The UK has a great way of funding "good causes". The National Lottery run by the Government (Department for Culture, Media and Sport) has raised over 50 billion GBP (!!!) since its conception. The way this works is that people buy tickets, a draw is made, and winners get windfall money announced on TV and other media.
Everything is above board, and the funds raised by the lottery is used to fund "good causes". The Government has set up a list of independent distributors, who grant funds to organizations who satisfy a bunch of criteria. They have granted a staggering 18 billion GBP to causes in sport, art, heritage, voluntary organizations, charities etc. Stunning, isin't it?
The England Cricket Board is a recent recepient - it was sanctioned 10.7 million GBP over the next 3 years to fund grassroot development in schools, clubs and within local communities across all backgrounds. Sport England is the distributing body for sport, and they were satisfied that the ECB met the criteria laid down, and would use the funds for grassroot cricket development.
Sport is a serious matter in the UK, seen more as a great way to keep the nation healthy and develop valuable life skills of teamwork and stuff like that. The Government and the public give it the repect it deserves and treats it just as they would public health, education and defence. Good stuff!
What chances this can be implemented in India? Very bleak, I must say. Political pressures, moral breast-beating about corruption of social values, scams, siphoning of funds to hoax causes - ugh, the list is endless. Not that these things are not happening in the UK, but the sheer extent of the damage that can be done in India with an idea like this is scary!
Categories: UK, sport, Government
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