Green Community Fund for Reading: Deadline 8 May!

Olswang’s Green Seed Fund is giving overall £34.2 (£3k per project) to creative environmental projects that have big social benefits and are based in Reading or Camden (where Olswang have their UK offices). Feel free to have a look at last  year’s winners here.

If you have won or applied before and are operating in these areas, consider re-applying. The selection area is now smaller so your chances to stand out from the crowd should be better! New applications are of course welcome too.

Applications close on midnight on Friday, 8th May 2015.

For more information and to apply go here: projectdirt.com/olswangfund

Courtesy of Reading Voluntary Action

Peter Cruddas Foundation

The Peter Cruddas Foundation gives priority to programmes designed to help disadvantaged and disengaged young people in the age range of 14 to 30, to pursue pathways to Education, Training and Employment with the ultimate aim of helping them to become financially independent.

Eligibility
The Peter Cruddas Foundation can only donate to Charity Commission registered charities in England and Wales benefitting young people in England and Wales.
Currently CIC’s and Social Enterprises are not being supported.

What For?
The Foundation gives priority to programmes calculated to help disadvantaged and disengaged young people in England and Wales towards pathways into education, training and employment through charitable organisations.  

Priority Funding Streams:
Pathways/support for young disadvantaged or disengaged people in the age range 14 to 30 into education, training or employment
Work experience/skills projects for young people aged 16 to 30
Please note that the Foundation is not accepting applications for Capital Projects.

How Much?
There is no minimum or maximum amount and projects can be funded for more than one year. However, the Peter Cruddas Foundation will be looking to the applicant to demonstrate that they can manage the amount they have applied for and how they intend to continue (if appropriate) after the funding has been spent.
The Peter Cruddas Foundation does not intend to engage in continual repeat funding of organisations.

Deadline
1st September 2015.
Charities are encouraged to apply throughout the year and before the Deadline Dates. This will give time for their application to be fully reviewed and in some cases allow adequate time to arrange a site visit. 

More Information
http://petercruddasfoundation.org.uk/about.htm

Information courtesy of Bruce Wright Funding Matters
brucewright7@btopenworld.com 

Ambition Giving Small Grants Programme

Ambition Giving will offer grants of up to £2,000 throughout the year to groups or individuals to help deliver activities to young people in their community.

Ambition Giving will support a wide variety of projects and is open to applications from young people, youth clubs, charities, community groups, resident associations and voluntary organisations. Every application must be supported by a member of Ambition.

Ambition has three overarching outcomes for all of its programmes; improved educational attainment, improved health and increased employability for the future. Any project funded must address one of these outcomes. It should also focus on at least one of the following five themes:

Health – supporting young people to be happy and healthy in mind and body
Employability & Enterprise – supporting young people to develop skills and access training that will help them to confidently enter education or employment
Social Action – ensuring young people are adding value to their local community
Leadership – supporting young people to develop leadership skills through practical projects that benefit their peers
Media & Creative Arts – enabling young people to express themselves creatively and develop their media skills

Application Form: Available to download from the website below.
Deadline: 30th April & 31 July 2015
Contact: Ambition, 371 Kennington Lane, London, SE11 5QY   T: 020 7793 0787  email giving@ambitionuk.org
W: http://www.ambitionuk.org/news/view/99

Courtesy of Slough CVS e-bulletin

Available Funding which might be of interest to you?

Lloyds Bank Enable Grants 
Applications are still open for the "Enables Grants" where small charities can apply for up to £15k of funding over two years for specific organisational development. Have a read of their criteria and how to apply on their website.

Bupa UK Foundation
The new Bupa UK Foundation has announced it will grant up to £1 million to fund projects tackling health and social care this year. Applications for the first round of funding will open mid-May, for more information click here.

Big Lottery Funding Accelerating Ideas pilot

The BLF Accelerating Ideas pilot is testing a completely new funding approach. It aims to get great ideas and practice more widely shared and adopted across the UK.

Eligibility
Anyone with an idea that meets the programme criteria can contact us at this stage. However please be aware that only legally constituted organisations can be awarded grant funding.

What For?
The pilot is initially calling on ideas and projects focusing on the opportunities and challenges presented by an ageing population in the UK. More information on the ageing theme can be found in the ‘Accelerating Ideas: An Ageing Society’ supplementary guidance document.

They want to fund projects of national and UK-wide significance (in terms of interest, impact or influence) that contribute to the Big Lottery Fund’s mission to improve communities and the lives of people most in need.

Their funding will focus on projects which:
Address some of the most complex and challenging social issues;
Adopt and adapt tried and tested approaches across borders, issues and communities;
Increase the impact of projects funded by Big Lottery Fund or other funders;
Involve significant roles for Voluntary, Community or Social Enterprise Organisations and for beneficiary communities.
They recognise that there are many ways in which great ideas and practice can be more widely shared, including:
Opportunities to further develop projects that can evidence that they have made a difference with our funding or other funders. This could involve growth of a project within an area or into new locations.
Influencing policy and practice through the evidence generated by your work to date.
Adapting approaches from overseas which have relevance to the challenges facing communities in the UK.
Applying a tried and tested approach from work with one group of beneficiaries or a specific area of need to another.
How Much?
There is no upper limit for funding requests.

Deadline
The pilot is intended to be open for ideas until summer 2015. However one of the things they are testing is the demand and appetite for the programme so if they have a significantly higher level of interest than they expect, they may need to suspend applications to the pilot at short notice.

More Information
https://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/global-content/programmes/uk-wide/uk-accelerating-ideas-pilot

Courtesy and thanks to Bruce Wright Funding Matters brucewright7@btopenworld.com

Are you involved in an exciting, innovative project to tackle fuel poverty in your local community?

NEA, British Gas and the Department of Energy and Climate Change are inviting applications to the Community Action Awards, which recognise best practice amongst those who are working to tackle fuel poverty and improve energy efficiency in their local communities. The scheme is running from 2014-16 with a total of 25 awards made to community groups, third sector organisations, health agencies, local authorities and other public and not-for-profit organisations in England and Wales that demonstrate innovative approaches to tackling fuel poverty

Winners will receive £1,500 to develop or enhance their project; a free place at the NEA Annual Conference; and practical and financial support to hold a community celebration event.

The published deadlines are:
Phase 3 -  17 April 2015
Phase 4 – 2 October 2015
Phase 5 – 8 January 2016
  
For further information and to apply go to www.nea.org.uk/communityactionawards or contact Nina Dunlavy on 0191 269 2935

North Wessex Downs LEADER Rural Development Funding is on its way!

The North Wessex Downs Local Action Group has announced that its bid for new funding from Defra has been approved (subject to contracts being agreed).  They have secured 2.132m Euros to run a new LEADER Programme between 2015 and 2020.  
Funding will be available for farmers, foresters, community enterprises and rural-based businesses and there will be six priorities for investment:
• Farming productivity
• Micro and small businesses (including farm diversification)
• Tourism / the visitor economy
• Forestry productivity
• Rural services and connectivity and
• Culture and heritage. 

North Wessex Downs LAG are working with Defra to confirm programme rules, the application process and new forms.

If you have a business development or community project idea which will improve the rural economy and quality of life for people locally please get in contact with them. They are keen to understand your plans and timescales and how they might be able to help. 

They have extended the boundary of our area for LEADER funding so more villages, farms and woodland will be potentially eligible for funding – please check their website for the new map.  If your project falls outside their area it may well fall within a neighbouring LEADER area so check the link here which takes you to the government website showing all the Local Action Groups which will be running a LEADER programme from the summer: https://www.gov.uk/rural-development-programme-for-england-leader-funding 

To find out more or talk through your ideas please contact the Programme Manager, Dawn Hamblin, on: nwdleaderprogramme@wiltshire.gov.uk  or 01488 680458.  

Community Funds Available

Aviva Community Fund

Support making a positive impact in your community. Funding ranges from £1,000 - £25,000. For further information please click here.

Waitrose and John Lewis Community Matters

Financial support for local community groups. Funding share of £1000 - £3000. For further information go into your local store. Customers vote with the tokens they receive when shopping.


Nationwide
A Community fund to support projects near to local branches. Fill out the form online be click here. There is no specific criteria but Nationwide favour causes linked to housing, financial, education and money management. 

Grants and Funds for the New Financial Year

My Community - free advice and grants to be had

You have powers to make a difference in your area - saving local pubs, shops and community centres. Support and grants for developing your area through neighbourhood planning and buildings for your community are available, help with owning and managing local land and buildings, running services and boosting the local economy opens on 1 April.
Visit: mycommunity.org.uk for information, resources, advice and grants.

The Power to Change Trust

The Power to Change is an independent charitable trust endowed with £150m from the Big Lottery Fund to support community businesses across England. Power to Change was to back people to build successful community businesses for the benefit of their local places.

For information please click here

BBC Children in Need

BBC Children in Needs Main Grants programme is open to charities and not-for-profit organisations applying for grants over £10,000 a year for up to three years. Grants are aimed at children and young people of 18 years and under who are experiencing disadvantage through:

1. Illness, distress, abuse or neglect
2. Any kind of disability
3. Behavioural or psychological difficulties
4. Living in poverty or situations of deprivation

More information available here

Community Sport Activation Fund

The kind or projects Sports England expect to fund include;

• activities reflecting a broad range of sports
• informal opportunities which could lead to regular participation
• multi-sport activities which provide people with a range of choices and opportunities to suit them
• family orientated activities with a focus on the 14 plus age group
• local activator roles that focus on directly organising and delivering new opportunities for participation

Projects can be up to three years and grant awards will range from £50,000 to £250,000. For further information please click here.

Energy Funds

The Rural Community Energy Fund (RCEF) supports rural communities in England to develop renewable energy projects that provide economic and social benefits to the community. The fund will provide up to around £150,000 of funding for feasibility and pre-planning development work to help projects become investment ready. More information available here.

Urban Community Energy Fund (UCEF) is the urban counterpart to the RCEF. It is a £10m fund to kick-start renewable energy generation projects in urban communities across England. Community groups will be able to access grants and loans to support renewable energy developments. For further information please click here.

Heritage Project Grants from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF)

The HLF funds project which focus on heritage. HLF offer a range of different grant programmes with grants from £3,000 to over £5m. In assessing applications, HLF take account of the broad range of outcomes for heritage, people and communities that projects will achieve. For further information on the range of grants available please click here.

Information courtesy of NALC briefing