Uniting Communities: Uniting Opportunities (T:BUC)

As part of the delivery of the NI Executive’s Together: Building a United Community Strategy, the Department for Communities (DfC) has a new opportunity for organisations that can deliver good relations and reconciliation projects through sport, physical, or creative activity to young people.

‘Uniting Opportunities’ is a small grants programme that will open for Stage One applications on Monday 11 September 2017. Full details of the scheme and how to apply are available on the Department’s website.

Uniting Communities: Uniting Opportunities (T:BUC)

Uniting Opportunities is a small grants programme administered by the Department for Communities (DfC).

Uniting Opportunities forms part of the wider Uniting Communities programme and seeks to deliver good relations and reconciliation projects through sport, physical and creative activity.   Projects must target the most marginalised young people in society and address the barriers to community participation that these young people face. 

The programme will target the following young people; 

• Young and Homeless
• Young Refugees and Asylum Seekers (English not first language)
• Young People in Care
• Young People with a Disability
• Young People with Poor Mental Health and/or Addictions
• Young Offenders (and young people most at risk of offending)

Eligible groups can apply for grants from £5,000 - £30,000.

The closing date for applications is Friday 22 September 2017, 4pm

A number of One-to-One and Presentation sessions have been arranged to provide advice and guidance to organisations who are considering applying to the Uniting Opportunities Programme 2017/18. 

To book an appointment or to discuss a potential project please contact the Uniting Communities Team on;

E: tbuc@communities-ni.gov.uk

T: 028 9082 3354

Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust’s UK Grant Programmes

The Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust is currently accepting applications for projects involving removing problems through radical solutions, and not simply about making problems easier to live. Generally, the Trust funds work that is about addressing the root causes of problems rather than delivering services or alleviating immediate needs and recognises that change can take many years to achieve. As a result, the Trust is willing to take the long view and to take risks.

Applications are accepted under the following priority areas:

1. Peace and Security
2. Power and Accountability
3. Rights and Justice
4. Sustainable Future
5. Northern Ireland 
6. Cross Cutting Themes

Deadlines

The deadline for applications for Power & Accountability, Rights & Justice, Northern Ireland, Sustainable Future and Cross Cutting applications is 4 December 2017 (12 noon).

The deadline for Peace & Security applications is 10 December 2017 (12 noon).

For further information visit:  https://www.jrct.org.uk/what-we-fund

Aviva Community Fund

The Aviva Community Fund is an initiative that offers support and funding for inspirational local causes. The scheme aims to help both large charities and smaller ones who may otherwise find it difficult to gain financial backing or recognition. Projects could receive funding of from up to £1000 up to £25,000.  Knowing that the Aviva Community Fund had such positive outcomes for community projects in 2015 and 2016, Aviva are running the initiative again in 2017 to support more grass roots organisations. 

The Aviva Community Fund offers you the chance to get funding from £1,000 up to £25,000 for an important cause in your community.

Whether you’re looking to solve a problem or speed up an ongoing project, this is your chance to make a real difference to your local community. And it all starts with your great idea…

All you have to do is enter a project for your community organisation – even if you took part previously – and tell them what a difference these much-needed funds could make.

You can enter your project in one of the four following categories:

1. Health and wellbeing

Projects related to helping people take control of their physical and mental health. These could include anything from walking clubs to reduce loneliness, improving playgrounds and sports clubs and associations to community centres running wellbeing initiatives.

2. Skills for life

Projects that aim to help communities and individuals improve their lives by learning useful new skills, particularly digital ones. Projects in this category can help people of all ages develop skills to make their lives easier or more fulfilling. This could include budget training for families, job skills or getting up to speed with new technology.

3. Inclusivity

Successful communities value all people, recognising that every person adds something to the whole. Projects in this category will understand that and work to develop closer ties within the community, such as multi-faith education, accessibility improvements and community integration programmes.

4. Community support

From regeneration projects to local support groups, this category offers support for anything that is important to your wider community, including community events. Our Community Support category aims to help communities make their surroundings and aspects of their life sustainable.

The funding levels you can apply for are:

• Up to £1,000
• Up to £5,000
• Up to £10,000
• Up to £25,000

They offer additional awards for entries submitted by insurance brokers and financial advisers in each of the funding levels.

How to Apply

You can submit a project by filling in their short entry form once the Aviva Community Fund opens on 12 September 2017.

For further information visit https://community-fund.aviva.co.uk/

Acorn Flood Fund

The Community Foundation for Northern Ireland has launched the Acorn Flood Fund to assist with the severe impact of summer flooding on the lives of people living in the North West.

Community Foundations are uniquely placed to support communities with a wide range of issues, and we have many years of experience and connections to local community groups and local government bodies.

It is our intention to support groups who apply to us for this emergency funding with grants of between £1000 up to a maximum of £2500 to those who are eligible.

Funding Criteria

•  We will prioritise groups who are working to provide emergency support
• We will fund groups providing ongoing support to those affected by the floods
• We will fund groups whose work is in line with the charitable purposes of the Foundation and whose work has been impaired by the flooding
• Typically we will be able to provide grants of £1k but will consider applications for up to £2,500

 For further information, please visit: http://www.communityfoundationni.org/acorn-flood-fund

Comic Relief’s Core Strength – Local Communities Grants

This programme offers grants to help cover the day to day costs of small locally led and based voluntary and community sector groups that are doing ‘much needed’ work in their local communities.

Grants of between £1,000 and £5,000 or between £1,000 and £5, 000 are to be used to support groups that can evidence a sustained beneficial impact on people’s lives who are excluded or disadvantaged. This may be through low income, rural or social isolation, age, disabilities, race, sexuality or gender. Priority is to be given to small, locally based groups or organisations in areas of disadvantage that have a clear understanding of the needs of their community and are undertaking actions to address these needs.

The work and main focus of the applicant organisation should fit one of Comic Relief's priorities, which are:

• Connected communities - seeking to improve inclusion and cohesion in communities.
• Productive communities - investing in local residents to help them solve the issues they are facing using local people and resources.
• Empowered communities - working to empower marginalised and disadvantaged communities.

The aim is to provide funding for groups’ core costs - meaning expenditure that is not connected to delivering projects but focusing on investing in the organisation as a whole, such as basic running costs. We know securing core funding can be tough and want to use this programme to help support those doing much needed work in their local communities.

Deadline

The closing date for applications is on Monday 9th October at 1pm.

 For further information, please visit: http://www.communityfoundationni.org/comic-relief-local-communities

Micro Grant Programme

The Micro Grant Programme has been established in recognition and celebration of the contribution of voluntary groups and people to our society and the need for a simple application process for small amounts of funding.

 If you’re thinking about a project that does one or more of the following we might be able to help.

• Reduce isolation and vulnerability
• Focus on the positive contribution of people within the community
• Enableactive participation of a community in decision-making and addressing of local issues
• Help get people engaged in taking community action where it hasn’t happened before

The fund is open for applications on a rolling call basis, subject to fund availability.

 For further information, please visit: http://www.communityfoundationni.org/micro-grant-programme

Heart Research UK and SUBWAY® Healthy Heart Grants

HRUK and SUBWAY® Healthy Heart Grants of up to £10,000 are available for new, original and innovative projects that actively promote Heart Health and help to prevent, or reduce, the risk of heart disease in specific groups or communities.

The grants are as a result of the partnership between the two organisations and in store regional fundraising by SUBWAY® stores.

Funding is available for innovative projects designed to promote heart health and to prevent or reduce the risks of heart disease in specific groups, or communities. 

Grants are available to not-for-profit organisations, from small voluntary or grass-root development groups right through to charitable arms of sporting organisations.

Deadline

The deadline for applications is 29th September 2017.

For further information visit: https://heartresearch.org.uk/community-grants/hruk-and-subway%C2%AE-healthy-heart-grant-alert-sign

DAERA’s Rural Micro Capital Grant Scheme 2017

This Scheme is funded by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Tackling Rural Poverty and Social Isolation Programme. Micro Capital grants of between £200 and £1,500 are available to rural community-led, voluntary organisations for projects tackling issues of local poverty and/or social isolation. 

Projects must clearly address an issue of rural poverty and/or social isolation and applicants must provide a minimum of 15% match funding.

The total project cost must not exceed £3,000

The scheme is being delivered by the Rural Support Networks on behalf of the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs. Application forms, guidance notes and further advice and information is available from the Rural Support Network in your council area, details overleaf.

The Rural Micro Capital Grant Scheme 2017 (RMCGS 2017) has been designed to:

• Help rural community-led, voluntary groups to address local issues of access poverty, financial poverty and social isolation; and
• Improve the lives of rural communities, and in particular the well-being of isolated individuals.

Projects must focus on one of the following three themes:

• Modernisation(of premises/assets)
• Information Communication Technology (ICT) 
• Health and Wellbeing

Deadline

The closing date for application is 4pm on Friday 29th September 2017.

For further information about the Scheme visit: https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/articles/rural-micro-capital-grant-programme-2016