This includes a new £11 million ‘Building Connections Fund’ that will be distributed to successful applicants that can help bring communities together. This will help make the most of local spaces, opening them up for community use, as well as help businesses and local services combat isolation. It will also fund projects that use technology to link those in remote areas and help improve transport connections to make face-to-face contact easier.

It will support groups to understand the impact of their work and share best practice about how to prevent loneliness.

The fund has been created as a partnership between the Big Lottery Fund and the government – who have equally pledged £5 million – and the Co-op Fundation, who has allocated £1 million to tackle loneliness among young people

In addition to this new fund, People’s Postcode Lottery has committed £5 million of players money to top up existing grants it has given to charities that combat loneliness. The Health Lottery will give out £4 million to charities that work to improve social links in disadvantaged areas across England.

Prime Minister, Theresa May, said:

Feeling lonely or isolated can have a profound and devastating impact on people’s lives – it can affect anyone of any age and from any background. But just as loneliness can affect any of us, so any of us can help to overcome it.

The new funding set out today will make a big difference, helping more people to establish and maintain connections. This will build on work already going on, including through the second Great Get Together this weekend, which will see people up and down the country celebrating the strength of their communities.

This is just part of Jo Cox’s legacy, and I am determined we continue to take this forward. That’s why we need to do all we can to tackle loneliness, and our forthcoming strategy will build on today’s funding.

Tracey Crouch, Minister for Sport and Civil Society, said:

Tracey Crouch, Minister for Sport and Civil Society, said:

This funding will support charities across the country that are fighting against loneliness. It will help improve people’s lives and create a shared society for the future.

I am incredibly grateful to our funding partners for their support. There is no single solution to this issue, but together we will reduce stigma around loneliness and build on Jo Cox’s legacy.

Funding applications for the Building Connections Fund will open from July 2018 with grants available until the end of December 2020.

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

SUPPORTIVE QUOTES

Dawn Austwick, Chief Executive of the Big Lottery Fund, said:

As the largest funder of community activity in the country we support thousands of initiatives across the UK each year which enable people to build new friendships and celebrate community spirit. This sits at the heart of the National Lottery and we are delighted to partner with Government and the Co-op to deliver funding that will build a greater sense of belonging and happiness in communities.

Jamie Ward-Smith, Chair of the Co-op Foundation, said:

The Co-op Foundation is working to connect and empower 5,000 young people to tackle loneliness in their communities. Our new match funding partnership with the Government, announced today, will help us build on this, extending our network of partners and reaching even more young people. We believe youth loneliness is best tackled at community level, by working with young people to overcome the stigma around this issue and helping them shape their own solutions.

Allan Leighton, Chair of the Co-op, said:

The Co-op knows through its own research that loneliness is not the preserve of the elderly, it can affect people at different life stages. Through my involvement with the Co-op Foundation I’ve seen how it has brought attention to the widespread, but long-overlooked issue of youth loneliness. I’m delighted that the Foundation is partnering with the Government on the Building Connections Fund, to invest £2 million in projects that bring young people together, develop their skills and help them get more involved in positive activities. Through this we will learn more about what works in tackling some of the root causes of long-term loneliness, helping young people live healthier, happier lives.

Clara Govier, Managing Director of People’s Postcode Lottery, said:

Despite being more digitally connected than ever, we are facing a dire epidemic of loneliness with far reaching consequences for people’s health and mental wellbeing.’

Thanks to grant-giving trusts supported by supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery, a £5 million fund has been created to benefit charities working towards more connected communities. This will tackle the issues behind loneliness which affect so many people across Great Britain.’

John Hume, Chief Executive for People’s Health Trust who distribute funds for the Health Lottery said:

Social connections not only have an impact on reducing the risk of dying younger but they can also help people to recover quicker when they do become ill. That is why it is so important to support marginalised local people and communities to come together and build social links and ties.

We’re grateful to players of the Health Lottery who have helped provide these vital funds and we’re looking forward to working with fellow funders and the Government in addressing this important issue.

Kim Leadbeater, Jo’s sister, on behalf of the Jo Cox Foundation said:

Tackling loneliness was an issue dear to Jo’s heart. She began work on setting up a Loneliness Commission almost as soon as she was elected to parliament. She would be so proud to see how much progress has been made in recognising the importance of building stronger and better connected communities to help reduce the terrible damage done by loneliness. I’m particularly pleased that this significant funding announcement is being made in the week that we remember my sister’s murder two years ago and celebrate the values she lived by with The Great Get Together this coming weekend.

The government’s work will be led by Tracey Crouch, who was appointed the ministerial lead on loneliness in January 2018, following the report of the Jo Cox Commission on Loneliness in December 2017.

ABOUT THE FUNDING PARTNERS

Big Lottery Fund uses money raised by National Lottery players to help communities achieve their ambitions. From small, local projects to UK-wide initiatives, its funding brings people together to make a difference to their health, wellbeing and environment. Since June 2004 it has awarded £8.5 billion to projects that improve the lives of millions of people.

The Co-op Foundation is a charity set up by the Co-op as part of its commitment to stronger communities. The Foundation’s UK-wide ‘Belong’ network aims to share learning between projects that help young people beat loneliness.

The Health Lottery is made up of a collection of local society lotteries. Each society lottery raises money for good causes within their respective areas. People’s Health Trust oversees the distribution of grants into these respective areas.

People’s Postcode Lottery manages multiple lotteries on behalf of charities and good causes across Great Britain and globally. A minimum of 32% goes directly to charities and players have raised £310 million for good causes across the country Players play with their postcodes to win cash prizes.

A Downing Street spokesperson said:

This afternoon the Prime Minister hosted social enterprise CEOs and leaders from a range of sectors including education, health, transport and housing for a roundtable in Downing Street.

The Prime Minister began the meeting by thanking Lord John Bird for suggesting the roundtable. She then set out her vision for a society that focuses on the responsibilities we have to one another and where all sectors, not just the state, play their part in tackling the challenges facing the country, whether in housing, education, markets or the workplace. The Prime Minister then highlighted the work of over 70,000 social enterprises doing good across the country and asked guests for thoughts on how to build on that success.

Culture Minister Tracey Crouch then spoke about the upcoming 10-year Civil Society Strategy, and highlighted the crucial role of social enterprises in delivering the Prime Minister’s vision for a more inclusive economy.

The guests discussed procurement, and how the government can protect and expand the role social enterprises can and should play in the public service economy. There was agreement that the Social Value Act has done much to support the growth of social enterprises, but that it was necessary to take steps to strengthen it and to make sure that the public sector maximises its potential.

Guests welcomed today’s announcement of increased funding for the NHS, and the Prime Minister underlined the importance for the social enterprise sector of working with NHS leaders to develop more integrated care strategies as part of the ten-year plan for the NHS.

Guests then discussed community housing, with the Prime Minister highlighting her particular focus on tackling homelessness and rough-sleeping. Guests underlined the particular value that local expertise can add in terms of delivering outcomes for communities. On this point, the Prime Minister added that her conversations with the Grenfell community following last year’s tragedy had brought home to her the importance of listening to tenants and ensuring that their views are taken into account.

The Prime Minister concluded the meeting by thanking guests for their insights, and there was agreement that the government would continue to support and engage social enterprises to deliver an economy that works for everyone.

Attendees:

• Victor Lord Adebowale, CBE – CEO, Turning Point & Chair, Social Enterprise UK
• John Lord Bird, MBE – Founder & Editor-in-chief, Big Issue
• Claire Dove, OBE – Crown Representative (Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise)
• Devan Kanthasamy – CEO, Tamil Community Housing Association
• John Montague – Managing Director, The Big Issue Group
• June O’Sullivan – CEO, London Early Years Foundation
• Dai Powell, OBE – CEO, HCT Group
• Cliff Prior – CEO, Big Society Capital
• Liz Prudhoe – Director, Adapt (North East)
• Gareth Rhys Williams – Government Chief Commercial Officer & Non-Executive Director Crown Commercial Services
• Gareth Swarbrick – CEO, Rochdale Boroughwide Housing
• Linda Wallace – CEO, CDS Co-operatives

• NHS will receive an average 3.4 per cent a year real-terms increase in funding over the next 5 years
• increased funding will support a new 10-year long-term plan the NHS will bring forward
• the long-term plan will help the NHS tackle waste and improve services.

The NHS will receive increased funding of £20.5bn in real terms per year by the end of the 5 years compared to today – an average 3.4% per year overall – in a move to secure the future of the health service as it approaches its 70th birthday, the Prime Minister announced today.

The increase will mean the NHS can regain core performance and lay the foundations for service improvements. The funding will be front-loaded with increases of 3.6% in the first 2 years, which means £4.1 billion extra next year.

This long-term funding commitment means the NHS has the financial security to develop a 10-year plan. The plan will be developed by the NHS, working closely with government and be published later this year. The priorities include:

• getting back on the path to delivering agreed performance standards – locking in and further building on the recent progress made in the safety and quality of care
• transforming cancer care so that patient outcomes move towards the very best in Europe
• better access to mental health services, to help achieve the government’s commitment to parity of esteem between mental and physical health
• better integration of health and social care, so that care does not suffer when patients are moved between systems
• focusing on the prevention of ill-health, so people live longer, healthier lives

It will be essential that every pound in the NHS budget is spent wisely. The government will set the NHS 5 financial tests to show how the NHS will do its part to put the service onto a more sustainable footing:

• improving productivity and efficiency
• eliminating provider deficits
• reducing unwarranted variation in the system so people get the consistently high standards of care wherever they live
• getting much better at managing demand effectively
• making better use of capital investment

Health and Social Care Secretary, Jeremy Hunt said:

This historic long-term funding boost recognises the superhuman efforts made by staff over the last few years to maintain services in the face of rapidly growing demand. But it also presents a big opportunity for the NHS to write an entirely new chapter in its history.

The British public love their health service fiercely, and undoubtedly want it to be the top priority for their hard-earned tax contributions.

The debate over Brexit can be divisive, but that famous campaign promise can now unite us all: the British public voted for £350m a week for the NHS, and that – and more – is exactly what this government will deliver.

In addition to a 5-year revenue settlement, the government will also:

• come forward with proposals to reform social care later this year
• ensure that adult social care doesn’t impose additional pressure on the NHS
• consider any proposals from the NHS for legislative changes that will help it to improve patient care and productivity
• consider proposals from the NHS for a multi-year capital plan to support transformation and a multi-year funding plan for clinical training places
• ensure that public health helps people live longer, healthier lives

The government is able to invest in the NHS because it has taken difficult but necessary decisions to get the nation’s finances back in order and because it is confident it will secure a good Brexit deal that supports our economy.

The Prime Minister explained that some of the extra funding will come from the money the government will no longer spend on the annual membership subscription to the European Union after Britain has left and as well as that taxpayers will also need to contribute a bit more in a fair and balanced way.

The government will listen to views about how to do this and the Chancellor will set out further details in due course.

Ends

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the Rt Hon Karen Bradley MP, has announced the allocation of £140m of UK Government funding to support the development of the new Strule Shared Education Campus Project.

The Secretary of State made the announcement during a visit to the Strule Shared Education Campus (SSEC) site in Omagh today. Stressing the pressing need for the re-establishment of an Executive to build on this and other positive developments for the people of Northern Ireland, she also called for the redoubling of efforts to recommence talks between the political parties.

The Strule Project will be the largest shared educational campus in Northern Ireland, bringing together over 4,000 pupils, from all backgrounds, in a vibrant and unique campus environment. This will offer collaborative education opportunities and experiences to students across the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) area of the curriculum.

The sharing of facilities, skills and resources will enable a more flexible approach to learning with enhanced curriculum choices, encouraging and supporting young people to flourish and to become the best that they can be.

The UK Government is committed to shared and integrated education in Northern Ireland. This includes previous commitments in the Economic Pact in June 2013 and the recent commitments in the Stormont House and Fresh Start Agreements to provide up to £500 million of new funding to support shared and integrated education projects.

The Secretary of State was welcomed to the Strule Campus, a vast building site, by John Smith, Deputy Secretary at the Department of Education and SRO for the Strule Shared Education Campus Programme, and Jennifer Morgan, Strule Construction Director, for a tour of the site, during which she heard about the scale and ambition of the project.

At Arvalee School and Resource Centre, a special needs school on the edge of the site and the first school to move to the new shared location, the Secretary of State was greeted by the Principal, Jonathan Gray, and John Hall MBE, Chair of the School’s Board of Governors, for a tour of the school and grounds. She also took the opportunity to meet the principals of the other five schools involved in the project, as well as a number of pupils from all six schools.

Strule is the only campus in Northern Ireland where students with moderate and severe learning difficulties will be educated alongside mainstream schools, presenting a unique opportunity to share learning and cultivate meaningful partnerships which benefit the pupils and staff of all six schools.

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the Rt. Hon. Karen Bradley MP, said:

I am delighted to announce the allocation of £140m to support the development of the world-class Strule Project which will bring together six schools and 4,200 pupils.

UK Government funding will help support integrated and shared education in Northern Ireland and break down barriers through cohesion to give young people the valuable skills they need to succeed.

Our strong commitment has been demonstrated in recent years in the 2013 Economic Pact with the Executive and in both the Stormont House and Fresh Start Agreements.

It is our ambition that we ensure all young people can benefit from a high-class education and fulfil their potential, irrespective of their background.

The children that I have met today and throughout my time as Secretary of State have made a huge impression on me. They are the future of Northern Ireland and they deserve the best they can possibly have.

The Strule project demonstrates the huge importance of devolved Government in Northern Ireland to drive forward projects like this for the benefit of the whole community.

It is clear that people in Northern Ireland want local politicians in place working hard to deliver and drive transformation across the education sector and wider public services to create a Northern Ireland fit for the future. A restored Executive is also urgently needed to give Northern Ireland the best possible chance of building on further opportunities such as the devolution of corporation tax rates.

This is my priority too, and this is why my focus is on redoubling efforts to get the political parties back into talks to restore an Executive at the earliest possibility.

Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) 16 and 18 infections, which cause the majority of cervical cancer cases, decreased by 86% in women aged 16 to 21 who were eligible for the vaccination as adolescents between 2010 and 2016.

The surveillance data from England was published today (Monday 18 June 2018) in the Journal of Infectious Diseases. Overall, declines were seen across 5 high-risk HPV types, which together cause around 90% of cervical cancer cases, as well as low-risk HPV types.

The results suggest that the HPV vaccination programme will bring about large reductions in cervical cancer in the future. Cervical cancer is currently the most common cancer in women under 35, killing around 850 women a year.

In addition, the programme has led to a marked decline in genital wart diagnoses. The number of genital wart diagnoses in sexual health clinics fell in girls aged 15 to 17 by 89%, and in boys of the same age by 70%, between 2009 and 2017 as a result of herd immunity. Genital warts are caused by some low-risk strains of HPV, which the current vaccine also protects against.

Mary Ramsay, Head of Immunisations, Public Health England (PHE), said:

These results are very promising and mean that in years to come we can expect to see significant decreases in cervical cancer, which is currently one of the biggest causes of cancer in women under 35.

This study also reminds us how important it is to keep vaccination rates high to reduce the spread of this preventable infection. I encourage all parents of girls aged 12 to 13 to make sure they take up the offer for this potentially life-saving vaccine.

As well as seeing a significant reduction in the high-risk types 16 and 18, the study also showed clear declines in the prevalence of HPV31, HPV33 and HPV45, which are not included in the current vaccine. This builds on existing evidence which suggests the vaccine also offers some cross-protection to unvaccinated women against related HPV types that can also cause cervical cancer.

Robert Music, Chief Executive, Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust:

It is extremely positive to see the impact that the vaccination has had on prevalence of cervical cancer causing HPV infection among vaccinated women. One day we hope to see cervical cancer become a disease of the past and it is only through high vaccination rates that we will get there. For women who have had the vaccine, it is important to remember it does not offer full protection against cervical cancer so attending cervical screening when invited is still important.

Most HPV infections are cleared by the immune system with no symptoms, but some high-risk types of HPV (16 and 18) cause cervical cancer.

The HPV vaccination programme was first introduced in 2008. Over 80% of people aged 15 to 24 have now been vaccinated in the UK and 80 million have received the vaccine worldwide.

The study reminds us of the importance of maintaining high take up amongst girls who are offered the vaccine through the school vaccination. The vaccine was found to be less effective in females who receive it in later adolescent years, due to an increased likelihood of prior exposure to the virus through sexual activity.

All girls can get the HPV vaccine free from the NHS from the age of 12 up to their 18th birthday. The vaccination programme is delivered through schools, but if girls miss out they can request it from their GP surgery.

Background:

1. Read the paper published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases.
2. In England, girls aged 12 to 13 years are routinely offered the first HPV vaccination when they’re in school year 8. The second dose is normally offered 6 to 12 months after the first (in school year 8 or year 9). It’s important to have both doses to be protected.
3. Men who have sex with men (MSM) do not benefit in the same way from the girls’ programme. From April 2018, MSM up to and including the age of 45 are eligible for free HPV vaccination on the NHS when they visit GUM (genitourinary medicine) clinics and HIV clinics in England.
4. For more information, comment or media interviews, please contact the PHE press office:

The Foreign Secretary has announced the appointment of Philip Parham CMG as the UK’s Envoy to the Commonwealth.

Mr Parham, whose role begins on 18 June 2018, will lead the UK’s effort to ensure delivery of the commitments made at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London in April 2018. His appointment at the start of the UK’s period as Chair-in-Office underscores the UK’s sustained commitment to a Commonwealth which is a powerful force for global good now and for the long term.

The Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said:

Crucial commitments were made at the Commonwealth Summit in April, on the scourge of marine plastics, on trade, on cyber security, and on the vital matter of girls’ education. The appointment of Philip Parham as Envoy shows the UK’s dedication to ensuring these commitments are met.

I look forward to working with him as his team works with the member states and the Commonwealth Secretariat to deliver a fairer, more prosperous, more sustainable, and more secure Commonwealth.

Notes to Editors:

• Philip Parham CMG returns to the FCO after serving as British Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates since 2014. He has formerly served as British High Commissioner to Tanzania (2006-9), and as Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York (2009-13). The UK assumed the role of Chair-in-Office at Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), and will hold the position until the next CHOGM in Rwanda in 2020.

Further information

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