October 2024 Funding News

Comic Relief Community Fund for England

Maximum value £5,000

Application deadline 08/11/2024

The funding will support and invest in grassroots community-led local organisations in England to drive change in their local communities, as well as by drawing on the ‘lived experiences’ of people who have experienced the issues being tackled.

This flexible funding is intended for small organisations for work that delivers against one of the areas, which link with Comic Relief’s new funding strategy:

• Tackling immediate impacts of hardship - organisations that directly address the immediate impacts of poverty, including providing food, warmth, shelter and financial advice such as foodbanks, community hubs, homeless shelters or welfare advice agencies.
• Building resilience to poverty and hardship - organisations that deliver activities to empower people to take positive steps out of poverty in the longer term. Examples include skills training, job search, volunteering, mental resilience and financial confidence skills.
• Working to support equity and inclusion - organisations that champion social justice, diversity and inclusion. This could involve service or projects to tackle inequalities which can lead to poverty and exclusion including gender, sexuality, age, race, language or ability.
• Working to support climate justice - supporting activities that improve energy efficiency, environmental education and resilience-building within communities most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, such communities at risk of flooding or urban heat islands and those more vulnerable to extreme weather events, such as older people, isolated communities or people with disabilities. Projects might include community awareness sessions, carbon literacy training and practical measures.

Who Can Apply

Organisations from the voluntary and community sector can apply.

This can include:

• Constituted voluntary and community groups.
• Charities.
• Social enterprises.
• Community Interest Companies limited by guarantee which have been running for at least two years.
• Not-for-profit companies limited by guarantee.

To be eligible, applicants must:

• Be based within the area where they are carrying out activities.
• Have local people involved in the running of the organisation as trustees/staff/volunteers.
• Be not for profit.
• Have an annual income of £250,000 or less.
• Have a governing document (e.g. constitution or memorandum and articles of association) which includes appropriate statements on members not benefiting financially from the organisation or its dissolution.
• Have its own safeguarding policy.
• Have at least two unrelated people on the committee.
• Have its own bank account with a minimum of two unrelated signatories.
• Not be a statutory organisation

Eligible Expenditure

Funding can be used on core organisation costs, direct project related costs or a combination of both that support the organisation to deliver against any of the four areas.

How To Apply

Applications will be accepted from 14 October 2024 to 8 November 2024 (5pm).

Please note: It is expected that the application process will be competitive. If it is oversubscribed, the application form will be closed at any point. Groundwork would advise groups to complete an application form as a priority to ensure they do not miss out.

The first step in the application process is to complete an online Eligibility Checker. Eligible groups will then be given a link to the online application form.

Full guidelines and the Eligibility Checker can be found on the Groundwork website.

Contact Groundwork for further information.

Comic Relief - Groundwork(External link)

The Primary Club - Murray Fund

Maximum Value £25,000

Deadline 15/11/24

Background

The Primary Club is a registered charity that provides financial support for a wide range of recreational and sporting facilities for the blind and visually impaired (VI) in the UK. It is the major supporter of the thriving network of VI cricket clubs in the UK. In addition to cricket, the Club also supports a wide range of other VI sports including baseball, futsal, goalball, golf, scuba diving, showdown, skiing, swimming, tandem cycling and Braille chess.

This year's funding for larger projects has been enabled by a 'new substantial legacy' from the late Ethel Murray.

Objectives of Fund

The funding is intended to support projects that are either innovative (in the sense of enabling support to be provided in new ways, or to a wider community) and/or collaborative (for example enabling schools and other organisations to deliver support together which they could not achieve alone).

Who Can Apply

Clubs and organisations in the UK can apply.

Eligible Expenditure

Projects must relate clearly to the sporting and/or recreational needs of the blind and partially sighted.

The Trustees generally prefer to:

• Support ‘grass roots’ and ‘start up’ activities rather than, for example, international teams of visually impaired sportsmen and women.
• Fund the whole of the cost of a project, even where this is spread across two or more years, rather than to be one of a number of contributors.
• Support running costs or the purchase of equipment, as distinct from items which will significantly increase the recipient’s long-term asset base.

How To Apply

The deadline for 2024/25 applications is 15 November 2024 with notification of decisions by 15 January 2025.

The guidance notes and application form can be found on The Primary Club website.

The completed application form should be submitted by email.

Contact The Primary Club for further information.

Useful links

The Primary Club - Funding
https://www.primaryclub.org/funding/(External link)

Toy Trust

Maximum Value £5,000

Deadline 15/11/2024

Background

Founded by the British Toy and Hobby Association (BTHA), the Toy Trust exists to raise money predominantly from the toy industry, its suppliers and friends; and distribute the money raised to young disadvantaged and disabled children's charities within the UK and abroad.

The Trust aims to:

• Co-ordinate and organise various fundraising activities for its members.
• Make donations to charities for children.
• Provide emergency aid in any crisis involving children.

Objectives of Fund

The funding is intended for UK based children's charities who are working for the benefit of disadvantaged children under the age of 13 years and their families.

Currently, applications from small UK-based charities are accepted.

Who Can Apply

Registered charities in support of disadvantaged children aged below 13 years and that are based in the UK or Ireland are eligible to apply. Applications will also be considered from organisations around the world that have a UK based office.

To be eligible, organisations must:

• Be supported by a registered charity number.
• Have supporting up to date financial accounts.
• Have been running for a minimum of one full year.
• Show a ratio of administration and overhead costs to income of less than 30%.
• Have unrestricted net assets of not more than £200,000 or of less than one year's income.

Currently, applications are welcome from small UK-based children's charities.

Successful applicants cannot re-apply for a grant for two years.

Restrictions

Funding is not available for the following:

• Individuals (unless there are compelling reasons).
• Salaries or wages.
• Research.
• Running costs
• Books or publishing.

Successful applicants cannot reapply for funding for two years.

Applications cannot be accepted from overseas offices unless the organisation has a UK-based office.

Eligible Expenditure

Funding is available to help disadvantaged children aged below 13 years and their families to:

• Alleviate suffering.
• Support children through awful experiences.
• Encourage achievement through adversity.
• Purchase vital equipment.
• Provide care.
• Bolster existing initiatives.
• Initiate brand new projects.
• Satisfy basic needs.

Projects should:

• Show real benefit for relieving hardship and suffering to beneficiaries.
• Run for a minimum of one full year.
• Be in support of children and projects regardless of faith, sex or disability.

Funding can be used for equipment and services.

How To Apply

Applications can be made at any time throughout the year and will be considered at the next Trustee meeting.

The following deadlines apply:

• Mid February for the March meeting
• Mid June for the July meeting
• Mid August for the September meeting
• Mid November for the December meeting

The online application form and application guidance can be found on the Toy Trust website.

Contact the Toy Trust for further information.

Useful links

Toy Trust
https://toytrust.co.uk/(External link)

LGBT+ Futures Equity Fund

Grants between £100 to £25,000

Deadline 21/11/2024

Background

The LGBT+ Futures: Equity Fund has been enabled with funding from the National Lottery Community Fund and is being managed by Consortium and its community partners.

Objectives of Fund

This is the second round of the Fund which focuses on supporting user-led LGBT+ organisations working with targeted under-represented and under-resourced communities.

The aims of the fund are to:

• Support intersectional LGBT+ organisations to grow and influence the LGBT+ voluntary sector in more equitable ways.
• Ensure intersectional LGBT+ organisations are better equipped to work with their beneficiaries as a result of receiving funding and support.
• Enable intersectional LGBT+ organisations to gain more confidence to develop relationships with and/or apply for grants through other funders.

Previous Success

Examples of grants awarded from first round:

• Improving the health and wellbeing of Deaf LGBT+ people by providing accessible information in British Sign Language on topics such as bullying, sexual health, pride and Deaf LGBTQ history.
• Free basketball sessions for lesbian, bisexual and trans women and non-binary people living in London.
• Towards support for African LGBTI refugees and asylum seekers which includes asylum procedures, workshops and social activities.
• Regular activities for the LGBT+ community in Manchester who are over aged 50 to reduce social isolation and improve confidence and mental wellbeing.
• To support the cost of outreach for the Trans community in East Anglia by providing advice and a safe place to meet.

Who Can Apply

Applicants must be an England based non-profit group or organisation that is led by and for LGBT+ people and specifically working with one or more of the following communities of focus:

• D/deaf, Disabled, Neurodivergent LGBT+ People.
• LGBTQIA+ Women.
• LGBT+ People of the Global Majority.
• Older LGBT+ People.
• Trans and Non-Binary People.

How To Apply

Applications will be assessed on a rolling basis until the fund closes for applications on 21 November 2024 (12 noon).

Notification of decisions within four months of applying.

Full guidelines and an online application form can be found on the Consortium website.

Contact Consortium for further information.

Useful links

LGBT+ Futures: Equity Fund
https://www.consortium.lgbt/EquityFund/(External link)

Youth Music Trailblazer Fund

Grants of £2,000 to £15,000 are available to organisations of less than one year old.

Grants of £2,000 to £30,000 are available to organisations of more than one year old.

Deadline 22/11/2024

Background

Youth Music is the UK's largest children's music charity, set up in 1999 to promote and support music-making opportunities for children with the least access. It is supported by National Lottery funding through the Arts Council for England. Youth Music's vision is that 'life-changing' music making is available to all children and young people.

Youth Music provides several grants programmes, including the Trailblazer Fund.

Objectives of Fund

The funding aims to support young people who want to change their lives through music but cannot because of who they are, where they are from or what they are going through.

The grants are for organisations who want to trial work for the first time, test a new way of working, or disrupt the status quo.

Match Funding Restrictions

The total project budget should include at least 10% match funding. There are two types of match funding:

• Cash match funding - this is where there is money exchange involved; for example, a grant from another funder. At least 5% of the total project budget should be made up of cash match funding.
• In-kind match funding - this is non-cash support that the applicant or their partners make towards the project; for example, free venue hire or volunteer support.

Funding from Arts Council England or National Lottery cannot be used towards meeting the minimum match funding requirements but can be used as additional contribution.

Who Can Apply

Constituted UK based organisations may apply.

There is particular interest in:

• Small organisations who support children and young people to make, learn or earn in music.
• Those who work with children and young people facing barriers who want to trial a new music offer.
• Established organisations that want to test a new way of working or disrupt the status quo.

Eligible Expenditure

To be eligible, projects must:

• Last between 6 and 24 months, including planning and project set-up time.
• Enable children and young people in England to make, learn or earn in music. This can be music in any form, for example, making music with friends or learning about the music business. Projects can offer music making, learning, or earning - or a combination of all three.
• Engage children and young people who face barriers to music because of who they are, where they live, or what they are going through.
• Be designed or co-designed with children and young people who need to be involved in the planning and ongoing development of the project.
• Have built in ways to reflect on and adapt their project delivery.

In addition, projects must fit into at least one of the following six funding themes:

• Early years (0 to 5 years) who face barriers to accessing music-making because of their circumstances or where they live.
• Disabled, d/Deaf and neurodivergent young people (0-25 years) so that they have equitable access to progress in music in a way that meets their needs and aspirations or provides routes for disabled young people into the workforce.
• Young adults (16-25 years) who want to take their music further, or for whom music can support wider personal and social outcomes.
• Youth justice system for children and young people (0-25 years) who are, have been, or are at risk of being involved with the youth justice system.
• Young people facing barriers for children and young people (aged 0–25) who face barriers to music-making due to their characteristics or life circumstances, or because of where they live.
• Organisations and the workforce for work that benefits people and organisations who provide inclusive music making opportunities for children and young people (aged 0-25).

The funding can support a mix of delivery costs and core costs.

How To Apply

The deadline for Round 8 applications (for projects starting between April and June 2025) is 22 November 2024 (5pm).

Guidance notes and the online application portal can be found on the Youth Music website.

Useful links

Youth Music - Trailblazer Fund
https://youthmusic.org.uk/trailblazer-fund(External link)

Windrush Day Grant Scheme 2025

Tier 1: smaller projects between £5,000 and £24,999.

Tier 2: larger projects between £25,000 and £50,000.

Deadline 25/11/2024

Background

MV Empire Windrush arrived at the Port of Tilbury on 21 June 1948 and its passengers disembarked a day later. The ship carried several hundred Caribbean migrants, many of them veterans of the Second World War. Since then, the Windrush has come to symbolise the first movement of mass migration to the United Kingdom in the post-war era.

Following the 70th anniversary of MV Empire Windrush’s arrival in 2018, the Government announced a national Windrush Day on 22 June each year, commencing in 2019.

The Windrush Day Grant Scheme is provided with funding from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) previously called the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) until the name was changed in July 2024.

The scheme is administered on their behalf by Near Neighbours.

Objectives of Fund

The Windrush Day Grant Scheme is part of the Government's work to create more resilient communities, where different religions, cultures and opinions are celebrated, underpinned by a shared set of values that champion tolerance, freedom and equality of opportunity.

For 2025, the focus is on bringing communities together – across different ages and ethnic backgrounds – to commemorate, celebrate, and educate their local area about the contribution of the Windrush generation and their descendants across the United Kingdom.

Who Can Apply

Organisations are eligible to apply if they fit into one of the following three categories:

• They are registered
  1. Charities
  2. Exempt charities
  3. Community interest companies/Community Interest Organisation
  4. Social enterprises
  5. Community benefit societies
• They meet all the following criteria as demonstrated by submitting additional supporting documents:
  1. They are established for charitable, benevolent or philanthropic purposes
  2. They have a governing body with at least three members
  3. They have a governing document which they can produce
  4. They can provide accounts demonstrating good financial health across both of the last two financial years
• They are a local authority.

Consortium bids will be considered.

Eligible Expenditure

22 June each year marks National Windrush Day and projects must include a lead event or activity on this date.

All further events and activities must take place before 30 September 2025.

Funding for unique and exciting proposals that engage with the Windrush story and Windrush communities in powerful, enterprising, and thoughtful ways. Groups should demonstrate how their project will work with local community partners.

Projects should primarily focus on at least one of the following overarching aims of the scheme:

• To educate people about the Windrush story.
• To foster a greater sense of national pride and recognition of the historic and ongoing contributions made by the Windrush generation and their descendants to UK society.
• To develop the skills and entrepreneurial ambitions of young people.
• To celebrate and commemorate the continued contributions of the Windrush generation to the UK.

In addition, all proposals should have the following aim:

• To be community-led and have a positive social impact. Projects should be developed by, or with, the Windrush generation and their descendants, and organisations should carefully consider how the project will create a positive social impact in their local area, and help to galvanise communities to work together to embrace positive aspects of their shared identity

Proposed projects should achieve all of the following outcomes:

• Greater community cohesion: projects should encourage communities to work together across generational and social divides.
• Have a lasting impact beyond the funding period: this could be through forming new partnerships or producing assets that can continue to be shared in the future, such as videos and stories from elders.
• Increased acknowledgment of the contribution of the Windrush generation and their descendants: projects should be better enable education about the Windrush generation's contributions to UK society, as well as wider contributions made by their descendants to UK communities.

The following are illustrative examples:

• Bring together local partners and communities to create a unique project.
• Run a scheme that supports young people to improve their academic, vocational or entrepreneurial skills – and demonstrate how the scheme has made an impact.
• Deliver a high-quality artistic performance or series of performances that celebrate the Windrush legacy.
• Run novel activities in partnership with local schools, for example, through assemblies, workshops, educational trips, and project work.

Project events and activities taking place after 22 June 2025 must demonstrate one or more of the following:

• Clearly demonstrate how a proposal can help build community cohesion between people of different age groups and ethnic backgrounds.
• Have a lasting social impact beyond the funding period.
• Help develop the educational and entrepreneurial skills of young people across this period.

This year, groups are encouraged to set out manageable deliverables in their proposals, will need to ensure that their organisation can keep to their proposed delivery timetable, and that they are able to commit to providing regular updates on their progress, including but not limited to project monitoring, evaluation form and participant feedback forms etc.

How To Apply

The deadline for applications is 25 November 2024 (23:59).

Applicants will be notified of any decisions made in March 2025.

Guidance notes are available from the MHCLG website.

An online application form is available from the Near Neighbours website.

Contact Near Neighbours for further information.

Useful links

Near Neighbours - Windrush Day Grant Scheme 2025
https://www.near-neighbours.org.uk/windrush2025(External link)

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) - Windrush Day Grant Scheme 2025
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/windrush-day-grant-scheme-2025/windrush-day-grant-scheme-2025-guidance-for-applicants#selection(External link)

Hubbub Nature Hubs Fund

Maximum Value £6,000

Application Deadline 29/11/2024

Background

The Nature Hubs Fund is provided by public donations through the Starbucks 5p Cup Charge and is administered by Hubbub. It is part of Hubbub and Starbucks’ wider ambition to build stronger, greener communities across the UK.

Objectives of Fund

This fund aims to support groups to create or enhance green spaces within a 5-kilometre radius of Starbucks stores that bring people closer to nature and align with the following criteria:

• Involving the community - Projects that bring people and communities together around nature and green spaces.
• Commitment to reaching new audiences - Projects that are committed to reaching audiences beyond those who typically access green space.
• Need for green space - Projects that demonstrate a community need for a green space project, particularly in dense urban areas.
• Creating or enhancing green spaces - Projects that can demonstrate how they either create new green spaces, or improve, add to, or preserve existing green spaces.

Existing Nature Hubs that received funding in March/April 2024 can apply for a Top-Up Grant to deepen their impact by strengthening community ties to their project and supporting their project's legacy.

Who Can Apply

Constituted community groups, registered charities, community interest companies, and companies based in the UK can apply.

Organisations may apply for more than one grant as long as the project locations are distinct and near to separate Starbucks stores.

Eligible Expenditure

Funding is for specific and discrete initiatives that create new green spaces or enhance existing ones to bring nature closer to people and people closer to nature.

Applications will be assessed against the following criteria:

• The space needs to be publicly accessible, and free to access, and all permissions necessary to work on the site are in place.
• All projects must be within a 5-kilometre radius of a Starbucks store (3-kilometres is desirable)
• The project should start for the 2025 spring-summer growing season and be up and running within six months of receiving funding.
• Applications should show a clearly defined project that is feasible within the suggested timeframe and budget.
• Promote community cohesion around nature and green spaces.
• There is a need for new or enhanced green spaces (such as dense urban areas).
• Organisations must be fully operational and be able to demonstrate that they have delivered previous projects successfully (experience working with communities, access to a volunteering network, and strong storytelling/communication abilities are desirable).
• Organisations should be open and willing to be connected with their local Starbucks store.
• Projects should show that they will create a lasting, positive legacy and identify how the benefits of the project will continue beyond the funding.

How To Apply

The deadline for applications is 29 November 2024.

Applicants will be notified of any decisions made at the end of February 2025.

Guidance notes and an online application form are available from the Nature Hub website.

Useful links

Hubbub - Nature Hubs Fund
https://www.communitynaturenetwork.org.uk/nature-hubs-2024(External link)

Money Saving Expert (MSE) Charity

Maximum Value £10,000

Deadline 31/01/2025

Objectives of Fund

Following a strategic review earlier this year, MSE Charity has announced that from June 2024, the funding approach is changing from two themed grant rounds per year to two grant rounds with no specific themes.

Instead of a specific theme, all applications must be aligned with MSE Charity's vision of funding activities which make a lasting impact on the way people think, behave and manage their money.

The funding is intended for a wide range of not-for-profit organisations in the UK for activities related to increasing personal financial capability.

MSE Charity defines financial capability as the ability to manage money well – both day-to-day and through significant life events, such as: having a baby; moving home; unexpected job loss; bereavement; major illness or injury. It gives people the confidence and knowledge to make the most of their money and improve their lives. This means addressing all the factors that influence people’s behaviour around money: skills and knowledge, attitudes towards money, motivation to take action, and accessibility to financial services.

Who Can Apply

Applications will be accepted from UK registered charities, community interest companies (CICs), credit union, not-for-profit companies limited by guarantee, and social enterprise companies.

Eligible Expenditure

The funding can be used for all sorts of activities related to increasing personal financial capability. Some examples include:

• Money management workshops - understanding the basics, how money works in the UK, online banking, staying financially safe, household budgeting, how to generate and supplement low incomes.
• Training volunteers to deliver workshops or to provide peer-support to others.
• Upskilling existing staff to access financial capability training to support their end-users directly.
• Provide access to financial inclusion activities for people who are disadvantaged in anyway such as by age, disability, ethnicity or gender.
• Project activity costs must relate to future service delivery, that is pro-active in delivering financial life skills, money management education and or debt avoidance.

The funding is to be used for specific activity costs related to financial capability projects only.

How To Apply

There will be two grant rounds in 2025:

• The Winter grant round will open for Stage 1 proposals on 13 January 2025 and close on 31 January 2025 with final decisions communicated by 2 May 2025.
• The dates for the Summer 2025 grant round have yet to be published.

The application process is as follows:

• Pre-Application - Grant Eligibility Quiz - a self assessment tool to determine if the organisation and project meets MSE Charity’s general grant criteria. If successful, applicants will unlock access to the Stage 1 form.
• Stage 1 - Outline Proposal - a brief application that enables applicants to tell about their organisation and the activities they would like funded. This should provide sufficient detail for the Grants Advisory Panel (GAP) to assess if it would be suitable for The MSE Charity to consider funding.
• Stage 2 - Full Application - invited short-listed applicants are sent a link to complete a full application form with approximately one month to complete. This will require more detailed information to be provided about their organisation; evidence of need, the project activities; the team's experience; the outcomes they are hoping to achieve; a detailed project budget; and submission of supporting documents including their Accounts and a recent bank statement.

All relevant documents are available on the MSE Charity website.

Applications are only accepted electronically and only within the grant round dates.

Contact MSE Charity for further information.

Useful links

MSE Charity
http://www.msecharity.com/