The key aim of the Reaching Communities programme is to fund projects which help meet the Big Lottery Fund's mission: ' to bring real improvements to communites, and to lives of people most in need.' We will be using the Fund's strategic themes and outcomes as the framework against which projects will be developed, but the emphasis will be on communities developing projects that respond to their needs and issues.

Projects can meet any of the following four outcomes:

•People having better chances in life, including being able to get better access to training and development to improve their life skills
•Strong communities, with more active citzens, working together to tackle their problems
•Improved rural and urban environments, which communities are better able to access and enjoy
•Healthier and more active people and communities