What do you want to celebrate?

Up to £10,000 in new funding is available for local communities to celebrate.

In a recent Big Lottery Fund survey, six out of ten people* said they have never or cannot remember ever coming together to celebrate with their community. Big Lottery Fund wants to help change this with a new funding programme, Celebrate.

With £5 million available across the UK we’re calling on local groups and organisations of all shapes and sizes to apply for funding to hold events or activities that will bring people together and celebrate what makes their local community special.

It could be to celebrate something in their local history or a local community hero, to mark something important to their community like Her Majesty The Queen’s 90th birthday, or simply to get to know their neighbours better.

Applications for funding open  6 July 2016. To be eligible, applicants must be part of a constituted group which has its own bank account. We welcome applications from voluntary or community organisations, schools and statutory bodies, particularly those who have never considered the Big Lottery Fund as a potential source of funding.

Organisations are encouraged to submit their applications early to avoid disappointment as once funds have been allocated, Celebrate will close to new applications.

What would you celebrate in your local area?

For more information and to apply for a Celebrate grant please visit our website.

Funding News - JULY

Heritage Lottery Fund Grants
The following grants are available from the Heritage Lottery Fund: 
• Transition Fund – grants of £10,000 - £100,000 are available to organisations wanting to achieve significant strategic change to become more resilient and sustainable to better manage their heritage project.  Applications are welcomed at any time.
• Start Up Grants – grants of £3,000 - £10,000 to set up new organisations to look after heritage, or engage people with it.  This can also be used for organisations who are taking on new heritage responsibilities.  Applications are welcomed at any time.
• Sharing Heritage – grants of £3,000 - £10,000 are available for exploring and sharing a community heritage.  Applications are welcomed at any time.
• Our Heritage – grants of £10,000 - £100,000 for any project connected to national, regional or local heritage.  Applications are welcome anytime.
• First World War Fund: Then and Now – grants of £3,000 - £10,000 are available to projects that help people to learn about the heritage of the First World War.  Applications are welcomed at any time. 
• Young Roots – grants of £10,000 - £50,000 for projects engaging young people with heritage.  Applications are welcomed at any time.
For more information about these funds please click here.

Barchester Healthcare Foundation
Up to £5,000 are available for activities which reduce loneliness and enable people to be active and engaged.  Eligible groups will work with older people and/or adults with a physical or mental disability whose health and / or social needs cannot be met through the public sector or themselves.  Applications are welcome at any time.  For more information please click here.

Bruce Wake Charitable Trust
Grants are available to not-for-profit groups providing activities for the disabled.  Favoured applications will include one of the following: 
• Beneficiaries and potential beneficiaries are physically disabled wheelchair users
• Improving access for wheelchair users
• The sporting and leisure activities involving disabled wheelchair users
Applications are welcomed at any time.  For more information please click here.

The Rayne Foundation
The Rayne Foundation makes grants to charitable and not-for-profit organisations across the UK tackling a variety of issues.

As an independent funder, an important part of our role is to support work which is untried and which may have uncertain outcomes but which has clear objectives. We favour work which could change the way that we tackle issues in society and which could have lessons for others beyond the funded organisation.

The overall theme underpinning our work is bridge building that connects people and communities. We are interested in the arts, health and wellbeing, education – in its widest sense, and social issues. We also have a number of areas of special interest.

We receive many more applications than we can fund and for this reason have a two-stage application process to reduce the time and effort you spend making your application.
http://www.raynefoundation.org.uk/ 

NEW - Funding News Update June 2016

Local Community Projects Fund

The Local Community Projects Fund helps organisations based in local communities to deliver projects or provide equipment to people in need at the heart of our local communities.

Who do we support?
Local Community Projects Funding is offered to organisations supporting people in need. Any not for profit organisation can apply, however, larger organisations with a turnover in excess of £300,000 are unlikely to be successful.

What type of project can we support?
We are interested in projects that improve resilience within your community of interest. This can include sessional activities/respite support, equipment for sessional activities, trips and residential breaks. We are also interested in new approaches and innovative ideas as well as sustainable approaches to supporting your community of interest. We do not fund running costs or continuation of existing and ongoing work.

All projects must support a community of interest, ie people who are: 
• Disabled or suffering chronic illness
• Living in poverty
• Voluntary carers
• Homeless
• Isolated older people
• Other demonstrable significant need
The maximum grant that we can give is £2,000.
https://www.greggsfoundation.org.uk/grants/local-community-projects-fund 

Money Advice Service

In support of the UK Financial Capability Strategy, the Money Advice Service is today launching a new fund of up to £7 million, to help understand more about how to improve financial capability. The fund will be available to organisations to help them pilot new approaches to improving financial capability and evaluate their projects.

Launching across the UK, the What Works Fund will provide financial support for projects which are focused on building evidence of the types of interventions that can make a measurable difference to people’s financial capability.

Funding will be available for the evaluation of existing interventions as well as piloting and evaluating new approaches. There will also be funding available to scale up existing programmes which have already demonstrated results to test the effectiveness of the project when reaching a wider group of people.

http://www.fincap.org.uk/what_works_funding 

Boshier-Hinton Foundation

The Boshier-Hinton Foundation exists to improve quality of life for people with disabilities or learning difficulties, and their families, in any part of the country, by making donations to charitable institutions providing facilities and advocacy for children and adults with special educational or other needs: or by making donations to other registered Charities: or by making donations to local community charities or other agencies in any part of the country whose objects are no wider than the charity's own, or to any charity for particular purposes which fall within the Foundation's objects.

http://www.boshierhintonfoundation.org.uk/apply.php

Blagrave Feedback Fund
The Blagrave Feedback Fund to support improved listening, learning from, and support to, young people.

What is it?
Small grants of between £1,000 and £4,000 to assist organisations with a particular aspect of
gathering feedback from service users or advancing work in this area.

Who is eligible?
Charities with a turnover of at least £50,000 pa working to support young people aged 11-25 in the counties of: 
• Berkshire
• Hampshire and the Isle of Wight
• Wiltshire
• Sussex
Small grants are available of between £1,000 and £4,000 to assist organisations in Berkshire, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, Wiltshire and Sussex that work with young people aged 11 – 25 to carry out projects gathering feedback from service users or advancing work in this area.

To find out more, visit our website. The deadline for applications is 31 July 2016.
http://www.blagravetrust.org/applying-for-a-grant/ 

Character grants

Applications now open for character grants worth £6 million and aimed at schools promoting traits such as resilience and respect.

This year’s character grants - a scheme that began in 2015 to fund schools and organisations promoting traits such as resilience and respect - are aimed at schools that use activities such as sports, debating or music to provide a rounded learning experience for children. From today, schools, colleges and organisations can apply for a share of the £6 million fund.

Applications are open to:
• Schools
• Colleges
• Universities
• Local authorities
• Voluntary, community or social enterprise (VCSE) organisations or other profit or non-profit organisations
Proposals must be provided on a ‘not-for-profit’ basis and must be designed to work within or in partnership with school(s) and/or college(s) in England. By ‘partnership’ we mean that the provider must (at a minimum) engage with the relevant school or college where each young person attends to assess whether the proposed activity or provision will help to underpin success in school and work. We would expect schools and colleges to be named in any bid.

Organisations have until 23 June to submit a proposal for grant funding. Grants are expected to be awarded by the end of September.

Grants for the Arts

Grants for the Arts is our open access funding programme for individuals, art organisations and other people who use the arts in their work.

We offer awards from £1,000 to £100,000 to support a wide variety of arts-related activities, from dance to visual arts, literature to theatre, music to combined arts.

Grants for the Arts is a rolling programme with no deadlines. Decisions on applications for £15,000 or less take six weeks. Decisions on applications of over £15,000 take 12 weeks.

http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/funding/applying-grants-arts

Information courtesy of Slough CVS

Apply now for cash awards to help Berkshire’s nature projects

Residents’ groups, village societies, conservation groups or any other group in Berkshire working on a local nature and wildlife project, no matter how big or small, can apply for cash awards to support their work. The closing date for applications to the Dorothy Morley Conservation Award is 31 May.

The Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust is calling on all local community and environmental groups to apply for the Dorothy Morley Conservation Award 2016. Applicants will have the chance to win the award with £1000 grant to go towards the winning project. One runner up will also receive a grant of £500. Judging will be held in June and the winners announced in July. 

Dan Akam, Berkshire Community Wildlife Officer, explains: “The groups could be working on their own site, or another location that is open to the public. In previous years the cash awards have supported groups digging wildlife ponds, planting hedgerows and trees, making new trails and enabling wildlife to thrive close to where they live.”

Visit Dorothy Morley Conservation Award for full details, or email dmaward@bbowt.org.uk. Application packs are also available from the Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust, Woolley Firs, Cherry Garden Lane, Maidenhead, SL6 3LJ. More information from Daniel Akam, Community Wildlife Officer, 01628 829574 ext. 202. 

The Dorothy Morley Conservation Award scheme highlights all the superb work done by volunteers for the benefit of their local community and wildlife. Successful winners in the past find that the publicity and the grant had a really positive effect on the popularity of their local green spaces and for the communities that use them.

The Mumbery Nature Reserve Volunteers in Wargrave received the Dorothy Morley Conservation Award in 2014. Ian Bradley from the group explained what happened next:  “The award really helped put Mumbery nature reserve on the map. The funding enabled us to create a new interpretation board giving information about the reserve and what to look for throughout the year.  The Piggott School Sixth Form design students helped with the design work; it's great to get everyone in the community involved.”
The bi-annual Dorothy Morley Conservation Award scheme is a tribute to the memory of dedicated conservationist Dorothy Morley who lived near Newbury. It was set up in 2000 and continues to support local groups and their projects thanks to the outstanding generosity of the Morley family.

Community Education Fund - Round 30

The West Berkshire Council Community Learning team is pleased to invite bids for Round 30 of the Community Education Fund for projects to be delivered from 1^st August 2016 - 31st July 2017. This fund is focused on developing Adult Education opportunities for adults (19+) and families in West Berkshire. 

The funding available covers the following areas:

Adult Education (non-accredited)

Government funded Adult Education includes non-accredited learning which is designed to help adults (19+) gain a new skill, improve health and wellbeing, re-connect with learning, gain employment, prepare for progression to formal courses or learn how to support their children’s learning and development. 

Adult Education (accredited)

Government funded Adult Education includes provision which is accredited and where the qualifications are part of a regulated framework approved by the Skills Funding Agency, for learners aged 19+.  Applications are invited to deliver qualifications which support learners without level 2 qualifications, learners without GCSE English or Maths at grades A*to C or for learners who are unemployed and on active benefits

For more please see further details on our website. 

To apply, read the guidance notes and complete the CEF 30 bid form at the bottom of our website and email this to aclteam@westberks.gov.uk by 5pm Wednesday 22nd June 2016.

   

Contact the Community Learning team, if you have any queries on the fund or the application process. Tel: 01635 519060 or email aclteam@westberks.gov.uk

NEW - Funding News Update May 2016

National Vegetarian Week Event Grants
Grants of up to £200 are available for groups holding events and activities during National Vegetarian Week (16th – 22nd May).  The purpose of the event should be to promote vegetarianism, encourage meat reducers and the veggie curious.  Applications are welcomed from vegetarian groups and networks, not for profit organisations and informal groups.  The deadline for applications is 9.00am on Mon 9th May.  For more information please click here.
  
Archictectural Heritage  Fund (AHF) Grants
The AHF have two grants to assist with the preservation and renewal of architecturally or historically significant buildings: 
• Project Viability Grants – grants of up to £3,000 are available to fund 50% of the total costs of short term studies to explore potential uses of buildings in their current condition.  There is no deadline for applications
• Project Development Grants – grants of up to £25,000 are available to fund 50% of costs to develop and co-ordinate projects up to site work. 
The deadline for applications is Weds 11th May.  For more information please click here.
  
Macmillan’s Supporting You to Help Others Grants
The aim of Macmillan’s Supporting You to Help Others Grant is to provide people affected by cancer with the opportunity to use their experiences to help others, whilst also receiving support themselves.  This can be used for starting a self-help or support project, developing an existing project, encouraging service user involvement or developing an individual affected by cancer to have the skills to use their experience to support others. The funding is in three bands: 
• Up to £500 for projects that have been running fort less than a year
• Up to £3,000 for projects that have been running for more than a year
• Costs for an activity that enhances an individual’s ability to develop their skills to support others through their experience (this can range from travel costs and accommodation to the activity itself.).
The deadline for applications is Fri 13th May.  For more information please click here.
  
BBC Children in Need Main Grants
BBC Children in Need Main Grants are open for applications from not for profit organisations who support children and young people who are disadvantaged.  Main Grants of over £10,000 support projects for up to three years and can be used for direct costs, salaries, volunteer expenses and building costs.  The deadline for Main Grants is Sun 15th May.  For more information please click here.
  
Transform Foundation’s Website Grant
Not-for-profit organisations with an income of between £500,000 - £20million are able to apply for the entire upfront costs (up to £18,000) of building a new website.  This includes strategy, design, development and training.  Applications are welcomed on a rolling basis.  For more information please click here.
  
Pitch Improvement Programme (PIP)
Football clubs who own their own site or are responsible for the maintenance of grass pitches are able to apply for funding to support them to develop their pitch.  The programme also provides support to develop the skills and knowledge of volunteers and groundsmen.  There are no minimum or maximum amounts to apply for but clubs are required to pay a small set up fee for the initial meeting, assessment and report.  For more information please click here.
  
The Community Pub Business Support Programme
The Community Pub Business Support Programme aims to support communities that are looking to take responsibility for their local pub in order to diversify for community benefit.  The support package includes the following: 
• Bursary awards of up to £2,500 to cover pre-feasibility costs like public consultation
• Combined loan and grant funding of up to £150,000 (No more than £75,000 can be grant contribution)
• Business development advice and an advice line
• Events and workshops
• Peer-to-peer study visits
For more information or to apply please click here. 
  
Article courtesy of Norfolk Community Action

Sportivate
Sportivate will be looking to support and develop projects that will engage with and stimulate 11-25 year olds who don’t currently participate in sport or exercise.  We are expecting to fund a wide range of activities across the county, targeting all sections of the community.

The funding available can help pay for coaches, equipment, venue costs, marketing or coach education.
This commissioning round is open from the 5th of April and will close on the 10th of June.

Priorities for this commission round will be Women & Girls, Disability and Young People aged 19-25 years. (Applications for other groups are accepted, however are only likely to be funded in exceptional circumstances).


http://www.sysport.co.uk/programmes/sportivate/apply-here/ 

Dan Maskell Tennis Trust
The Dan Maskell Tennis Trust is a tennis charity raising funds for people with disabilities.  Formed in 1997 and named after the late Dan Maskell “the voice of Wimbledon”, the Trust grant aids individuals, disability groups and programmes, clubs, schools and associations to help with the purchase of wheelchairs, tennis equipment and grants for coaching.

An updated application form is now available and can be completed online.

http://www.danmaskelltennistrust.org.uk/apply-for-a-grant.html

The M&S Energy Community Energy Fund 2016
The Fund is open for applications with £35,000 to distribute to community groups across the UK this summer.  There's £12,500 up for grabs in each M&S region across Great Britain to use towards the installation of a renewable energy technology and generate energy for your community building.  Online applications are now open and close on 31 May 2016.


Pink Ribbon Foundation
The Pink Ribbon Foundation have grants of up to £5,000 for revenue, capital or project costs for projects relieving the needs of people who are suffering from, have been affected by, or raise awareness of breast cancer and it’s detection.  The deadline for applications is Fri 27th May.  For more information please click here. 
  
Trusthouse Charitable Foundation
Grants are available for small local projects which address community issues in areas of urban deprivation or remote rural areas.  Projects that fall under one of the following headings are able to apply: 
• Community support
• Arts, heritage and education
• Disability and healthcare
Three grants are available: 
• Small Grants – up to £5,000 for either: core costs, salaries and project costs for organisations with an income of less than £100,000 per annum, or, as a capital grant for organisations with an income under £250,000 per annum – Deadline is Tues 31st May.
• Standard Grants - £5,001 - £10,000 for core costs, salaries and capital costs for organisations with incomes of between £100,000 - £500,000 per annum.  Decisions are made quarterly for this fund.
• Large Grants - £10,000 - £40,000 for organisations with an income of up to £5million per annum.  These grants can be used to purchase, alter or improve buildings or to purchase large items of capital equipment. 
For more information please click here. 
  
People’s Postcode Trust Small Grants
Small grants of £500 – £20,000 are available for organisations making a change in their community.  The Trust funds projects that prevent poverty, support healthy living and promote human rights.   The deadline for applications is Tues 31st May.  For more information please click here. 
  
Power to Change’s Community Business Fund
Grants of £50,000 - £300,000 are available to help local community led enterprises to increase their social impact and sustainability.  Successful community businesses must be local, accountable to their local community, of benefit to their local community and have a broad community impact.  The grants can be used for capital or project costs.  The deadline for applications is Weds 1st June.  For more information please click here. 
  
BBC Children in Need – Small Grants
Funding is available for projects supporting children and young people who are under 18 and are experiencing disadvantage from: 
• Illness, abuse or neglect
• Disability
• Behavioural or psychological difficulties
• Poverty or deprivation
Small Grants of up to £10,000 are available to support projects for up to one year.  This can be used for direct costs relating to the project, including salaries, volunteer expenses and building hire costs.  The deadline for applications is Weds 1st June.  For more information please click here. 
  
Austin and Hope Pilkington Trust Children and Youth Project 
Applications are welcomed from registered charities for grants of £1,000 - £3,000 for projects benefitting children and young people.  Priorities will be given to projects the address: 
• Homelessness
• Domestic abuse
• Prisoners / offenders
• Training and education
• Counselling and support
• Activities for those with limited access or opportunities
The closing date for applications is Weds 1st June.  For more information please click here. 
  
EU Third Health Programme
The Third Health Programme is open to applications from projects which address the following: 
• Migrants’ Health – exploring best practice in care provision for migrants and refugees that is community based.  There is a €4.5million budget.
• Reducing underage drinking and heavy episodic drinking through the gathering of information and exchange of best practice.  There is a €1.2million budget.
• Prevent illicit drug use through the gathering of information and exchange of best practice.  There is a €600,000 budget.
• Identify and address issues surrounding chronic disease to reduce the burden on health systems.  There is a €2.5million budget.
• Develop the procedure for donor selection and protection in order to improve the safety of donation and clinical application of tissues, cells and blood.  There is a €550,000 budget. 
The deadline for applications is Thurs 2nd June.  For more information please click here. 
  
Tesco Bags of Help
Bags of Help (Funded by the proceeds of the 5p charge for plastic carrier bags) offer grants of £8,000, £10,000 and £12,000 for capital improvements to local greenspaces that are free and open to all members of the community for at least six days a week.  Applications are welcomed from a broad range of organisations.  The deadline for applications is midday on Fri 3rd June.  For more information please click here. 
  
Eaga Charitable Trust
Funds of £2,500 - £25,000 are available to projects which seek to understand and address the causes of fuel poverty and its effects.  Priority areas are: 
• Fuel poverty and health and wellbeing
• Fuel poverty and rural communities
• Low carbon policies, behaviours and practices
• Fuel poverty policies and energy systems
The deadline for applications is Fri 3rd June.  For more information please click here. 
  
Help the Homeless
Grants of up to £5,000 are available to small and medium sized charities that help homeless people to return to the community.  These funds can be used for capital costs.  The deadline for applications is Weds 15th June.  For more information please click here. 
  
Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales - Enable Programme
Grants of up to £15,000 over two years are available to develop charities supporting people who are experiencing multiple disadvantages.  The fund can be used for: 
• Business and service development and plans
• Developing monitoring systems
• Investigating mergers, partnerships, shared services and contract diversification
• Consultancy            
• Quality standards
• Developing new income streams
Applications are welcomed on a rolling basis.  For more information please click here. 
  
Tudor Trust
Grants are available to voluntary and community organisations that work directly with people who are on the edges of mainstream society, and encourage inclusion, integration and independence.  The Trust has no minimum or maximum grant levels, but usually do not award less than £10,000.  The grant can be used for core, project and capital costs.  Applications are welcomed at any time.  For more information please click here.
  

Building Better Opportunities Funding Update

£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