A message from Linda Quinn

Like 4.5 million other people I’m a big fan of Channel Four’s Secret Millionaire. Every week a millionaire leaves their luxury lifestyle behind, takes on a secret identity and lives undercover in a deprived area for ten days. On their final day, the millionaires come clean and donate thousands of pounds to projects they feel will most benefit from it.

It’s great TV, but I’ve always wondered what happens to those people who still need help long after the cameras have stopped rolling.

At BIG we know that up and down the country, people are giving of their time and money to help others. This work only happens because of their dedication, selflessness and drive – people who are prepared to get stuck in and make their areas better places to live.

Inspired by their example, this weekend we launched an exciting partnership between us and Channel 4 Visitors to The Secret Millionaire’s fantastic new website can now nominate a group or apply for some much-needed cash through the Big Lottery Fund’s new Secret Millionaire Fund We have lined up £1 million of Lottery funding to give away in grants of up to £10,000.

Small grants have a big impact. Even a few thousand pounds can make a huge difference to the vital work of local groups and charities, such as the ones that have been helped on the Channel 4 show.

I’m looking forward to seeing all these BIG-funded projects showcasing their work on The Secret Millionaire website and even appearing on TV. And I’m sure that all the other viewers will be proud that their Lottery money is going to such worthwhile causes.

Linda Quinn,
Director of Communications and Marketing