Theatres Protection Fund’s UK Small Grants Scheme Opens for Round 8

The UK Small Grants Scheme aims to target theatres across the UK run by charities and not-for-profit groups that can clearly demonstrate the value capital improvements to their theatres would make to their work in local communities.

The scheme, which will run to 2017, is funded by the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation and Judy Craymer MBE.

Grants of up to £5,000 are available for small capital building projects that address urgent building repairs, improve operational viability, introduce environmental improvements, and enhance physical accessibility.

Applications for technical equipment and refurbishment of soft furnishings are a low priority. When making decisions Trustees prioritise applications towards specific and recognisable items within capital projects under £250,000.

To be eligible, applicants must satisfy the following criteria:

• Own or manage theatres with titles or signed leases of more than five years on buildings in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
• Show that they run a regular theatre programme of professional, community and/or amateur work presenting no less than 30 performances a year.
• Have a bona fide UK charitable or not-for-profit legal structure and be able to provide certified or audited accounts for at least two years.

No match funding is required.

The next deadline for applications is 3 February 2016 (12 noon). Applications will be considered in spring 2016.

Full details can be found on the Theatres Protection Fund website

Source: Theatres Protection Fund, 30/10/2015

The Rayne Foundation

The Rayne Foundation has a flexible approach in its support of innovative, high quality projects, but is particularly interested in those which are of direct benefit to vulnerable and disadvantaged people or communities.

The Foundation prefers projects which have potential for wider than just local impact and application, those which are likely to encourage funding from or the involvement of other organisations, and/or those which are hard to fund.

The overall theme of the Rayne Foundation is bridge building and it will support charitable causes that set out to achieve bridge building outcomes, such as:

o Increased understanding and/or tolerance.
o Reduced exclusion.
o Reduced conflict.
o New productive relationships that benefit the public.

The Foundation makes grants within four themes:

o Arts;
o Education;
o Health and Medicine; and
o Social Welfare.

Within these four broad themes, applications that apply to the Foundation's evolving list of areas of special interest are encouraged:

o Arts in deprived communities.
o Developing numeracy skills.
o Improved quality of life for older people.
o Young people's improved mental health.
o Improved palliative care in the community. The Foundation is particularly interested in practical projects which explore imaginative ideas improving quality of life for patients, families and carers receiving care at home or in the community. By 'community' the Foundation means in residential or nursing homes, hospitals and other community settings. (PLEASE NOTE: applications for hospice core costs, established 'hospice at home' services, equipment or building developments are not eligible.)

The Foundation will fund the following specific types of costs:

o Salaries and all types of project costs plus a reasonable contribution to overheads.
o ‘Seed corn’ projects which, if successful, are likely to attract other funding.
o General running or core costs (normally for a maximum of three years).
o Capital costs of buildings and equipment.

In the year to 30 November 2014, the Foundation allocated just under £1.7 million in grants, including a number in the South West. The average award was £21,492 and the maximum grant was £75,000 over three years.

The Foundation is, howver, unlikely to fund more than 50% of the total cost.

Priority is given to projects where a grant will help to lever funding and involvement from other organisations,

There is a two-stage application process. Applicants must first complete the Stage One application form that can be downloaded from the Foundation's website. 

Contact details for the Foundation are:

Morin Carew
The Rayne Foundation
100 George Street
London W1U 8NU
Tel: 020 7487 9656
Email: mcarew@raynefoundation.org.uk

(Source: GRIN)

OUR URBAN SHOP GRANTS

The Plunkett Foundation’s Our Urban Shop Grant pilot programme is offering funding for communities in urban areas of the UK to develop and run a community-owned shop that will stock food and other basic provisions.

Grants of between £20,000 and £30,000 are available.

Any urban community group or organisation in the UK can apply. An urban area is defined by the government as having a population of greater than 10,000. For a more detailed definition of the urban/rural distinction, follow this link to a useful government guide. 

To be eligible, a community must:

o Be based in an urban area of any size within the UK.
o Actively work together to encourage participation and engagement.
o Be in the early stages of exploring the potential of a new community-owned shop or be more developed.
o Want to set up and run a community-owned shop, not a private business.
o Show a need for both business and community development support.
o Show a commitment to multiple forms of investment from the community and other sources, and therefore will not be solely dependent on an ‘Our Urban Shop Grant’.
o Meet the ‘Our Urban Shop’ pilot’s goals and values including overcoming a local community issues and challenges.
o Be willing to work with the 'Our Urban Shop' team in 2015/16.

Funding is to be used to set up an urban community shop that will stock food and other basic provisions. The grant can be used for:

o Incorporation fees.
o Planning applications.
o Accountancy support.
o Other professional fees.
o Purchasing and/or refurbishing premises.
o Printing and promoting a community share offer (up to £50).
o Other essential costs, such as fixtures, fittings, equipment and stock.

The following are not eligible for funding:

o Private businesses.
o Retrospective costs.
o Any costs which someone else is paying, whether in cash or in kind.
o Items that only benefit an individual.
o Staff salaries.
o Funds to build up a reserve or surplus.
o Loan repayments.
o Any costs considered outside the scope of the fund’s scope and goals.

Match funding is required. This can be from a range of different sources, including community shares, other grants, or a loan, if borrowing is needed.

The guidelines and an application form can be found on thePlunkett Foundation website.

Completed application forms, together with an action and business plan can be submitted either by email to Monica Dolan (monica.dolan@plunkett.co.uk) or by post to the Plunkett Foundation.

The deadline for applications is Friday 18 December 2015.

Contact details for the Foundation are:

The Plunkett Foundation
The Quadrangle
Woodstock
Oxfordshire
OX20 1LH
Tel: 01993 810 730
Email: info@plunkett.co.uk

(Source: GRIN)

Tesco Community Greenspace Grants

The Community Greenspace Grants programme is funded by Tesco customers from the proceeds of the 5p charge for plastic carrier bags which was introduced in England on 5 October 2015 and is already in place in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The programme is managed by Groundwork, an environmental charity, in England and Wales and in partnership with Greenspace Scotland in Scotland.

Funding is available for capital improvements to local community green spaces, such as parks, play areas and community gardens.

Over the next three years, starting in 2015, funding will be awarded each year to six projects in each of the 428 regions across Britain where Tesco has stores.

Grants of £8.000, £10,000 and £12,000 are available.

There will be two voting rounds a year. Nominations will be whittled down to three good causes that customers can choose from to vote for in each area.

This means that more than 2,500 different projects will receive funding each year.

Funding will be available for capital projects that provide community benefit and have free and open access to all members of the community for a minimum of six days a week, during daylight hours.

Projects that would typically receive funding include:

o Parks, pocket parks and urban greenspaces.
o Green corridors - river and canals, cycle ways.
o Formal and informal play areas.
o Open access sports facilities within public parks and recreation grounds, such as football pitches, tennis courts and cricket pitches.
o Informal outdoor recreation facilities, such as gym equipment, trim trails and woodland walks.
o Nature reserves, community woodlands, ponds and village greens.
o Churchyards.
o Seafront improvements.
o Community allotments, community gardens, orchards and city farms.

Applications should be for a stand-alone project or a discrete, self-contained part of a larger project or part of a phased project.

The following types of organisation may apply for funding:

o Voluntary and community organisations;
o Registered charities;
o Parish and town councils:
o Health bodies;
o Social enterprises:
o Community Interest Companies:
o Local authorities;
o Housing organisations; and
o Community Councils.

Other not-for-profit organisations may also be eligible. Organisations that make a profit and individuals are not eligible to apply to the programme.

There is no match funding requirement to access a grant, but the grant should be the majority of the funding required for the project.

Applicants must first complete an online Eligibility Quiz to be able to proceed to the application form.

Groundwork will assess the applications received and then submit a shortlist of applications for a Tesco regional panel to agree to three projects to go forward to a public vote.

Local Tesco customers will then be able to vote for a local project over two weekends.

The 2015 deadline is 12 noon on Friday 27 November.

It is anticipated that there will be two funding rounds per year over the next three years.

For further information visit the Groundwork website.

Contact details for Groundwork are:

Groundwork
Lockside
5 Scotland Street
Birmingham B1 2RR
Tel: 0121 236 8565
Email: info@groundwork.org.uk

(Source: GRIN)

The Weaver's Company Benevolent Fund

The Weaver's Company Benevolent Fund Grant is designed to support local organisations undertaking projects for young people who are vulnerable and at risk of becoming involved with crime.

The scheme aims to help vulnerable young people to stay out of trouble and to help with the rehabilitation of young offenders.

The scheme particularly wishes to fund projects for the following:

o Helping disadvantaged young people - The object of the fund is to support projects working with disadvantaged young people to ensure that they are given every possible chance to meet their full potential and to participate fully in society. Young people are normally defined as being aged from 5 to 30 years.
o Offenders and ex-offenders, particularly those under 30 years of age - Many offenders and ex-offenders suffer from a variety of difficult and complex problems and they are amongst the most vulnerable members of society. Funding is available for work that addresses the social and economic problems faced by this group and their families, and provide them with support, life skills training and a way back into education, training and/or employment, so that they may reintegrate and make a positive contribution to society.

Grants up to £15,000 are available per annum for up to 3 years.

UK registered charities or organisations in the process of applying for registration are eligible to apply.

Priority will be given to smaller organisations which offer direct services.

Local organisations such as those working in a village, estate or small town should normally have an income of less than about £100,000. Those working across the UK should normally have an income of not more than about £250,000.

Eligible expenditure includes:

o Pump-priming - particularly from small community-based organisations where the grant would form a major element of the funding.
o Project funding.
o Associated project costs - applicants should include the cost of any overheads associated with the work, such as office/secretarial support, so that the project is not under-funded.
o Core costs - such as general administration and training that enable an organisation to develop and maintain expertise. o Innovative or pioneering work - that could inspire similar work in other areas of the country.
o Continuation funding - ongoing funding for successful projects, which have proved their worth.
o Emergency or deficit funding - in exceptional circumstances.

Forthcoming application deadlines are:

o Tuesday 1 December 2015;
o Monday 28 March 2016; and
o Monday 1 August 2016. 

Any applications that arrive too late for consideration at one meeting are automatically rolled forward to the next.

Applicants must show that they have investigated other sources of funding and made plans for the future, which should include replacement funding if appropriate.

Application forms are available to download from the Trust's website and on request.

Contact details for the Weaver's Company are:

The Weaver's Company
Saddlers' House
Gutter Lane
London EC2V 6BR
Tel: 020 7606 1155
Email: charity@weavers.org.uk

(Source: GRIN)

Have your say on the Big Lottery Fund’s new rural programme

The Big Lottery Fund (BIG) in Wales is developing a new £13.5 million programme for rural communities and is inviting you to help shape it.

Go to: http://bigblogwales.org.uk/2015/10/15/have-your-say-on-the-big-lottery-funds-new-rural-programme/?

and have your say!

(Source: Big Lottery)

Finnis Scott Foundation

The Finnis Scott Foundation makes grants to both UK charities and individuals and for any charitable purpose.

The Trustees' current policy is to focus their grant-making in the areas of:

• Horticulture and plant sciences;
• Art; and
• Art history.

The Foundation funds both capital and revenue projects.

Grants between £500 and £10,000 are available. In the financial year ending 31 December 2014 the Foundation awarded 45 grants totalling £358,674. The average award was just under £8,000 and included:

o Greenfingers (£6,000);
o Clear Village Trust (£1,103);
o Vocal Eyes (£2,000);
o Cheltenham Art Gallery and Museum (£10,000);
o West House Project (£5,000); and
o Turquoise Mountain (£5,000)

Preference is given to awarding grants to smaller charities where the grant will have a significant impact.

In the case of private individuals, the Trustees usually require a grant to be made through a sponsoring university or registered charity.

The following documents must be submitted with an application form:

• The organisation's governing document.
• If available, any business plan, project plan or similar document setting out the purpose of the grant.
• The organisation's most recent accounts and annual report.
• The organisation's current budget and any separate project budget.
• Any further documents that are requested.

Applications are considered at quarterly Trustee meetings. Applications should be received at least three weeks before the date of a meeting.

The date of the next Trustee meeting is Wednesday 13 January 2016.

For further information, visit the Finnis Scott Foundation website.

Contact details for the Foundation are:

Angela Moon
The Finnis Scott Foundation
c/o Hewitsons
Elgin House
Billing Road
Northampton NN1 5AU
Tel: 01604 233233
Email: administrator@finnis-scott-foundation.org.uk

(Source: GRIN)