Millennium Commission wound up after successful delivery of £2.3bn Lottery funding.

Investment in environment, communities and creation of new national icons means 'gone today, here tomorrow', for innovative funder.

The Millennium Commission will be wound up today, nearly thirteen years after it was created. Whilst the Commission is 'gone today', the £4bn worth of projects it funded with £2.3bn of National Lottery money will be 'here tomorrow' and will continue to serve the public for many years to come.

The Commission's first grant in September 1995 was for the Millennium Cycle Network which has led to the creation of 10,000 miles of cycle routes and walkways around the UK. Its final grant was in November 2006 to the National Memorial Arboretum for the creation of a memorial to the16,000 Servicemen and women of the United Kingdom Armed Forces who have been killed on duty or as a result of terrorist action since the end of the Second World War.

Today a full statement summarised the many programmes and successes of the Commission and commended its approach to risk and innovation.

The Commission was wound up by Order following the formal establishment of the Big Lottery Fund (BIG), which will be the Commission’s legal successor. BIG will ensure that the Commission’s grant recipients continue to use the £4bn portfolio of assets which the Commission helped fund for the public good.

The Commission thanked the millions of people who have played the Lottery over the past 12 years and whose money it has been privileged to invest in communities across the UK. "We hope we have done them justice."

read the full statement by clicking on the link below