£1,317,540 of Big Lottery Funding to address barriers to work in the west of Thames Valley Berkshire. The funding will be for one partnership working with participants who are 25 years or older with a particular focus on:
- People aged 50 or over
- People with long term and ongoing health issues
- Long-term unemployed
- Ex-offenders
- People claiming ESA who have mental health issues
- Lone parents and carers
Partnerships are forming and preparing first stage applications ready for the 16th May deadline. Reading Voluntary Action (RVA) have set up a Yammer forum to enable leads and partners to come together. To join the forum email bbo@rva.org.uk
Up to £12k for your local green space!
The second funding round for the Tesco Bags of Help grant scheme opened on 18 April 2016.
The scheme is administered by Groundwork and funded by Tesco customers from the proceeds of the 5p charge for plastic carrier bags as a result of a government carrier bag levy.
Groundwork anticipates grants being awarded to successful groups around November 2016.
Bags of Help are available to a wide range of community groups and organisations across England, Wales and Scotland and they can apply for grants to improve local green spaces. Successful projects will go forward to a public vote in Tesco stores, which will decide whether they receive a grant of £8,000, £10,000 or £12,000. Projects that will get the green light as a result of funding will include new pocket parks, sports facilities, schools, woodland walks and community gardens.
It will fund capital projects that provide community benefit and do not charge for access.
Further Information here
Big Lottery Fund is matching funds from the European Social Fund for projects across England that tackle poverty and promote social inclusion. Local organisations will be able to bid to the Lottery to deliver activity against a specification that is locally defined.
Addressing barriers to work in Thames Valley Berkshire
Funding available: £1,317,540 for West of Berkshire area [local authority areas of Reading, Wokingham and West Berkshire]
Funding available: £878,360 for East of Berkshire area[local authority areas of Slough, Windsor & Maidenhead and Bracknell]
Date open for applications: 17 March 2016
Deadline for stage one applications: 12 noon on Monday 16 May 2016
Project start date – March to July 2017 with latest date for completion June 2020
This programme forms a part of the LEP’s ESF employment support provision and aims to help the most disadvantaged groups to move towards and into employment. This includes supporting people who are furthest from the labour market to develop their capacities and competencies for work, including self-employment or becoming social entrepreneurs.
Only one contract will be awarded for the area and for the total sum
Big Lottery will still accept applications from organisations working on their own, but it is unlikely that a single organisation will have the breadth and depth of experience needed to tackle the complex multiple issues that the people who will benefit face on a daily basis.
Your project must include the following project participants
All participants must be unemployed or economically inactive and be aged 25 years or older with a focus on the following groups:
People aged 50 and over
People with long term and on-going underlying health issues
The long term unemployed
Ex-offenders
People claiming ESA who have mental heath issues
Lone parents and carers
For more information and an application form – www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/global-content/programmes/england/building-better-opportunities/thames-valley-berkshire
E.ON Energy Action Fund
Funding of between £50 - £2,000 is available to registered charities and recognised not for profit organisations that have projects that help people to better manage their energy consumption. The amount of the grant will depend on the impact of the project. Eligible projects will be completed by December and:
• Create renewable energy or reduce energy consumption
• Will directly relate to energy and have a positive impact on the local community
• Involve or have the consent of the local community
• Be sustainable beyond the fund
The deadline for applications is Fri 8th April. For more information please click here.
European Social Innovation Competition 2016
This year’s European Social Innovation Competition is entitled “Integrated Futures” and focuses on social innovation for refugees and migrants. Individuals, groups and organisations can enter the competition with innovative products, technologies, services and models that support the integration of refugees and migrants. €50,000 will be awarded to the winning projects. The deadline for applications is Fri 8th April. For more information please click here.
Hospital Saturday Fund
Large Grants of up to £10,000 are available to registered health charities, hospices, hospitals and, medical clinics to assist with:
• Medical capital projects
• Medical care or research
• Medical training
• Running costs
The deadline for applications is Tues 12th April. For more information or to apply please click here.
Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme Action Grants
Action grants of €150,000 - €500,000 are available for projects on non-discrimination and Roma integration and transnational projects building capacity for those involved in child protection and representing children in legal proceedings. The priority areas for this call are:
• Discrimination based on sexual orientation, and improving social acceptance of LGBTI people
• Diversity management in the public and private sector
• Supporting Roma integration in to the mainstream by raising awareness of, and challenging stereotypes
• Research work into discrimination, raising awareness of its existence and impact
The deadline for applications is Tues 12th April. For more information or to apply please click here.
The Nominet Trust’s Social Tech Seed Fund
The Social Tech Seed fund offers grants of up to £50,000 for early stage projects that use the internet and digital technologies to tackle a social challenge. The funding is for social enterprise organisations in the early stages of developing their projects. The deadline for applications is Thurs 14th April. For more information please click here.
Erasmus+ Youth Dialogue Fund
Applications are welcomed from projects that develop capacity for tackling and preventing marginalisation and violent radicalisation among young people. Grants will be up to €2million, with projects working with high level public authorities. The deadline for pre-proposals is Thurs 14th April, with the deadline for full proposals on Thurs 13th October. For more information please click here.
Let Teachers SHINE 2016
SHINE’s annual competition, Let Teachers SHINE, identifies some of the countries innovative teachers and seeks original ways to raise attainment in literacy, numeracy and science. Ten winning projects will receive up to £15,000 for a pilot project that benefits disadvantaged students who are under 18. Winning applications will have:
• Clear objectives and measurable impact
• A transparent budget
• The potential to expand
• Original ideas and approaches
• Clear benefits for disadvantaged student
The deadline for applications is midnight Sun 17th April. For more information please click here.
Care and Wellbeing Fund
The Care and Wellbeing fund invests in social enterprises providing community based integrated health and social care services, wellbeing and prevention work. Eligible projects must meet at least three of each of the fund’s direct and indirect social impact outcomes:
• Direct social impact outcomes:
• Improved health and wellbeing
• Reduce health and economic inequalities
• Greater independence and dignity
• Co-created services with their beneficiaries
• Indirect social impact outcomes:
• Replicable approach
• Building capacity within the local health and social care system
• Improving financial sustainability of health and asocial care
There are no deadlines or formal application processes, discussions can be held at any time. For more information please click here.
Changes to Santander Foundation Grants
The Santander Foundation is now known as the Discovery Foundation, to reflect their new community programme, The Discovery Project, which supports disadvantaged people to gain confidence to improve their future. As well as a simpler application process the grants are now open to Community Interest Companies and Credit Unions. Grants of up to £5,000 are available for projects that support at least one of the following themes:
• Explorer – improving knowledge and insight
• Transformer – developing skills and experience
• Changemaker – innovative solutions to social challenges
The funding can be used to cover costs, equipment and materials, the Discovery Foundation would prefer to fund a whole project rather than contributing to a larger budget. For more information please click here. Applications are welcomed at any time.
Thinking of setting up a community run pub? You may be interested to read about: The Community Pub Business Support Programme. It is a two year programme established to help support community ownership of pubs in England. Its value is £3.62 million and is jointly funded by the Department for Communities and Local Government and Power to Change.
Eligibility
The programme is seeking communities looking to consider taking responsibility for and ownership of their local pub, through purchase or long-term lease. In some cases existing community-owned or managed pub-based businesses may be considered, if they are looking to diversify for community benefit and can demonstrate a clear economic case. All applicants for loan and grant funding will be expected to evidence clear and significant viable benefits to their local community for their plans, as well as some funding already raised within the community.
What For?
The Plunkett Foundation is leading this programme and delivering it in collaboration with Co-operative & Community Finance, the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), Co-operative Mutual Solutions, Pub is the Hub and Locality. For the first time it will offer the community pub sector access to an end-to-end support programme including capacity building and a finance package made up of loans and grants.
The programme will increase the number of community-owned pubs open and trading. For many communities, pubs are not just a place to drink; they are central to people's sense of place and identity, they provide an opportunity for meeting up, and they foster community cohesion.
Support will be targeted at community groups looking to take on ownership of their local pub. As valuable community assets, support will enable groups to deliver and evidence significant social benefits and impact. Support will be available to help groups develop their ideas but they are seeking groups committed to delivering a community pub for the benefit of the wider community, overcoming local issues.
These activities could include the provision of employment and volunteering opportunities, work place training and additional services such as a shop, post office, library, internet café, cash point, prescription services and informal meeting spaces for a range of community activities.
A comprehensive package of business development support, advice and loan and grant funding has been developed to assist community pub businesses consider their viability at all stages of their development which includes:
• A flexible package of support including:
• an advice line
• events
• workshops
• peer-to-peer study visits
• business development advice.
How Much?
Flexible bursary awards of up to £2,500 (inclusive of VAT) to fund pre-feasibility costs such as public consultation and valuations.
Combined loan and grant funding up to £150,000 but not exceeding £75,000 in grant contribution (average grant is expect to be c. £37,500, average loan may be around £42,800). Where the loan and grant combination is required the loan funding is a pre-requisite and grant monies will only be released once the loan has been approved with a loan provider. The amounts and ratios available are discretionary and will be assessed against the group’s ability to service a loan, meet the eligibility criteria and clearly demonstrate their wider social and economic impact. There is an expectation that groups will raise some level of community finance which will be taken into account when determining the funding mix.
Deadline
Please fill out their initial enquiry form (below) and they will get back to you as soon as they can, or call the programme advice line for more information on 01993 810730.
https://www.plunkett.co.uk/forms/initial-contact-form
More Information
https://www.plunkett.co.uk/more-than-a-pub
Article courtesy of Bruce Wright Funding Matters
