Postcode Community Trust - Community Grants

The Postcode Community Trust's Community Grants scheme has opened to applications from registered charities and community groups in England, Scotland and Wales for projects that advance community development.

The Postcode Community Trust provides short-term, designated funding to good causes in Great Britain that promote community development and demonstrate positive change through access and engagement.

The Trust seeks to help groups participate more fully in activities within their community, especially for those who may feel isolated through disability or age. The Trust wants to help them overcome these barriers in creative and sustainable ways. Projects should help people gain better access to community facilities, community activities and strengthen communities in ways that are different, sustainable and reach a wide number of people.

Funding is available for activities that:

• Work in innovative ways to relieve older people's isolation.
• Support people looking after others.
• Enhance volunteering opportunities.
• Promote community arts projects.
• Promote team/group sports and activities that benefit communities.
• Provide/enhance places for sport and recreation.
• Promote interaction of different generations.
• Promote a community's social history.

Grassroots organisations, local charities and non-profit community businesses that are seeking to effect positive change within their local area in England, Scotland and Wales are eligible to apply.

Grants range from £500 to £20,000 for those in Scotland and England and up to £10,000 for those in Wales.

The deadline for applications to Round 2 is 31 May 2016.

http://www.postcodecommunitytrust.org.uk/applying-for-a-grant

(Source: Grantfinder)

Skipton Building Society Launches Grassroots Giving 2016

Skipton Building Society offers the Grassroots Giving scheme to support the development of local grassroots groups from across the UK.

Organisations should show a real commitment to their local community and enhance the lives of the neighbourhoods they are running within. Groups should have an annual net profit of less than £10,000.

Grants of £500 are available for projects that are able to demonstrate a lasting impact, that can show they will be helping to build a legacy for the community.

The deadline for applications is 29 July 2016.

https://www.skiptongrg.co.uk/apply-for-funding/

(Source: Grantfinder)

Community Asset Transfer 2

Round 2 of the Community Asset Transfer 2 (CAT2) programme will open on May 10th, 2016. The deadline for stage one applications is September 14th, 2016. We are holding three briefing events for potential applicants across Wales and will provide advice on how to apply for funding through the programme. The events will take place in the following locations:

• May 10th 2016 – All Nations Centre, Cardiff (now fully booked)
• May 11th 2016 – MRC Centre, Llandrindod Wells
• May 12th 2016 – Galeri Caernarfon

If you would like to book a place at one of the event, please click here and complete the booking form.

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.

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

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

(Source: BIG Lottery)

Clear Information about gift Aid

HM Revenue & Customs has updated its guidance on digital gift aid, and said it will introduce a “pre-donation questionnaire” which supporters must complete before they can make gift aided donations online.

Click here for the updated information

Community Asset Transfer 2

 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.

Round 2 of the Community Asset Transfer 2 (CAT2) programme will open on May 10th, 2016. Deadline for applications September 14th

Briefing events for potential applicants May 11th 2016 – MRC Centre, Llandrindod Wells 

Deadline for applications September 14th

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

Expenses and tax

Volunteers will continue to be entitled to tax-free reimbursement of their out of pocket expenses.

Expenses and tax
Most of the expenses you incur at work as an employee are paid for by your employer. Other work expenses – particularly travel and accommodation expenses – are reimbursed by your employer.

From April 2016, the system is being simplified, and HMRC will usually accept that business expenses which are reimbursed by your employer are not taxable benefits for you.
When an expense is reimbursed, HMRC has to be satisfied that the expense is allowable for tax purposes, otherwise the reimbursement from your employer is treated as additional taxable income.

Example: Alison is a sales manager. She is asked to attend a special sales event in the evening. She pays a babysitter to look after her children. The employer reimburses her for the cost of the babysitter. HMRC would not consider that the expense was allowable. It would not have been necessarily incurred by any holder of the office of sales manager. Tax would therefore be payable on the reimbursement.
(See http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/eimanual/EIM31648.htm)

Reimbursed expenses, general rules and special cases
Volunteers will continue to be entitled to tax-free reimbursement of their out of pocket expenses.
http://www.sandy-a.co.uk/employment.htm#tax-allowances

Different rules apply from 6 April 2016. The new system gives a tax exemption for expenses which would be tax-deductible under normal rules. You can find the details here:
https://www.gov.uk/hmrc-i…/employment-income-manual/eim30210

Deadline - end of May

 M&S Energy - Community Energy Fund Competition Open to Applications (GB)

Funding is available to enable communities in Great Britain to generate renewable energy and become environmentally and financially sustainable.

The Community Energy Fund Competition is open to applications for 2016.

Funding for this competition is provided by M&S Energy which is owned by the retailer Marks & Spencer.

The Fund aims to enable more communities to generate renewable energy and become environmentally and financially sustainable.

Not-for-profit organisations in Great Britain can apply for funding for renewable energy projects that can demonstrate they have the support of their local community. Grants can be used for all capital costs relating to the installation of the specified technology.

Funding is available for community groups that require a maximum of £12,500 for the installation of a specified technology. The amount o f £12,500 will be available to one community group within each M&S region.

There is also a minimum allocated funding of £20,000 which will be split between the most inspiring and innovative projects.

Shortlisted applicants will need to organise support from their community to vote for their campaign on the competition website.

The deadline for applications is 31 May 2016.