The Big Lottery Fund [1] is responsible for distributing 40 per cent of all the money raised for good causes by the National Lottery. In the 2014–15 financial year, it awarded more than £1 billion to projects with a social mission. It believes that ‘people should be in the lead in improving their lives and communities’ [2]. Big Lottery Awards for All and Reaching Communities are grants aimed at local community groups. There are also programmes specifically for children and families – such as the Fulfilling Lives: A Better Start initiative that invested up to £50 million into five areas, each with a population of approximately 50,000 for 10 years, aiming to improve the life chances of over 60,000 babies and young children in England [3].