Evening Standard shows 'press power at its best'

The London Evening Standard today began the distribution of more than £1 million to charities from its Dispossessed Fund to fight poverty and inequality.

The paper said: "It will be dispersed among more than 90 organisations which work in local communities with people in particular need: the disabled, the homeless, the marginalised. The biggest share of this funding comes from the Government's Office of Civil Society, the balance is part of a £1 million grant from the Big Lottery Fund. These are exceptionally generous grants, yet at the core of our fund are the donations made by our readers, by individuals and businesses."

The Evening Standard Dispossesd Fund to tackle inequality has raised £7.2 million in the past year and £1.9 million has already been distributed.

Some of the groups supported by the Fund help keep young people from knife crime and gangs; others provide grants for training for the low-paid; yet another is a music group for the disabled.

The Standard added: "The Dispossessed Fund is an initiative that changes lives: we thank our readers and supporters - individuals, state and business - for what they have achieved."

Nick Hurd, Minister for Civil Society, tells the Standard: "What I see in the Dispossessed Fund is a fantastically good example of press power being used at its best at a time when the headlines are full of press power at its worst".

• The Dispossessed Campaign, won the Standard both the Cudlipp Award and Campaign of the Year in the 2011 Press Awards.