About The National Lottery Community Fund (NLCF)
The NLCF distributes over £600m a year to communities across the United Kingdom. The Community Fund award money is raised by Lottery players to fund great ideas that help communities to thrive.
National Lottery Community Fund announce grant for the National Memorial Family Fund
We are pleased to announce that The National Lottery Community Fund, through its 'Supporting Each Other Through Grief and Bereavement' programme, has awarded £19,984.00 in grant funding to the National Mikey Powell Memorial Family Fund (NMPMFF) to further the commitments from our Development Plans in 2025/26.
The NMPMFF (developed in 2015) is the first permanent national resource of its kind specifically for those that are affected by deaths in custody and makes small grants available for families and their campaign groups across the United Kingdom to provide practical domestic assistance, to further the work of their own campaigns or to assist them in engaging in a range of other local, regional or national campaigns, events and initiatives.
The Lottery funding will be used to support NMPMFF sessional staffing costs, organising two national family support events over 12 months, and to offer personalised therapeutic interventions for families members before they enter crisis - this includes specific support for children, especially those who have lost one or more of their parents or carers.
The NMPMFF 5-Year Plan
The NMPMFF has ambitious development plans for the future.
Many new initiatives will be rolled out over the next 3+ years, with support also provided by
4WardEverUK,
Catalyst 4 Change CIC,
Migrant Media
and others.
What can you do?
Can you help with the Memorial Family Funds’ aspirations? If you have skills, experience, knowledge, resources or connections that can help, please contact us.
In May 2026 we will be announcing the nominations process for the second National Mikey Powell Memorial Family Fund (NMPMFF) Annual Gala Dinner & Campaigners Awards.
Birmingham honoured the life and legacy of trailblazing poet Benjamin Zephaniah this week during a ceremony at Birmingham City University’s Benjamin Zephaniah Building.
The NMPMFF worked in partnership with INQUEST and the Family Reference Group to host the Shine The Light event held in Birmingham in January 2026 for families from the West Midlands region.
The Peoples Tribunal on Police Killings (PTPK) are announcing the second session which will focus on police killings across Europe. The session takes place in October 2026, London.
The new Roger Sylvester Centre at Canning Crescent will honour the memory of the man it is named after, by making it easier for more in the borough to get the help they need.
The new National Mikey Powell Memorial Family Fund (NMPMFF) Therapy Care Initiative Pilot funded by the Lottery Community Fund, is now active, with the selection process resuming shortly.
