Mutual Aid Fund

This fund aims to support groups who are in the process of transitioning and are facing distinct challenges in adapting to a post-COVID environment. Funding will support specific projects/activities aimed at strengthening a group to better respond to the reality post-COVID, such as evolving community needs or a group’s capacity.

Grants of between £1,500 and £5,000 are available.

Applications are accepted from mutual aid groups in the UK that meet two or more of the following criteria:

• Believe in ‘solidarity not charity’.

• Are autonomous/independent (ie not affiliated to a larger/national organisation).

• Are volunteer-led.

• Operate a flat structure/decision-making process.

• Do not require eligibility checks (ie no means testing on the community members that are served).

• Operate absolute financial transparency and accountability.

• Meet immediate local needs.

• Practice radical inclusivity.

• Are committed to fundamental change/ending socioeconomic inequalities.

Successful applicants need to be willing to share learnings with other mutual aid groups.

Funding is for projects and activities that meet all the following criteria: 

• Clearly helps a group adapt post-COVID.

• Demonstrates a key contribution to a group’s sustainability.

• Be completed within nine months.

Examples of eligible projects include: 

• Upskilling group members, such as in their technological capacity.

• Piloting a programme that would help secure more sustainable sources of funding.

• Creating the capacity to design and implement a strategy/programme that would contribute to the sustainability of the group, including paying an existing group member or hiring a consultant.

• Buying equipment necessary for the sustainability of the group, such as fridges for a food bank.

Groups will have nine months from the beginning of September 2022 to implement activities. 

Key dates:

• Confirmation of successful applicants - beginning of August.

• Disbursing of grants - beginning of September.

• Groups will then get nine months to implement their activities.

• Final learning convening is planned for 16 June 2023.

The funders hope for this to be the first of multiple rounds of funding, so applicants who are not successful this time, might be considered for future opportunities.

Guidance notes and an online application form are available on the Social Change Agency website - Mutual Aid Funding - Apply for grants (thesocialchangeagency.org)

Minister announces major new health service support funds

Health Minister Robin Swann has announced the establishment of new grant schemes for cancer and mental health charities and a Carers Support Fund.

The Cancer Charities Support Fund and Mental Health Support Fund will each receive £10m, while £4m has been allocated to the Carers Support Fund. The Minister has also allocated £15m to Health Trusts to boost the support available for healthcare workers across Northern Ireland.

The Cancer Charities Support Fund will enable charities to access funding to support cancer services in the community. The Mental Health Support Fund will provide grants to charity organisations who provide interventions to improve the population’s mental health.

For more information please visit https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/news/minister-announces-major-new-health-service-support-funds

Improving Lives Grant

The Improving Lives grant programme provides grants to charitable organisations that help people when other sources of support have failed, are inappropriate, or are simply not available.

We support established organisations delivering services directly to beneficiaries. We are looking for services which can demonstrate a track record of success, and evidence the effectiveness of the work.

This is our largest grants programme, through which the majority of our funds are distributed.

Grant size: £20k – £60k per year

Length: 1-3 years

Decision timescale: 6 Months

Deadlines: None

Priority areas:

We have six funding priorities that describe the work we support and how we want to bring about change for the most disadvantaged people in the greatest need.

1. Help at a critical moment

2. Positive choices

3. Accommodation/housing support

4. Employment and training

5. Financial inclusion, rights and entitlements

6. Support networks and family

For more information and to apply please visit https://www.henrysmithcharity.org.uk/explore-our-grants-and-apply/improving-lives-grants-programme/improving-lives-grants-programme-overview/

The Prince’s Countryside Fund is now open

The Prince’s Countryside Fund has grants of up to £10,000 available for projects from across the UK which are working to create resilient rural communities. 

Supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery locally-focused, legally-constituted not-for-profit organisations can apply for one year of grant funding from the Fund. Projects must be completed by 31st March 2022.

Projects from all across the UK are invited to apply for this funding.

You should apply for as much as you need to complete your project, to a maximum of £10,000. We anticipate an average grant would be in the region of £8,000.

The theme is Rural Community Resilience and we will be looking for applications that will build on some of the amazing projects that came about as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic this year, and the effect that this had on rural communities. We will be looking for projects which protect or boost community assets and enterprises, or otherwise strengthen the sense of community.

Rural Community Resilience means different things to different communities, but the concept we are looking for is a project which will allow the community to survive and thrive, especially when facing a situation which affects everyday rural life.

For more information and to apply, please visit https://www.princescountrysidefund.org.uk/grant-giving-programme/grant-programme

ASDA Foundation: Covid-19 Grant

Two new grant streams in response to Covid-19

• Hygiene grants are focused on personal hygiene dignity

• Healthy holiday grants aim to support groups that typically would be holding summer holiday activities to ensure children are provided with a hot meal.

Small grants of up to £500 are available.

For more information and to apply please visit https://www.asdafoundation.org/how-to-apply

NatWest Social and Community Capital to launch £1m Coronavirus Response Fund

Opening for applications at 9 am on Monday 22nd June, our friends at NatWest Social and Community Capital are launching a new £1 million fund offering grants of between £5,000 and £50,000 to organisations across the UK that employ people from vulnerable or disadvantaged groups.

These grants are unrestricted and can be used for any purpose, including core costs. Organisations must have an annual turnover between £50,000 and £1 million, must have been generating at least 30% of revenue from trading income before the crisis and must have suffered a loss in trading income due to lockdown restrictions. Full eligibility criteria are outlined below.

Applications will stay open for at least one week. It is hoped that applications will remain open for longer but may need to close after a week depending on how many applications they receive and if they reach their capacity, so applicants are encouraged to submit the application as soon as possible.

Full information on the grants, including the application form and how to apply, will be available here from Monday 22nd June.

Eligibility criteria:

• Organisations must employ people from vulnerable or disadvantaged groups

• Organisations must generate at least 30% of revenue from trading income

• Organisations must have had a pre-coronavirus annual turnover of between £50,000 to £1 million

• The organisation must have suffered a loss of trading income since March 2020, caused by lockdown restrictions

• The organisation must have been founded and trading prior to 1st January 2019

• The organisation must have been financially sustainable (or on a path to financial stability) up to March 2020

• The organisation must be constituted, operating and delivering impact in England, Scotland, Wales, and/or Northern Ireland

• The organisation must have one of the following legal structures: Community Interest Company (CIC), Company Limited by Guarantee, Community Benefit Society, Co-operative Society, Unincorporated association, Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), Charitable Trusts, Registered Charity

The following will need to be provided in the application form:

• Basic information about the organisation, contact details, staff and volunteer numbers, year and date founded, financial information for the last 3 years and forecasts for the next 2 years

• A description of the organisation’s mission, key activities and impact over the last year

• Details about the grant request including what it will be used for, why it’s needed and what impact would be achieved

For more information and to apply please visit https://www.business.natwest.com/business/loans-and-finance/social-and-community-capital.html

The Alpkit Foundation: COVID-19 Support

The Alpkit Foundation supports projects that champion education, participation, environment, diversity and health. The Foundation is currently prioritising their funds to support projects that demonstrate an immediate impact on those affected by the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic with grants of up to £500.

Who Can Apply

Organisations and individuals serving those affected by the coronavirus/COVID-19 outbreak in the UK may apply.

Restrictions

Applicants are advised to contact the funder to confirm whether restrictions apply.

Eligible Expenditure

Examples of eligible projects include:

• Being active in local communities to help elderly or vulnerable people.

• Minimising the impact of self-isolation for those in quarantine and need access to food, medicines or social care.

• Supporting foodbanks and increasing the number of meals on wheels deliveries to support the elderly.

• Supporting those who are homeless or in temporary accommodation.

• Bringing adventure indoors and overcoming the obstacles that prevent people benefiting from going outdoors.

How To Apply

The scheme is now open for applications. Applications can be submitted at any time via Alpkit Foundation’s online form, which can be found on their website.

https://alpkit.com/blogs/foundation/adapting-to-the-coranavirus-crisis

National Lottery Fund's priority to keep money flowing to communities affected by Covid-19

The National Lottery Fund

The National Lottery Community Fund is the largest community funder in the UK. Each year we distribute millions of pounds of The National Lottery’s good causes money to community groups and charitable projects around the country.

COVID-19

While our main funding programmes remain open, our immediate priority is to keep money flowing to support people, communities and organisations affected by the COVID-19 crisis.

We’re keeping our commitments to existing grant holders and funding new projects supporting communities who are adapting to the increasing challenges of COVID-19.

For the next six months, we will be prioritising applications from:

1. Organisations supporting people who are at high risk from COVID-19

2. Organisations supporting communities most likely to face increased demand and challenges as a direct result of COVID-19

3. Organisations with high potential to support communities with the direct and indirect impact of COVID-19

What funding is available?

National Lottery Awards for All Northern Ireland

£300–£10,000

• Projects bringing local people together to make positive changes in their community.

• No deadline, so groups can apply any time.

• Applying is quick and simple.

• Applications welcome from constituted voluntary or community organisations, schools, and statutory bodies.

• If we funded you within the last two years, we may have to give priority to other groups that have not recently been funded through this programme.

• This funding is for projects that will run for 12 months or less

Find out more

People and Communities

£10,000–£500,000

• Project ideas should come from the community. Talk to the people you want to help and get them involved in shaping and planning the project.

• Your project should make good use of the skills, knowledge, resources and energy of people within your community; making it stronger and ready for the future.

• Understand the need for your project and how it fits with the work of other organisations. Build relationships and work together on shared goals.

• Applications welcome from constituted voluntary or community organisations, and social enterprises.

• This funding is for projects that will run for between 1 and 5 years.

Find out more

Empowering Young People

£10,000–£500,000

• This funding is for projects that work with young people (8 – 25 years old), and which will run for between 1 and 5 years.

• Projects will help young people to: have the skills they need for the future; have better relationships with their support networks and communities; and/or have improved health and wellbeing.

• Young people must be involved in the planning and delivery of the project. They must be able to develop the skills to help themselves, and their support networks and communities need to be involved too.

• Applications welcome from constituted voluntary or community organisations, and social enterprises.

Find out more

Plunkett Foundation Help for Rural Community Businesses

A dedicated programme of support has been launched by the Plunkett Foundation to help rural community businesses across the UK as they battle the unprecedented challenge of the coronavirus lockdown.

Thanks to funding from the Co-op, Plunkett will offer a dedicated package of free Covid-19 support for open and trading community businesses, as well as those developing groups that have been affected by the pandemic.

The new scheme will focus on getting one-to-one support to groups that need it the most. This will include free practical support from Plunkett’s national network of specialist community businesses advisers. All forms of community business – including woodlands, farms, bakeries, pubs and shops – will be able to get support, advice and guidance on a range of issues such as; developing short – medium term cash flow, reviewing business plans, applying for funding, upholding good practice governance, utilising community shares and accessing government support.

Those developing groups that were working towards opening their business will also be able to access adviser support to help these projects navigate this challenge.

As a core part of all Plunkett operations, peer learning will be proactively encouraged and community businesses will be linked up with each other to share experiences and stories of what they are doing, how they are responding to Covid-19 and what innovative practises have been introduced.

Plunkett’s chief executive James Alcock said: “We are grateful to the Co-op for recognising the crucial role that all types of community businesses play in rural areas, and for supporting Plunkett at this critical time when community businesses most need our support. The coronavirus lockdown has had a wide and varied effect on our members – some have experienced a surge in demand but a reduction in volunteers, whilst others have been forced to close their doors, and many have diversified and adapted the services they offer to meet local need and recruit whole new armies of volunteers. Above all, those involved in running community businesses have been faced with unprecedented challenges and unfamiliar and difficult decisions to make, making this new support from Co-op so vital. “This new support will not only help community businesses, but it will help the many thousands of people in rural areas who rely heavily on the services they offer. Plunkett and our network of Advisers want to ensure these businesses will not just survive but continue to thrive in the future.”

Co-operative Partnerships Manager Edward Powell said: “‘The Plunkett Foundation has supported almost 600 community businesses across some of the most rural and isolated communities in the UK, helping not only to safeguard valuable assets but to deliver food and be leading hubs of voluntary responses to Covid-19. “The Co-op have always supported other co-operatives and community businesses with co-operation at their heart. By helping the Plunkett Foundation support community businesses to adapt to the challenges of the crisis, we can together help to save these vital hubs, so communities can work together to address the needs of their communities. That is co-operation in action.”

For more information on Plunkett’s Covid-19 Support contact us directly via info@plunkett.co.uk / 01993 810 730. Plunkett has a dedicated Covid-19 live page, which is regularly updated with the latest advice and guidance for community businesses. Pub and shop groups can also share information in the Community Shop and Community Pub networks on Facebook.

https://plunkett.co.uk/new-support-available-now/

Communities Minister Launches £1.5m Support Fund for Arts Sector

Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey MLA has announced funding of £1.5m to support individuals and organisations in the Arts Sector in response to COVID-19.

‘The Creative Support Fund’, has been created to provide financial support for a diverse range of performing artists and community art organisations.

Individual artists and creative practitioners, who have lost their work as a result of COVID-19, can apply for funding of up to £5,000 to take new and innovative approaches in continuing to provide their talents and services to audiences, particularly those facing barriers to the arts.

Small and medium-sized organisations will be able to apply for maximum funding of £25,000 to help them develop new projects or programmes or re-arrange events which have had to be cancelled during the COVID-19 period.

Minister Hargey said:

“These two programmes will provide a significant and welcome source of assistance to individuals and organisations in the Arts Sector, which plays a crucial role in our economy and contributes greatly to the mental wellbeing of our communities.

“As a result of this pandemic they do not have opportunities to work in their usual way that is why I am pleased to be able to support them through this ‘Creative Support Fund’. It will provide them with the means to find different ways of engaging with audiences across a range of platforms and ensure arts services are not withdrawn from the public at this crucial time.”

The Creative Support Fund will be administered by the Arts Council NI who are contributing £500k of Lottery Funding to the initiative. The Individual Artists and Creative Practitioners Programme will be available immediately.

To find out more about the criteria and to apply, visit www.artscouncil-ni.org

Covid-19 Response - RAFT Fund open for applications

In response to the coronavirus pandemic, The Fore has launched RAFT (Rapid Action by The Fore and Trusts). RAFT consists of a number of emergency activities to support small charities and social enterprises adversely affected by the crisis.

The RAFT Fund is seeking to ensure that effective small charities and social enterprises are able to meet the rapidly changing needs of their beneficiaries, remain viable and prepare for delivery when the acute phase of the crisis is over.

The fund will provide grants for high quality, well-managed small charities and social enterprises with great leadership doing vital work in their communities.

RAFT Fund opens for applications on Wednesday 22nd April 2020 at 10 am.

The fund offers unrestricted grants of up to £5000 to any small charity or social enterprise in the UK with a turnover of under £500,000.

To Apply

For more information and to apply please visit https://www.thefore.org/covid-19-response-raft/

Slieve Kirk Wind Park launches £50,000 Covid-19 Response Fund

THE owners of a wind farm in Derry have launched a £50,000 response fund to support community groups living within 12 miles of the facility to help support those most in need as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.

The money is being made available by SSE Airtricity, which owns the 32-turbine Slieve Kirk wind park at Lisdillon Road at Ardmore, near Strabane.

The cash is being released immediately from the overall Slieve Kirk wind park annual community fund to support rapid response initiatives that are currently being mobilised, as well as for projects to help rebuild the community in the months ahead.

Michelle Donnelly, community development officer for Slieve Kirk wind park, said: “From the outset of this emergency, community and voluntary groups have responded remarkably to provide services and support for the vulnerable in our society.

“From the smallest gestures, such as calling those living alone, to more organised and larger-scale home delivery efforts, volunteers are making a real difference to people, especially the elderly or unwell.

The funding is available to volunteer-led community groups delivering Covid-19 response activities to communities and individuals living within 12 miles of Slieve Kirk.

To Apply

Applications will be assessed on a first-come basis and will be instantly processed to ensure funding reaches the communities in need as quickly as possible.

Groups wishing to apply for funding can download forms from https://ireland.sse.com/what-we-do/our-projects-and-assets/renewable/slieve-kirk-wind-park/

Email communityfundireland@sse.com, or call Michelle Donnelly on 079 21099663.

Barclays launches £100 million COVID-19 Community Aid Package

On 8th April the company announced the establishment of The Barclays Foundation, initially to provide a COVID-19 Community Aid Package of £100 million to charities working to support vulnerable people impacted by COVID-19 and to alleviate the associated social and economic hardship caused by the crisis.

The package is made up of two components.

First, a corporate contribution of £50 million, which will be donated to, and deployed via, a variety of charities working to support vulnerable people impacted by COVID-19, and in alleviating the associated social and economic hardship caused by the crisis. The money will be disbursed principally in the UK, but also in Barclays’ international markets, including the USA and India.

Second, is a £50 million commitment by Barclays to match personal donations made by our employees to charities of their choice, local to them, and which are working to support communities impacted by the COVID-19 crisis.

For more information please visit https://home.barclays/news/press-releases/2020/04/barclays-launches-p100-million-covid-19-community-aid-package/

Small grants available in rural Mid Ulster

Small Grants for Un-constituted Groups

Cookstown and Western Shores Area Network (CWSAN) is providing a limited number of small grants of £150 each to assist very localised and isolated communities in rural areas throughout Mid Ulster.

CWSAN is also offering advice on access to other regional funds.

If you are aware of another grant and need assistance please discuss with us directly and we shall endeavour to help.

To Apply

Call Conor on 07384356675

Neighbourly Community Fund - helping communities affected by the new Coronavirus outbreak

With the support of our partner businesses M&S, Lidl, Aldi, Danone and Coca-Cola European Partners, Neighbourly are launching a series of micro-grants of up to £400, to support good causes that are helping communities affected by the new Coronavirus outbreak.

Grants will be awarded to existing members of Neighbourly in UK and Ireland whose work will involve supporting members of the community suffering economically, socially or from ill health as a result of the outbreak. This may include, but not be limited to, elderly people, those on low incomes and people at risk of food insecurity.

Grants are unrestricted and can go towards food provision, emergency supplies, practical support, running costs, transport and other essentials.

For more information please visit https://www.neighbourly.com/NeighbourlyCommunityFund

National Emergencies Trust launches appeal to help Civic Society support those affected by the Coronavirus outbreak

The National Emergencies Trust has launched an appeal to raise funds to help local charities support those individuals suffering hardship as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.

The appeal has been launched with the support of media, business and governmental organisations, and in partnership with the British Red Cross who will be managing donations. The Trust will then award grants to ensure the funds reach those who need it most across the UK.

Donations can be made at: www.nationalemergenciestrust.org.uk.

Or through the following on-line giving platforms: Just Giving, Go Fund Me, Virgin Money Gives, Good Launch, Muslim Giving.

The National Emergencies Trust will distribute money raised through a number of charitable organisations, for example, local Community Foundations, to ensure it reaches those who need it most.

Those partners will work within parameters agreed with NET to help identify the greatest need and distribute funds with both care and speed wherever possible.

This partnership network has been created by the NET since it was set up last year, in response to recommendations by the Charity Commission following a series of UK emergencies in 2017. The public can be confident that funds will only be granted to trusted organisations who know best the needs of their local communities.

Individuals and charities should not apply directly to the NET for funds. Local charities should contact their local Community Foundation to apply for funding.