Digital Arts and Creative Ageing Fund

The Digital Arts and Creative Ageing Fund is a new £500,000collaborative grant funding programme from the Nominet Trustand The Baring Foundation.

Entrepreneurial-minded organisations that have already demonstrated the distinctive value that digital technology and the internet can bring to connecting older people aged 65 and over with the creative arts, and the beneficial social outcomes offered by this broadening of digital engagement, are eligible to apply.

The creative arts includes music, singing (including opera), film, dance, drama, creative writing, design (including graphic design), photography, painting, drawing, printing, craft, sculpture and installation art.

Successful applicants willreceive:

o Grant funding for each project of up to £90,000, depending on the requirements and the number of projects that receive funding;
o Funder support for project delivery over an 18-month period; and
o A support package including mentoring, marketing and communications advice and networking opportunities.

Applications are invited from a wide variety of UK-based organisations including social organisations such as a charity or Community Interest Company (CIC), or for-profit organisations (for example, a residential care home, retirement village, theatre, arts centre, museum or community centre).

By the end of the funding, successful applicants will be expected to have:

o Demonstrated a model of scale and sustainability for using digital technology to engage older people in the creative arts;
o Developed a strong evaluation methodology;
o Provided evidence to inform decisions about the wider use of digital technology to engage older people in the creative arts.

Funding is not available for:

o Individuals;
o Organisations that represent a political party or a political lobbying group;
o Hardware or software procurement projects; for example, a project to equip a school with PCs, buy software licences, or install wi-fi for a community;
o Website improvements where no new functional or service delivery innovations are created;
o Website development unless the project and organisation meets the funding criteria;
o Core organisational running costs;
o Organisations that simply want to add digital to existing services in order to make them more efficient or cost-effective.

The stage 1 deadline for applications is midday on Tuesday 16 August 2016.

PLEASE NOTE: As part of the Stage 1 application, applicants will need to film a 90-second video pitch which helps to introduce the team and project. The pitch should outline the proposal, its current stage of development, what evidence has already been collected to demonstrate its effectiveness, and how the funding will help it to scale or become sustainable.

Further details about the Fund, including the application process, are available on the Nominet Trust website.

Contact details for the Trust are:

The Nominet Trust
Minerva House
Edmund Halley Road
Oxford Science Park
Oxford OX4 4DQ
Tel: 01865 334000
Email: enquiries@nominettrust.org.uk

(Source: GRIN)

People's Trust for Endangered Species

The People's Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) is an independent environmental charity which addresses the loss of endangered species worldwide.

Voluntary conservation organisations, scientific researchers, individuals and consortia may apply for grants between £10,000 and £20,000.

During the year ending 31 December 2014 the Trust’s charitable expenditure was £1,081,587 (2013: £1,105,859) awarded against the following headings:

o Research grants £366,660 (2013: £510,519);
o Nature reserves £107,100 (2013: £114,541);
o Conservation projects £483,582 (2013: £358,542);
o Education and public awareness £124,245 (2013: £122,257).

Grants are available for research or conservation projects that focus on one or more Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) listed UK mammal species, or their habitat.

Grant proposals that address any of the following issues are likely to be given priority:

o Monitoring mammals: better methods for estimating distribution and abundance; and more sensitive methods for assessing population change;
o Habitats for mammals: assessing habitat suitability and connectivity; improving and restoring habitats; habitat management; and habitat fragmentation, modification and loss;
o Human impacts and mitigation: climate change; habitat fragmentation, modification and loss; impact of introduced mammals and diseases; roads and other infrastructure; and toxic chemicals and pollution.

Funds for work carrying out practical habitat work will only be granted if trialling new methodologies that can be assessed for effectiveness and therefore will then have wider practical use for other practitioners.

Priority will also be given to those projects that focus on sound research or conservation work that is likely to lead directly to practical conservation outcomes with a lasting benefit to the species and habitat concerned.

Projects that require funds to promote, within local communities and or policy makers, the dissemination/public awareness of conservation strategies based on sound research will also be considered.

The Trust will  fund a project in its entirety or jointly with other bodies or organisations.

PLEASE NOTE: PTES is not considering any further applications for funds on beaver work in the UK until the Scottish beaver trial has finished.

The 2016 deadline is Saturday 1st October 2016.

Further information, together with an application form, is available on the PTES website.

Contact details for the Trust are:  

The People's Trust For Endangered Species
15 Cloisters House
8 Battersea Park Road
London SW8 4BG
Email: enquiries@ptes.org

(Source: GRIN)

THE JOHN SPEDAN LEWIS FOUNDATION - Grants for registered charities undertaking environmental education and conservation projects in the UK (applications may be made at any time)

The John Lewis Spedan Foundation supports projects with the following themes:

o Entomology - the scientific study of insects;
o Horticulture - the art, science, technology and business of gowing plants; and
o Ornithology - the study of birds.

The Foundation's previous grant awards have been for amounts between £1,000 and £6,000.

Grants are usually made on a one-off basis with no match funding requirement.

During the financial year ending 31 March 2015 the Foundation’s Trustees met twice and agreed donations to 19 organisations totalling £100,529.

Awards included:

o Somerset Wildlife Trust (£2,546);
o Butterfly Conservation (£3,000);
o Trees for Life (£4,600); and
o Wild Horizons Outdoor Education Trust (£1,600).

PLEASE NOTE: the John Spedan Lewis Foundation does not have a website.

Further information is, however, available on the Charity Commission website.

Applications may be made at any time in writing to:

Dr Ruth Bone
The John Spedan Lewis Foundation
Partnership House
Carlisle Place
London SW1P 1BX
Tel: 0207 592 6284
Email: jslf@johnlewis.co.uk  

(Source: GRIN)

Charities and Investment Matters

The Charities (Protection and Social Investment) Act 2016, which came into effect on 31 July has introduced a statutory power for charities to make social investments.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/charities-and-investment-matters-a-guide-for-trustees-cc14

(Source: Charity Commission)

Updated guidance as new social investment power for charities comes into force

The Charity Commission today published guidance for trustees about the new social investment power that was introduced yesterday, 31 July 2016, as the first phase of the Charities (Protection and Social Investment) Act 2016 came into force.

The new interim guidance supplements the Commission’s existing guidanceCharities and investment matters (CC14).

The new power was developed and introduced following a programme of work and subsequent Law Commission recommendation in 2014. When introducing the new power in the House of Lords, Lord Bridges of Headley said the intention of the power was to “help charities to make social investments so that they can fulfil their mission in new and innovative ways” and that it would “give charities the confidence and certainty to invest in this growing sector”.

For the first time, social investment has been defined in this legislation. It is defined as a ‘relevant act’ that is carried out ‘with a view to both directly furthering the charity’s purposes and achieving a financial return for the charity’. The guidance explores this definition to provide further advice on what is and is not a social investment.

The new legislation does not alter or override trustees’ general common law duties, and the guidance makes clear that these duties apply to any decision regarding social investments. However, the legislation places specific duties on trustees who are considering making a social investment. Trustees must:

• consider whether advice ought to be obtained
• obtain and consider any such advice
• satisfy themselves that it is in the interests of the charity to make the social investment

Trustees must also review their charity’s social investments from time to time.

Sarah Atkinson, Director of Policy and Communications at the Charity Commission, said:

The stated purpose of this power is to give confidence to charities to undertake social investments. The legislation does place further duties on trustees who are considering social investments but these are not intended to be onerous. This updated guidance should help trustees to make well-considered, prudent decisions in this developing area.

We look forward to working with charities and sector bodies as they develop their approach to social investment. The Commission will consider their early experiences of it as part of a future review of its investment guidance in 2017.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/updated-guidance-as-new-social-investment-power-for-charities-comes-into-force

(Source: Charity Commission)

Places of Worship: Security Funding Scheme

Following the launch of the UK Government’s Hate Crime Action Plan, a new Places of Worship: Security Funding Scheme has been launched. The bidding round has opened on 26 July 2016 and closes at 5pm on 20 September 2016. A second round of bids will open in spring 2017.

 

The scheme will consider bids from places of worship in England and Wales. Schools and educational institutions are not eligible to apply. The Jewish community will be exempt from this scheme as a similar commitment was made to fund Jewish community sites through a grant administered by the Community Security Trust.

 

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/places-of-worship-security-funding-scheme

Community Asset Transfer 2

Round 2 of the Community Asset Transfer 2 (CAT2) programme opened on May 10th, 2016. The deadline for stage one applications is September 14, 2016.

The CAT2 programme will provide both capital and revenue funding to support the transfer of assets, such as land and buildings, from individuals, public or private sector organisations to community ownership.

We want to help communities become stronger and more sustainable by assisting them to obtain and develop assets such as land or buildings. We will do this by developing assets transferred from individuals, public or private sector organisations to enterprising organisations that actively involve and benefit the communities they serve. They must work towards improving the services and/or facilities for their community, be able to demonstrate that their proposals are sustainable in the long-term and take into account the environmental, social and economic impacts of their work. Transfers can be either freehold or leasehold, but the transfer must be made at nil cost or at significantly below market value.

The programme is being delivered via a two stage application process. Organisations will be required to complete a stage one application but will only be required to develop and submit a stage two application (a project plan and capital project delivery plan) if their stage one application is successful. Development grants are available to support the development of stage two applications.

https://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/global-content/programmes/wales/community-asset-transfer-2

Contact

Call our helpline on 029 2067 8200 (textphone 0845 602 1659).

Email us at cat@biglotteryfund.org.uk.

Join in the conversation on Twitter #CATfund @biglotterywales

(Source: BIG Lottery)