Funding Opportunities
Some Funding and other Information if appropriate, etc:
If you haven’t yet completed our online Youth Volunteering Survey, we would be grateful if you could (with the chance of getting £50 in Argos vouchers) – See the very end of this email for details.
Santander Foundation
Santander is offering £30,000 for good causes in Leicestershire. Charities can apply for grants from the Santander Foundation. Grants are available for running costs as well as equipment and training materials. For more information go to: communitypartnership@santander.co.uk.
Community Foundation Fund - Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland
Various financial assistance schemes are available to voluntary and community organisations for projects that improve the local economy and way of life, including:
The Community Foundation Fund
In partnership with EMDA, we give out grants for larger projects that can improve and sustain the economic climate of an area and its way of life: for example, setting up a rural service, or a vital local facility like childcare provision. Grants of up to £20,000 are available but must be spent by 31 March 2011.
Application deadlines: 17 June 2010 for the July Grants Panel meeting; 19 August 2010 for the September Grants Panel meeting.
The Leicestershire Fund
This new fund is aimed at small groups and projects, where a grant can make a real difference to improve the quality of life and life chances in Leicestershire (including Leicester). Grants of £500 to £5,000 are available for projects that provide services or activities, involving or set up by people in the local community.
Application Deadlines: 17 June 2010 for the July Grants Panel meeting; 19 August 2010 for the September Grants Panel meeting.
Comic Relief
We can fund sport or community projects that make a sustained beneficial impact on the lives of people who are excluded or disadvantaged. Grants of between £1,000 and £10,000 are available for projects focusing on low income, rural or social isolation, age, disabilities, race, sexuality or gender.
Application deadlines: 19 August 2010 for the September Grants Panel meeting.
Mars in the Community
In partnership with Mars – the global company with bases in Leicestershire and Waltham - we give out small grants for environmental, pet welfare and healthy living projects. Grants of £500 upwards are now available – or Mars can donate chocolates for raffles and prizes to help you raise money yourself. Applications will be reviewed by a committee at the end of March, June, September and November each year.
For further information, visit: http://www.llrcommunityfoundation.org.uk/current_funds.html
Jane Avery, Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland Community Foundation. Tel: 0116 258 7326.
’Big Lottery Fund – ‘Lighter-touch’ Reaching Communities:
The Big Lottery Fund is introducing a “lighter-touch” Reaching Communities application process for organisations seeking grants of up to £40,000 a year. In response to its major public BIG Thinking consultation last year on the future of BIG programmes, the lottery distributor has made some changes to its flagship Reaching Communities programme.
All applicants will learn at an earlier stage whether their project has a decent chance of being funded, so that those that are invited to the second stage will have a much higher chance of success. More than three-quarters of people that responded to the consultation said they wanted earlier decisions on applications, based on a few key questions at the enquiry stage - even if that meant rejection; and those applicants seeking up to £40,000 will face a simpler application and assessment process.
In the pipeline to be launched in the autumn is a dedicated capital funding stream that BIG hopes will help to fill the “large, unmet demand” for funding for community buildings. This is anticipated to fund medium-sized refurbishment, new builds or extensions to community centres, village halls or other community-use buildings. In total the various parts of the Reaching Communities programme will be funded to the tune of at least £100m a year for each of the next five years. Grants will range from £10,000 to £500,000.
’Children in Need’ – New Grants Scheme:
Small grants of up to £10,000 are available to Third-Sector Organisations supporting children and young people under 18 years of age. The new scheme marks the first time ‘Children in Need’ have run a UK-wide small grants programme and is aimed predominantly at organisations which have not previously considered applying. There will be four funding rounds with deadlines on: 15 January 2010; 15 April 2010;
15 July 2010; 15 October 2010. It is expected the total funding for both the small and large grants schemes will be in excess of £38 million in 2010 and will be administered through seven regional bases and will seek to fund well-organised projects which can demonstrate commitment and enthusiasm; benefit for children and young people; and are clear about what improvements it wants to bring about and how it can be done.
Grassroots Grants up to £5000 available
If you are a small group working in Leicester and have an average turnover of less than £20,000 over the last three years you may be eligible to apply to the Grassroots Grants programme available in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.
Voluntary Action LeicesterShire in partnership with Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Community Foundation has small grant funding of £1,244,738.20 available until September 2011. This funding is available to a wide range of community projects and can be used for:
• Putting on a local event or workshop
• Venue Hire or Rental Costs
• Training for Volunteers
• Attending a conference or event
The deadline for applications are: City Groups: Friday 7th May 2010; County Groups: Friday 21th May 2010; Rutland Groups: Tuesday 1st June 2010. Email: http://www.valonline.org.uk/grassroots-grants
Community Awards for Charnwood - Groups & schools invited to apply for £9,000 award cash pot
Community groups and schools across Charnwood could win a slice of £9,000 as the Loughborough Echo and 3M Health Care join forces to launch this year’s Community Awards. The prestigious awards ceremony, now in its 16th year, is looking for charitable and non profit making groups across Charnwood who can tell us how a £3,000 donation would benefit the group and the lives of its members. Health groups, youth groups, groups working with elderly, disabled and vulnerable people and groups helping to cut down on anti-social behaviour are just some of the many applications the awards are hoping to receive.
The awards are broken down into three categories – ‘Improvements to healthy, well being and quality of life of people’, ‘Improvements to the social and physical environment’ and the Educational Award. This year’s Educational Award is now open to primary and secondary schools in Charnwood as well as colleges who are looking to create or adapt projects in their school. For further information call Jo Swift at the Echo on 01509 635827 or email jo_swift@mrn.co.uk
’The Concertina Charitable Trust’:
Grants to charitable bodies which provide musical entertainment and related activities for the elderly. This not only brightens up the lives of elderly people but also provides a therapeutic benefit to their health and well-being. Concertina is keen to support smaller organisations which might otherwise find it difficult to gain funding. Charities are invited to make an application to the Trustees via the Administrator. They need to provide details of their charity’s objects, its financial position, the sector of the elderly community which it benefits, amount sought and proposed cultural activities or related facilities it intends to provide. The trustees review applications after the deadlines of: April 30th, June 30th and October 31st. Visit http://www.concertinamusic.org.uk/ for more information.
‘Future Jobs Fund’ – Dept of Work and Pensions
The ‘Future Jobs Fund’ was announced in Budget 2009 and the money is to be spent between October 2009 and March 2011. As the Future Jobs Fund is a challenge fund, not all organisations that submit bids will be successful. The fund is run by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in partnership with the Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) and with input from Jobcentre Plus Regional Government Offices in England and Devolved Administrations in Scotland and Wales.
The Fund aims to create 170,000 additional jobs, primarily aimed at 18-24 year olds who have been out of work for nearly a year to deliver real benefits to communities. The Future Jobs Fund is a part of the Young Person’s Guarantee. From early 2010, everyone in between the ages of 18 and 24 who has been looking for work for a year will get an offer of a job, work experience, or training lasting at least 6 months. We are specifically targeting 50,000 jobs in unemployment hotspots and expect around 10,000 of the 170,000 jobs created to be green jobs.
Bids are welcome from organisations with the capability to create real jobs that deliver community benefit and are suitable for young people who have been claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance for approaching a year. The Future Jobs Fund is open to any organisation from the public, private or third sector from across Great Britain (England Scotland and Wales). It does not apply in Northern Ireland. In the majority of cases we expect bids to come from partnerships led by upper tier Local Authorities or Third Sector organisation but this does not exclude other organisations from applying.
We expect bids to create at least 30 jobs, however, we will support smaller organisations via partnerships (see below for contact). Smaller organisations may want to think about entering a partnership in their local area to ensure the jobs they are proposing fit with the local labour market and with other proposals in their area. They may also be able to deliver training and support to their employee more efficiently when working in a larger partnership.
Further information at: http://campaigns.dwp.gov.uk/campaigns/futurejobsfund/index.asp
Information about the local Leicestershire & Leicester ‘Future Jobs Fund’ partnership is at:
http://www.leicester.gov.uk/fjf/
vcashpoint (for youth-led action by 16-25 year olds):
vcashpoint is giving away £1million to 16-25 year olds in England with good ideas. If you've got an idea for a volunteering project to improve your community, you could get your hands on a grant to make your idea a reality. Interested in bringing your ideas to life, learning new skills and transforming your community? Here’s the deadline dates for applications:
· Round 8: Monday 10 May 2010 at 12 noon.
You can find out more by http://www.vgrantfunding.com/cashpoint/init.pl
Remember, the vinvolved team in Leicestershire & Rutland is here to help, so get in touch with your local ‘Youth Volunteer Advisor’.
The Sir Andrew Martin Trust for Young People:
Grants to individuals: Individual young people may apply to the trust for modest grants usually between £100 and £250. Successful applicants will normally be aged between 12 and 21 years and reside in Leicester, Leicestershire or Rutland. Grants to organisations: The trust may make grants to the voluntary youth organisations with which Sir Andrew was so closely involved. Organisations may normally apply for grants of up to £1,000 maximum, but may exceed this where exceptional circumstances can be demonstrated. Successful Applicants will be from voluntary or charitable organisations working with young people aged 12 to 21 years and be operating in Leicester, Leicestershire and/or Rutland. Applications should be received by the last day of December, March and August. Application forms and further details are available from: Trust Administrator, SAMT, Walkers Charnwood Bakery, 200 Madeline Road, Beaumont Leys. Leicester. LE4 1EX Tel: 0116 234 0033.
’Communities Together’ Grants:
Grants of up to £500 are available now for organisations and projects which are working to bring different groups of people together in Leicestershire. The new ‘Communities Together’ grant is intended to support community and voluntary organisations who are involved in local projects which: play an active role in getting different communities and groups of individuals together to increase understanding and communication promote inter-cultural education and relations introduce and engage new audiences, organisations and community groups to each other. Eligible projects will be able to demonstrate their success in increasing cohesion and understanding between people from different age, faith and belief groups or of different abilities, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity and gender. The grant could be used to fund the promotion or development of local projects, workshops or training sessions for different community groups, consultation events, sporting events and much more. The ‘Communities Together’ Grant Fund is open to projects operating in Leicestershire and applications will be assessed on a monthly basis. For further information e-mail: noel.singh@leics.gov.uk / Tel: 0116 305 7020 or tom.fisher@leics.gov.uk / 0116 3058098
Comic Relief:
Comic Relief has opened its programme “Sport for Change”. The aim of the programme is to understand more about how sport can play a part in delivering positive change within the lives of individuals and communities. Applications are welcome from community groups and organisations using sport as part of a broader programme of work to bring about change at an individual and/or community level. Applicants will need to show how the work is based in community development principles and have monitoring and evaluation systems in place to track the impact of the work. The maximum grant size in this programme is £100,000 in total. Visit: http://www.comicrelief.com/apply_for_a_grant/uk/sport
’Awards for All’:
Awards for All should now be easier to apply for. From November 2009, the Big Lottery has introduced some important changes to Awards for All. For details visit: http://www.awardsforall.org.uk/
Faiths in Action:
Faith in Action Round 2 is open. The fund is for local projects and activities that have a clear focus on faith or inter-faith issues. It is open to faith; inter-faith, voluntary and community sector organisations at national, regional and local levels in England. The maximum size of a grant in Round 2 is £6,000. Round 2 is a rolling programme with no formal deadline for applications. Applications will be accepted in the order that they are received, until the fund is allocated. The fund is sponsored by Communities and Local Government and administered by the Community Development Foundation (CDF). See the CDF website for more information http://www.cdf.org.uk/web/guest/faiths-in-action
Trusthouse Charitable Foundation:
The Foundation currently makes over 300 grants a year and one of their policies is to accept applications from local and national charities or not for- profit organisations which are addressing issues in needy rural areas. ‘Rural’ in this context means cities, towns, villages and areas with 10,000 or less inhabitants. They are interested in, for example, projects providing transport for the elderly, disabled or disadvantaged; contact networks for young disabled people; projects which encourage a sense of community, such as community centres and village halls; employment training schemes especially those promoting local, traditional crafts; projects addressing issues such as drug/alcohol misuse or homelessness. For more details visit their web site at www.trusthousecharitablefoundation.org.uk or telephone 020 7264 4990.
The Tesco Charity Trust Community Awards Scheme:
One-off donations of between £500 and £4,000 to local projects that support children and their education and welfare, elderly people and adults and children with disabilities. There are four rounds of funding each year: Grants for Children’s Education and Children’s Welfare Applications should be made between 1st December & 31st January with an expected decision date of end of April OR between 1st May & 30th June for decisions by the end of September. Grants for Elderly People and Adults and Children with Disabilities Applications should be made between 1st February& 31st March for decisions by end of June OR between 1st August & 30th September for decisions by end of December. Please note: charities can only make one application each year. If you require any support whilst completing your application, please contact the helpline or visit the website to download a copy of the criteria or view the application form. Tel: 0845 612 3575 Website: www.tescoplc.com/tescocharitytrust
Mercury Action Trust Fund:
Small Grants up to £500 are available to bona fide voluntary groups providing services and activities for the benefit of communities in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. The Mercury Action Trust Fund has been set up by the Leicester Mercury. Funding, in the form of one-off grants, is intended to support local voluntary groups for projects and activities that benefit local communities in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. Currently, funding is available for projects that provide benefits to people with health problems. For further information please contact Melissa Harris at the Leicester Mercury: 0116 2224202.
EON Sustainable Energy Fund:
Financial assistance up to £20,000 is available to voluntary and community groups in England, Scotland and Wales for energy saving projects on non-residential facilities. The EON Sustainable Energy Fund is provided by energy company E.ON UK to support community energy projects leading to the production of energy from a sustainable source or a reduction in the amount of energy used by community organisations. Examples of possible projects include: The installation of one or more renewable energy technologies, for example, wind, solar thermal, PV, wood. The renovation of existing facilities to incorporate micro-generation technology, for example, the reinstatement of a watermill and the purchase of a turbine to produce hydro-electricity. An energy-efficiency makeover for the group’s building that could demonstrate significant energy savings and also behavioural change amongst users. The use of new or innovative technology to deliver either energy savings or micro-generation capacity. A project that can demonstrate the intelligent use of waste energy. 2010 deadlines are 2nd April and 8th October. For further information please visit: http://eon-uk.com/about/sustainableenergyfund.aspx
vawards (v50 and vimpact) for 16-25 year olds to recognise and celebrate their Volunteering.
vawards (v50 to recognise/celebrate 50 hours of volunteering & vimpact recognising a further 100 hours and impact/benefit of volunteering) are available for all young volunteers by contacting a vinvolved ‘Youth Volunteer Advisor’ for their area who can sign them up and provide an easy-to-complete logbook. Registration, if wanted, can also be done online with further information at: http://vinspired.com/rewards/awards
vinvolved ‘Youth Volunteer Advisors’:
Market Harborough District, Blaby District, Oadby & Wigston and Rutland: Gary Brown by phone or text: 07868129753 or email: gbrown@vasl.org.uk
Lutterworth, Hinckley & Bosworth District, and North-West Leicestershire: Tanya Sanders by phone or text: 07868251063 or email: tsanders@vasl.org.uk
Charnwood and Melton: Abby Heath by phone or text: 07868394259 or email: aheath@vasl.org.uk
The Skinners’ Company Lady Neville Charity:
Formally set up in 1978, it aims to provide grants that will make a clear and significant contribution to grassroots charitable organisations working in designated priority areas. One-off grants of up to £1,000 are made to small registered charities and not-for-profit organisations. The priority areas are Disability, Local Heritage, Local Community and Performing & Visual Arts. You are welcome to discuss a potential approach with the Charities Administrator. Please call on 020 7213 0562 or email charitiesadmin@skinners.org.uk. Applications should be submitted by mid-March or mid-September for Committee meetings which take place in May and November. Visit: http://www.skinnershall.co.uk/charities/lady-neville-charity.htm to download an application form.
The ‘It’s Your Community’ Awards Scheme
The ‘It’s Your Community’ Awards Scheme is provided by the ‘Conservation Foundation’ in partnership with O2 to help support projects designed to improve local environments. The programme has four main project groups, but other ideas from outside these areas will be considered. The project areas are: Community Places (reinvigorating community, amenity and recreation areas); Community People (helping bring people together); Community Pride (restoring a sense of pride); and Community Landscape (improving the natural environment, for example, planting trees). Funding is limited to applications wishing to receive a minimum of £100 and a maximum of £1,000, but is not designed to provide top-up funding for larger projects. Applications for match funding will be assessed on a case by case basis. Local amenity groups, parish and village councils, schools, youth clubs, heritage groups, environmental and conservation groups and Individuals are all eligible to apply. Applications can be made online at www.itsyourcommunity.co.uk Decisions on applications will be made within 28 days.
Arts and Culture Projects Funding
Grants of between £500 and £5,000 are available to third-sector organisations undertaking art and culture projects that benefit children and disadvantaged people in the UK. The scheme aims to increase the understanding and enjoyment of: history, art, architecture, literature, music and the theatre. The application process is ongoing and interested applicants may apply at any time. Visit: www.old-possums-practical-trust.org.uk
