September VCS Funding Bulletin from Worcestershire Partnership

Funding Opportunities Update - September 2010

The Funding Desk

The Funding desk is here to give you help and advice on bid submissions for external funding. If you are planning a project and need help finding funding, or want help filling in an application form, please contact the Funding and Resources Manager or visit the Grant Finder Programme www.worcestershirepartnership.org.uk . The Funding and Resources Manager will try and help you find suitable grants for your project, and signpost you to other people who may also be able to support your work.

Funding Directory

Local Grants

The Sixth round of the County Council grants – NOW OPEN

The purpose of the grants is to fund VCS organisations that can deliver valuable community services, such as activities for older people, community transport provision and support for carers. The grants available can be different in each round therefore organisations are encouraged to check the web pages in each round to see what is available. http://www.worcestershire.gov.uk/cms/community-and-living/vcs-unit/vcs-grants.aspx

The four grants are split into two types:

Strategic Grants provide funding for a three-year period and are monitored by the relevant grant lead during this period
Community Grants fund 'one-off' events or initiatives during a single year.
Strategic Funding:

Joint Commissioning Unit - Mental Health Reablement Services Grant

A new three-year strategic grant for multiple providers or partnerships to deliver community integration support for people woth long-standing mental health conditions. Up to £150,000 per grant is available for projects that must focus on outcomes including core areas of life that support individuals to manage their mental health and enhance social inclusion. The grant is provided jointly by Worcestershire's health and social care services.

Community Grant Funding:

Celebrating Diversity

A total of £5,000 is available for grants to help VCS organisations celebrate diversity through raising knowledge and understanding and encouraging interaction, eg. a celebration day in the community. The maximum to be applied for from this grant is £1,000.

Supporting Community Based Activities for Older People

A total of £100,000 is available for grants to help voluntary and community sector organisations to provide activities to help meet the needs of older people in the county. The maximum to be applied for under this grant is £5,000.

Giving Older People a Voice Grant

A new grant is available aimed at engaging older people's views on strategies, policies and service delivery issues. This funding is limited to £5,000 and we are ideally looking for a partnership for delivery.



If you would like any further information, please contact Suzy James by calling 01905 766885 or emailing sjames2@worcestershire.gov.uk





Worcestershire LEADER programme - Local solutions to local issues

Funding to support community activity in the parishes of rural Worcestershire comprising Wychavon, Wyre forest and Malvern Projects must contribute to at least one RDPE Measure as a requirement of the funding, communities, Measure, Measure 323: Conserving traditional buildings and landscape Measure 331: Training in business and traditional rural skills.

The fund is open to community groups, voluntary organisations, social enterprises, Parish and Town Councils, and local authorities. Projects can apply for up to 70% LEADER funding so will need a level of match funding, although this can include volunteer time. Each project can apply for up to £75,000 but should aim to request no more than £25,000 in one financial year.

There is no lower limit but projects requesting under £2,000 may wish to seek alternative sources of funding.

Anyone with ideas for projects or wishing to find out further information should contact
· Elspeth Fry, LEADER Project Manager, 01905 622390 or 07540 672066
Aimee Davis LEADER Project Assistant, 01905 622387 or 07931 466635


National Grants

B & Q One Planet Living Grant

The B & Q One Planet Living Grant offers £50 - £250 of B & Q materials. The scheme is open to schools, registered charities or other recognised community groups. Projects must be within a 20 mile radius of a store and must support one of the following areas:

• Grow your own
• Support local culture and heritage
• Save energy
• Conserve nature

Groups have until 30th September 2010 to apply, and until 31st October 2010 to collect their materials.
www.diy.com/diy/jsp/corporate/content/environment_ethics/ethics/community/grants.jsp

Woodland Trust community tree planting packs

Woodland Trust community tree planting packs are designed to help community groups to plant more trees, hedges and copses in their local shared spaces - by a church, community centre or playground for example, or on patches of land that are currently unused. The Woodland Trust is offering up to 250 FREE PACKS for communities to plant this autumn. For more information, or to register, please follow the link below:

http://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/en/plant-trees/help-advice/Pages/trees-for-communities.aspx

Playground Partnerships Awards

The Kids First Trust has announced that schools within the UK that wish to improve their play spaces will have the opportunity to apply for funding through the Playground Partnerships Awards from the 23rd of September 2010 when the scheme will re-open. Schools wishing to apply will initially have to register with the Award Scheme to access further information and the application pack. To be considered for an award, schools need to submit a folder of work (Design Portfolios) and completed application form. Applicants are encouraged to:

Develop a pupil-led approach
Involve the whole school
Encourage input from the wider school community and include pupils with special educational needs.


For more details please see the website: http://kidsfirsttrust.org/default.htm



UnLtd Engage Awards

By 2025, it is estimated that more than half the population will be over 55. UnLtd and the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation have teamed up to encourage individuals to bring about positive change in our attitudes and approaches to getting older and to create solutions that will make a lasting difference to our ageing population. 30 Start-Up Awards are available of up to £2,500 to get your idea off the ground and 3 Development Awards of up to £15,000 will also be offered to 3 UnLtd Engage Award Winners to grow and replicate their ideas.

Projects must be in line with one or more of the following themes:

Inspiring self-belief and wellbeing (including ageing well, health & safety and keeping active)
Making the most of opportunities (including planning for change, work and volunteering)
Valuing shared wisdom and experience (including reducing isolation and building positive perceptions and relationships)
For more information please see the UnLtd website:
http://www.unltd.org.uk/template.php?ID=202&PageName=caloustegulbenkianfoundation

Architectural Heritage Fund

The Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF), which is a registered charity that promotes the conservation and regeneration of historic buildings in the UK. Funding is available to voluntary organisations building preservation trusts to regenerate historic buildings to create community and education facilities, workspace and homes.

To be eligible to apply for funding through the AHF, organisations need to be a registered charity and the building(s) must be listed, scheduled as an ancient monument or in a Conservation Area (if in a Conservation Area, it must be of acknowledged historic or architectural importance).

The project must also involve a change of ownership and/or a change of use. The next closing date for applications is the 21st October 2010.

http://www.ahfund.org.uk/index.html

National Lottery

Arts Council England

Arts Council England works to get great art to more people. We develop and promote the arts across England, acting as an independent body at arm’s length from government. Between

2008 and 2011, we will invest £1.6 billion of public money from Government and the National Lottery in supporting the arts. Arts Council England’s main funding programme is Grants for the Arts. It is open to individuals, arts organisations, national touring and other people who use the arts in their work. It is for activities that benefit people in England or that help artists and arts organisations from England

to carry out their work. This is the bedrock of support for the arts in England. We believe that the arts have the power to change lives and communities, and to create opportunities for

people throughout the country.

Telephone: 0845 300 6200

Email: enquiries@artscouncil.org.uk

Website: www.artscouncil.org.uk



Awards for All England

This is a small grants scheme making awards of between £300 and £10,000. It aims to help improve local communities.

It funds projects that meet one or more of the following outcomes:

· People have better chances in life- with better access to training and development to improve their life skills.

· Stronger communities- with more active citizens working together to tackle their problems.

· Improved rural and urban environments- which communities are better able to access and enjoy.

· Healthier and more active people and communities

You may be eligible to apply if you can meet one of the criteria above, and:

· You are a not-for-profit group (including social enterprises), or you are a parish or town council, school or health body.

· You have a bank account that requires at least two unrelated people to sign each cheque or withdrawal.

· You have a governing body with at least three unrelated members.

· You can spend the grant within one year.

For more information, or to download an application form and guidance notes please visit the website www.awardsforall.org.uk or call the helpline 0845 4102030



Big Lottery Fund

The Big Lottery Fund (BIG) is the largest of the Lottery distributors, awarding half the money that the National Lottery raises for good causes. Our mission is to bring real improvements to

communities and the lives of people in need. We do this by funding a huge range of projects under the broad banners of community learning and creating opportunity, community safety and

cohesions, and promoting wellbeing. Current Funding Programmes include:



Community Wildlife which will fund projects that bring local people together to discover, enjoy or protect the wildlife in their local area. The programme will fund between £300 and £10,000

for projects that improve rural or urban environments for people to enjoy; and get people more active and healthier. The next application rounds close on 22 September 2010 and 24 November 2010.



Community Spaces is run by Groundwork UK. It will fund community groups who want to improve local green spaces such as play areas, community gardens, parks, wildlife areas and

village greens, kick-about areas and pathway improvements. There are currently two types of grants available on a rolling basis until January 2011. Small grants are from £10,000 -£25,000

and Medium grants from £25,001 - £49,999.



Reaching Communities funds projects that help people and communities who are most in need, and can really make a difference. Projects can be new or existing activities, or be the

core work of your organisation. We want to fund projects that respond to needs identified by communities, and those that fund projects that help those most in need including those people

or groups who are hard to reach. We want to encourage the following changes to communities as a result of our funding:

· people having better chances in life, including being able to get better access to training and development to improve their life skills

· strong communities, with more active citizens, working together to tackle their problems

· improved rural and urban environments, which communities are better able to access and enjoy.

· healthier and more active people and communities.

For more information about all of the Big Lottery funding programmes please see the Big Lottery website. www.biglotteryfund.org.uk. For more “hot off the press” news sign up to

receive our e-bulletin at www.biglottery.org.uk/westmidlands or follow us on Facebook by searching “BIG West Midlands”. For more information or advice, telephone 0845 410 2030 or

email general.enquiries@biglotteryfund.org.uk.



Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF)

HLF supports projects that either conserve the UK’s diverse heritage or enable more people to take an active part in and make decisions about their heritage. All projects must also enable people to learn about their own and others’ heritage. Grants are available from £3,000 to many millions of pounds. Priority is given to not-for-profit and public organisations. Private owners can only apply in partnership

with a not-for-profit organisation, for access and education projects. HLF launched its Third Strategic Plan in April 2008, which includes a simpler, shorter application process, new application material and more help with project development and delivery. For more information about HLF and advice on your project idea or the grants available, please contact the Development Team:

Telephone: 0121 616 6870

Email: westmidlands@hlf.org.uk

Website www.hlf.org.uk



Screen WM

This includes:

· Investment Fund Channel 4’s 4iP

· Broadcasting Development Fund Film and Media Production Fund

· Digishorts Mediabox

· Training Bursaries

Screen WM is the lead agency for film, television and digital media in the West Midlands; a region that is driving innovation and excellence in content creation and cross-media

collaboration. Our remit is to develop the economic, social and cultural wealth of the region through supporting the screen media industries. From feature films to festivals. From training

courses to TV shows. From comedy short films to serious games. Screen WM invests in screen media right across the spectrum. Screen WM funds:

· Digital Media Projects Feature Film Production

· Feature Film Development Short Film Funding

· Broadcast Development Running a Festival

· Attending a Festival Education Projects

· Exhibition Projects Archive Projects

· Attending a Training Course

There are no restrictions but there must be a West Midlands focus to any project.

Tel: 0121 265 7120

Email info@screenwm.co.uk



Useful Websites

Third Sector Daily

Third Sector Daily is the UK’s leading publication for everyone who needs to know what’s going on in the voluntary and not-for-profit sector.

http://www.thirdsector.co.uk/

Fundraising Ideas

This website contains a wide range of funding raising ideas as well as some useful ‘how to’ guides.

http://www.ideasfundraising.co.uk/how-guides-category.html



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