Funding - West Berkshire Council Building Community Together Fund

Building Community Together Fund
West Berkshire Council “Building Community Together Fund” is available over the next two years and will close in November 2017.

Local community groups can bid for funds from this pot to help them take responsibility for providing projects and services in their communities to meet local needs. The primary purpose of the money is to provide “start up” or “seed corn” funding to assist community based projects to start up. Funding provided would be on the basis that any service established would need to be self financing from the outset.

WBC have created a fund of £150,000 (£100k capital and £50k revenue) to provide one-off funding to help communities get their ideas going. Grants up to a maximum of £12,000 will normally be permitted.  However, in exceptional circumstances this amount may be exceeded.  As part of this funding there will also be a “small bids” category for grants of between £500 - £1,000.

WBC want to encourage creativity and innovation in our communities. Your proposal needs to meet a recognised community need. They are particularly interested in schemes that are relevant to more than one priority area: 
1. Community hubs: Small investment in local community buildings to enable them to be utilised more by the community   and better used as outreach points for disseminating information/advice. 
2. Elderly and vulnerable: Schemes such as luncheon clubs, befriending schemes, volunteer-led practical help services   or hospital transport schemes, etc) 
3. Flood prevention: Efforts to provide flood prevention measures for small scale equipment or items which improve coordination during flood or other extreme weather episode.
4. Child Protection and Family Support: For example local working groups/networks that help address the dynamics within families for better outcomes for all family members and enhanced protection of vulnerable children. Finding ways to prevent pupil exclusions from school, family evictions and homelessness, etc. 
5. Crime and Anti-Social Behaviour: Finding practical and innovative ways to reduce crime, anti-social behaviour and          repeat offending behaviour.
6. Emotional and Mental Health: Support for schemes which improve the physical and emotional health outcomes for local residents.
7. Skills and Jobs: Schemes that increase employment, volunteering, educational attainment, skills development, debt management or job creation ventures.       
8. Children and Young People: Schemes that encourage physical, social and emotional wellbeing in children and young people e.g. youth clubs, sports provision or other activity. 

For full details please click here 

Courtesy of EWB