Ministers have today, 13 April 2026, launched Our Place to Give - a plan pitched at steering major donations into communities outside the capital. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport says it will make it easier for those with significant wealth to back the neighbourhoods that need help most. (gov.uk)

At the centre is £1 million over three years to build a Community of Practice that connects donors with local initiatives, alongside a network of regional philanthropic ambassadors, options for match‑funding and closer work with financial services to provide better philanthropic advice. DCMS is also issuing a practical toolkit for MPs to convene local giving. (gov.uk)

Why this matters for the North is straightforward. Despite an estimated £14 billion given to charity in 2025, London still draws more than a third of funding from the largest foundations and four times the average value of Gift Aid. That concentration leaves towns like Blackpool, Bradford and Barrow competing for scraps. The Charities Aid Foundation’s latest research also charts a fall in public giving. (gov.uk)

Sport, Tourism, Civil Society and Youth Minister Stephanie Peacock said the push is about “connecting generous individuals with local organisations” so money reaches every corner of the country - a pledge regional leaders will now expect to see backed by action. (gov.uk)

There are Northern proof‑points to build on. Philanthropist John Nickson points to a pilot in one of Blackpool’s poorest wards that helped vulnerable young people into education, training and work - now expanding across the town with National Lottery support. Local media have tracked lottery‑backed schemes in Blackpool doing exactly this kind of graft. (gov.uk)

Manchester voices are weighing in too. Andrew Law, who grew up in the city, called place‑based giving a “systems‑change policy” that can help close Britain’s giving gap - a reminder that the North has donors ready to move if the routes are clear. (gov.uk)

From the West Midlands, Steve Rigby says that linking donors with local projects “can drive meaningful, lasting change”. The message for Northern boards and anchor institutions is the same: line up investable projects, community partners and credible governance so private giving has somewhere solid to land. (gov.uk)

On Merseyside, Steve Morgan CBE argues “place‑based giving works”. The Cradle to Career programme in North Birkenhead has reported life‑changing results and has been scaled across the Liverpool City Region, with evidence of rising reading attainment and coordinated family support. (gov.uk)

Ministers say Our Place to Give will complement the £5.8 billion Pride in Place programme, which is already backing locally set priorities over the next decade. The roadmap also sits within the government’s wider “impact economy” agenda via the new Office for the Impact Economy - intended to knit public, private and philanthropic capital together. (gov.uk)

Still, £1 million over three years is a modest starter when set against deep‑rooted inequalities and the decline in everyday giving. The bigger play is the expected £7 trillion intergenerational wealth transfer by 2050 - if even a sliver is aimed at the North with proper match‑funding and community ownership, the results could be significant. (fundraising.co.uk)

Delivery now becomes the test. DCMS says allocation details for the Community of Practice will follow by Summer 2026, and regional ambassadors will be appointed to broker links between donors, councils and grassroots groups. Financial advisers are also in the frame, with research cited by DCMS showing clients want proactive philanthropy advice. (gov.uk)

For charities and civic leaders from Blackpool to Bradford, the ask is clear: align bids with local plans, show credible outcomes, and make it easy for donors to back the North. Less talk, more cheques - and money reaching the kids, carers and communities who can turn it into lasting change. (gov.uk)