A new Breathing Spaces project that is to be launched on BBC today has had a £5 million pound National Lottery injection it was revealed this morning.

Breathing Places involves a host of wildlife and conservation organisations working with the BBC to inspire a million people to get involved in creating and caring for thousands of wildlife-friendly green spaces in their local patch.

Any voluntary or community sector organisation with experience of working the natural environment, or working in partnership with an organisation with this experience can apply for a Lottery funded Breathing Places grant. It's the biggest project of its kind and the lottery programme opens today, 12 June.

Liz Cleaver, Controller of BBC Learning and Interactive said: "This announcement is wonderful news for all the partners and organisations who are working with us on Breathing Places. Hundreds of communities will be able to benefit from the money, and it will make a real difference for wildlife in the UK."

Chair of the Big Lottery Fund Sir Clive Booth said: "The Big Lottery Fund has committed £5 million to the Breathing Places grants programme to help develop existing breathing places or create new ones."

"We want this funding to have a real impact on the way communities think about and use the environment around them. It will, I hope, also raise the public's awareness of the benefits that Lottery funding can bring."

A perfect catalyst to encourage people to get involved is the BBC's Springwatch, which is all about bringing people closer to nature and wildlife. Springwatch is supporting Breathing Places by showing people how they can take small actions that make a big difference.

Bill Oddie said: "This Big Lottery funding is brilliant news! Over the past few years, the British public has been really supportive of Springwatch and keen to not only get outside and enjoy nature but help it too. This money will give everybody a chance to make a real difference in their local patch."

A wide range of grants is available from the Big Lottery Fund of between £300 and £10,000 for improving or creating a public space - which can be anything from a community forest, park, local nature reserve or community garden - but it must be open to the public.

The £5 million available through the Lottery Breathing Places grants programme, from June 2006 to March 2007, delivers grants through two funding strands.

Today, BBC's Springwatch launches the first strand which has £1 million available in grants to voluntary and community organisations, parish, town, and community councils. It is available for existing activities that support community involvement in transforming their local environment. The grants awarded during phase one are mainly for revenue costs with grants being awarded in October 2006. The closing date for applications is Wednesday 26 July 2006.

The second strand launches with BBC's Autumnwatch and aims to distribute £4 million to a wider range of organisations - including schools - for new projects that make physical improvements to the local environment.

The grants awarded during phase two will be mainly for capital costs. More details will be available from the Big Lottery Fund and BBC website nearer the time. The programme opens for applications in October 2006.

Breathing Places is inspired by the pioneering work of the Victorian horticulturist and philanthropist, J.C. Loudon. He drew up a radical plan for London to enable everybody to have a green space no more than a quarter of mile from their home, whatever their status. He called these green places 'breathing places'.

More information about Breathing Places can be found at http://www.bbc.co.uk/breathingplaces