Tuesday 24 October 2017

The Big Lottery Fund calls on funders to support more ‘risky’ projects

The Big Lottery said that too often funders create barriers to innovative projects and hard to reach communities seeking funding” through complex processes. 

To read the full article click here

Too much fraud in charities goes unreported, warns Commission chief executive

The Charity Commission's chief executive, Helen Stephenson, has warned that many instances of fraud within the sector currently go unreported. Speaking at the launch of Charity Fraud Awareness Week, Stephenson said that fraud can have a “devastating” impact on voluntary organisations and urged greater reporting of the crime when it occurs. She said there was no evidence that charities were more likely to be targeted by fraudsters than other organisations but suggested that the effects could be worse than in the private or public sectors. 

Click here to read the full article


Monday 23 October 2017

New funding round will open in 2018

Community Grants

We will be inviting community groups to apply for funding to tackle rural poverty in rural areas of Wales.
The first round of funding has now closed. A second round will open in 2018. Details of this round will be announced in early 2018. 

Community Development Support

This funding for the Rural Programme comes after £2 million was set aside for community development support
Severn Wye Energy Agency, in partnership with BRO Partnership, will support up to 30 communities in Anglesey, Gwynedd, Conwy, Denbighshire, Powys, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire and Monmouthshire to tackle poverty in their areas. The partnership will support communities to address issues that could include employment and income, transport and access to services, poor broadband and digital exclusion, housing and fuel poverty, and demand for welfare and advice services.

Dave Gittins
Senior Project Manager

 Asiantaeth Ynni Severn Wye Energy Agency
The Lindens
Spa Road
Llandrindod Wells
LD1 5EQ


Hurry deadline is soon!

Gwirvol Youth Led Grant funding for 2017-2018 

Funding is still available for youth led grants for projects running up to end of March 2018

Grants of up to £600 are available for projects that provide volunteering opportunities for young people aged 14-25 to help their communities in Powys. 
The applications must to be written by young people. 
A panel of young people from Powys will assess the applications. Application forms are available to download from here.
If you would like to discuss your ideas/project, contact Michiel Blees from PAVO on 01597 822191 or email: michiel.blees@pavo.org.ukThe deadline for applications is 12 noon on 31st October 2017.

BSA Accepting Community Group Applications for British Science Week Funding

Community groups still have time to apply for grants to run an event during British Science Week 2018.
British Science Week (BSW) is an annual celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths that is coordinated by the BSA and funded by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

The British Science Association (BSA) provides grants for community organisations to run events that will take place across the UK during the week of 9-18 March 2018.

Community-based groups and organisations that work directly with audiences who are traditionally under-represented and currently not engaged in science activity can apply for grants of £500 and £1,000.

There are two levels of funding:
  • Grants of £500 are available to run one or more events during British Science Week 2018.
  • Grants of up to £1,000 are available to run one or more events during British Science Week 2018 as well as follow-up activities that will lead to continued engagement after British Science Week.
The funding is intended to expand the audiences that engage with science and self-identify as having an interest in science by empowering and supporting community groups to run their own science activities. Community grants cannot be used for events or activities with school groups unless they are a special needs school.
To be eligible, events and activities must target and include hard-to-reach audiences, which include:
  • People who are Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic (BAME).
  • People with low socio economic status, including people disadvantaged in terms of education and income.
  • Young people facing adversity, including those not in education employment or training (NEET).
  • People with a disability.
  • Girls and women.
  • People living in a remote and rural location with a population of less than 10,000 people.
The deadline for all applications is 13 November 2017 (12noon).

The British Association for the Advancement of Science (BA) 
Wellcome Wolfson Building 
165 Queen's Gate 
London 
SW7 5HD
bsw@britishscienceassocation.org

The deadline for receipt of applications for the 2018 Awards is 7 November 2017.

Deadline Approaches for 2018 Ashden Awards to Promote Sustainable Energy

Awards recognising renewable energy projects in the UK and the developing world, promoting the widespread use of local, sustainable energy, because of the environmental, social and economic benefits which it can provide.
The aim of the Ashden Awards is to promote the widespread use of local, sustainable energy, because of the environmental, social and economic benefits this provides. The Awards reward outstanding and innovative renewable energy projects in developing countries and in the UK, with funding for future developments.
Through the scheme and related activities, these awards aim to persuade policymakers, funders and the wider public to recognise renewable energy efficiency as a crucial tool for addressing the urgent global issues of climate change, pollution and energy supply, as well as the social and economic needs of local communities across the globe.
Ashden rewards innovative enterprises and programmes that deliver, or play a key part in enabling the delivery of, renewable energy and energy efficiency at the local level, and through this bring social, economic and environmental benefits.
Ashden International Awards
In 2018 there will be six International Awards. The winners will receive prize funds of up to £20,000 each.
UK-based businesses, NGOs, social enterprises and government organisations working in one of the UN’s developing regions of Africa, Caribbean, Central America, South America, Asia (excluding Japan) and Oceania (excluding Australia and New Zealand) may apply. Note: the funded activities can be in rural or urban areas.
Ashden UK Awards
In 2018 there will be up to four UK Awards, each of which comes with a prize of up to £10,000.
The following organisations are eligible to apply for the UK Award:
  • Businesses, which must have employees in the UK, and be providing their products or services in the UK, although the headquarters may be in another country.
  • Social enterprises, both for-profit and not-for-profit, including community groups.
  • Not-for-profit groups, such as charities, energy agencies or housing associations.
  • Public sector organisations, including local authorities, higher education establishments, hospitals, fire services, police forces, etc.
The deadline for receipt of applications for the 2018 Awards is 7 November 2017.
Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy 
The Peak 
5 Wilton Road 
London 
SW1V 1AP
Tel:
020 7410 7023
ukapps@ashden.org

The Henry Smith Charity Re-launches Grants Programmes

The Henry Smith Charity’s Main Grants programme is now open for applications following a review of its guidelines and criteria.
The Henry Smith Charity distributes over £28 million a year in grant programmes designed to reduce social and economic disadvantage in the UK.

Following a review of its grant procedures, the Funder has refined its Main Grant programmes, separating it into two defined funds under the same new strategy that aims to work with people for whom other sources of support have failed, been inappropriate or are simply not available.
This will be achieved through the following priorities:
  • Increasing resilience - empowering people, encouraging integration and personal independence, helping people to recover and move on.
  • Creating opportunities and life chances raising aspiration, equipping people with new skills, unlocking and enabling potential, and providing the means to improve life circumstances.
  • Empowering communities - strengthening and connecting communities and making people feel valued, providing opportunities for social connections and relationships, encouraging participation and inclusion.
The Charity’s grants programmes now stand as follows:

  • The Main Grants: Improving Lives Fund is the largest of the Charity’s funds, and will support the work of established charitable organisations with incomes of up to £2 million. Funding is available for projects that help people when other sources of support have failed, are inappropriate, or are simply not available.
  • The Main Grants: Strengthening Communities Fund is designed to support small charitable organisations working at grassroots level in the most disadvantaged areas of the UK.
  • The County Grants programme provides grants for smaller organisations working with disadvantaged people and communities in one of eight English counties. Groups should note that funding for Surrey is not available until early 2018.
  • The Holiday Grants for Children programme provides grants for recreational trips and holidays for groups of children aged 13 and under in the UK who are disabled or disadvantaged. These are one-off short grants.
  • The Christian Projects grant programme awards grants to projects that explicitly promote the Christian faith in the UK.
Grant sizes are generally between £10,000 and £60,000 and are for charities and not-for-profit organisations, including social enterprises that are based and working in the UK.
There are no deadlines. Applications are considered on a regular basis, depending on the fund applied to.

To apply Click here

Charity Fraud



To launch Charity Fraud Awareness Week, which encourages those working in the charity and voluntary sector to become more fraud aware and resilient, Jonathan Orchard, partner at Sayer Vincent, has come up with a five-step plan to reduce charity fraud. 


Wednesday 18 October 2017

People and Places: Building on your community’s strengths

In July 2017 the Big Lottery Fund in Wales relaunched our People and Places grant programme which is open to applications of between £10,001 and £500,000 for community projects lasting up to five years. You can read about the changes here. One of the key changes is that we’re asking all applicants to show us how their project fits into three themes:
  • people-led,
  • strength based and
  • connect
To help explain these in more detail, we’re publishing a series of blogs to help outline what we mean by each theme. Read about people-led here. For this post we asked funding manager Derek Preston-Hughes to tell us a little more about strength based projects.

Pawb a’i Le: Adeiladu ar gryfderau’ch cymuned

Ym mis Gorffennaf 2017 ail-lansiodd Cronfa Loteri Fawr Cymru ei rhaglen grant Pawb a’i Le sy’n agored i geisiadau rhwng £10,001 a £500,000 ar gyfer prosiectau cymunedol sy’n para hyd at bum mlynedd. Gallwch ddarllen am y newidiadau yma . Un o’r newidiadau allweddol yw ein bod yn gofyn i bob ymgeisydd ddangos i ni sut mae eu prosiect yn ffitio gyda thair thema:
  • pobl yn arwain,
  • seiliedig ar gryfderau a
  • chysylltiedig
I helpu esbonio’r rhain yn fanylach, rydym yn cyhoeddi cyfres o flogiau i helpu amlinellu beth a olygwn wrth bob thema. Gallwch ddarllen am beth mae ‘pobl yn arwain’ yn ei olygu yma. Ar gyfer y postiad hwn, gofynnom i reolwr ariannu Derek Preston-Hughes ddweud ychydig yn fwy wrthym am brosiectau sy’n seiliedig ar gryfderau.

Friday 6 October 2017

Consultation on Data Protection

Today we have launched a new consultation on the Code of Fundraising Practice, which will enable charities, fundraisers and members of the public to provide feedback on proposed changes to the Code regarding data protection.

The consultation seeks to update the Code to mirror the upcoming GDPR legislation, and address the issues identified in the number of penalty notices levied by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) in the last two years.


It also seeks to ensure that rules on data protection are more accessible by improving signposting to existing ICO and Fundraising Regulator guidance, as well as adding and expanding definitions for key terms.

The consultation will run until Friday 8th December, and marks an important step in ensuring that our guidance and terminology is consistent with forthcoming GDPR legislation. More information on the proposed changes and how to respond can be
found on our website.


(Source: Fundraising Regulator)

Grants available to develop grassroots sport throughout Powys

Sports and physical activity groups in Powys are being urged to take advantage of a grant worth up to £1,500 to help contribute to creating thriving clubs which will continue to create opportunities through good enterprise and innovation. 

The grants are available through the Sportlot Community Chest, the Sports Council for Wales National Lottery funded grant aid scheme, which is designed to make a difference to sport and physical activity locally.

With nearly £90,000 available for this financial year, Powys County Council are urging organisations to submit applications so they don’t miss out on the grant. 


The next deadline for applications is 7th November 2017.  For further information please contact the council’s Sport Development Team on 01686 614060 or email angela.williams@powys.gov.uk.  Application forms and full details are online and can be found on the Sport Wales website: www.sportwales.org.uk

(Source: PCC)

Tuesday 3 October 2017

EDGE FUND

We're now open for applications for our eighth funding round. We'll be giving out £40,000 to grassroots groups. Deadline is Sunday 12th November at midnight. All the details can be found on our website:  https://edgefund.org.uk/apply/

Please share with people in your networks, particularly those who are not on social media or are organising outside of big cities and commonplace activist and community spaces. 

Things to remember:
  • We are a very small fund. The maximum grant you can apply for is £3000 
  • If you are a new group, 1 year old or less, the maximum you can apply for is £1000.
  • If your group is part of a national coalition, please get in touch.
  • Unfortunately, we cannot fund groups outside England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
  • We have never funded an organisation with an annual turnover of more than £25,000.
  • Your application will be read by some of our 100+ members, and may be shared with other applicants if it is short-listed.
  • If you have applied before and been unsuccessful please get in touch before applying again.
  • Please see our funding criteria for more information
  • If your groups application is successful, you will be expected to help us promote the next funding round, and score applications – don’t worry though, its not hard work, and we will help you.
 
Many thanks,
Edge Fund Team
email us on info@edgefund.org.uk or call 0776 712 6915 or 0300 123 1965

(Source: EDGE FUND)

Heritage Lottery Fund’s First World War Then and Now Grants Programme

The Heritage Lottery Fund’s First World War Then and Now Grants Programme provides grant of between £3,000 and £10,000 for community projects lasting no longer than 2 years which explore, conserve and share the heritage of the First World War.
Projects should enable communities to understand more about the heritage of the First World War and benefit a wide range of people.
In particular, priority will be given to projects that help young people aged 11 to 25 years to take an active part in the Centenary commemorations.
There is no match funding requirement for this programme.
Examples of possible project ideas are :
o Art, literature, music, theatre, film and popular culture focusing on the First World War, either created during the war or in later years;
o Historical memorials, including memorial gardens, commemorating lives lost in the war;
o Finding more out about the people listed on war memorials;
o The memories and experiences of people who were affected by the First World War either during the period of the war (1914-1918) or its consequences on family and society following the war; or
o Natural heritage and landscapes affected by the war.
A wide range of not-for-profit organisations and partnerships (who should identify a lead applicant) may apply, including:
o Registered charities or trusts;
o Museums;
o Clubs or special interest groups;
o Community or voluntary groups;
o Town and parish councils;
o Faith groups;
o Heritage and history groups;
o Local authorities;
o Public sector organisations;
o Schools and colleges;
o Social enterprises;
o Resident’s associations; and
o Youth groups. 
The following are not eligible for funding:
o Projects based outside the UK;
o Projects where the main focus is meeting legal and/or statutory responsibilities;
o Promoting the cause or beliefs of political organisations and faith organisations; or
o Retrospective costs.
Applications may be submitted at any time until 31 March 2019. Appling organisations must have a bank account and a constitution.
Potential applicants are advised to submit a project enquiry form online before applying. Advice can then be provided on whether the project meets the priorities for funding and to provide support with an application.
Further information, guidelines and an application form is available to download from the Heritage Lottery Fund website.
Contact details for the fund are:
Heritage Lottery Fund
7 Holbein Place
London
SW1W 8NR
Tel: 020 7591 6042
Email:
 enquire@hlf.org.uk
(Source: GRIN)