Small Woodland Grant Scheme

The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs's Small Woodland Grant Scheme is now open and will remain open until 10pm on 31 August 2023. 

Almost all woodlands in Northern Ireland are planted with some form of grant assistance. The Forest Service encourages the creation of new woodlands and the management of existing woodlands by providing grant aid towards the cost of the work.

Forests for Our Future programme aims to plant 18 million trees or 9,000 hectares of new woodland over the next 10 years to help our environment and economy. Grant funding for creating new woodlands will be via the Small Woodland Grant Scheme or the Forest Expansion Scheme.

The Small Woodland Grant Scheme is specifically for new native woodland planting of 0.20 hectares and larger. It provides a fixed area based payment for woodland establishment, a fencing grant and where eligible annual premia for a 10-year period.

Closing date: 31 August 2023 at 10pm

For more information and to apply bit.ly/3SJR418

Small Grants Programme 2023-2024

The Small Grants Programme has been set up to allow young people from Education Authority Youth Service (EAYS) registered and verified groups to apply for grants for projects to Support the Growth and Participation of young people.

The Small Grants Programme for 2023-2024 is to enable young people to apply for funding to support other young people in their communities to:

• Promote youth participation, leadership and volunteering

• Build and develop life skills

This year, there are two options. Groups can apply for a maximum of £500 for a one-off event or a maximum of £1500 for a group work programme with multiple sessions. All projects must demonstrate young people’s involvement in planning and delivery.

The closing date for applications is 20th October 2023.

Any applications received on or before 4th August will be assessed and notified by the end of August 2023. Any applications received after 4th August will be assessed and notified by the end of November 2023. All projects must be completed by 31st March 2024.

If you would like to make an application in the 2023-2024 programme, please ensure your organisation is registered with the EA Youth Service and have received a verification visit. Registration is open all year round and details on how to register can be found here.

Youth Service: Small Grants Programme
Education Authority
Grahamsbridge Road
Dundonald
BT16 2HS

Email: sgp@eani.org.uk
Phone: 02890566429

Elevate Community Mentoring & Grants Programme is returning

CDHN's Public Health Agency funded Elevate Community Mentoring and Grants Programme 2023-24 is coming back. If you are interested in being part of this year's Programme and want to find out more, sign up for an information session where the Elevate Team will provide an overview of the programme and answer any questions you have.

Monday 24 July 7pm to 8pm

Tuesday 1 August 11am to 12pm

For more information please contact The Elevate Programme – developing skills in your community | Community Development and Health Network (cdhn.org)

Small Grants Scheme 2023 - Grants opening 11th May!!

Live Here Love Here Small Grants are funded by 10 Local Councils, Northern Ireland Housing Executive and Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful. The Small Grants Scheme provides support to volunteer projects that:

• Contribute to the development of civic pride within a community with a focus on environmental improvement.

• Encourage actions and projects that enable Pollution Solutions, Biodiversity Recovery and Climate Action.

• Enhance the environmental management of a local area.

• Improve the health and wellbeing of communities whilst helping to improve and/or maintain public spaces.

• Improve the quality of their local environment by reducing littering and dog fouling through community Action.

• Support environmentally focused actions that help support people impacted through reduced contact with society.

Value of Grants

Grants are available between £500 - £3000. The average value of grants awarded is £1200.

Non-constituted groups can apply for a maximum of £500.

Eligibility

The Small Grants Scheme is open to:

• Community & Voluntary groups (including non-constituted groups)

• Sports clubs, churches and youth groups

• Not for profit organisations

• School and third level education organisations

Applications are particularly welcome from grassroots groups who have not previously received support through the Live Here Love Here Small Grants Scheme.

Funding is only available in the Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council area to projects located in Northern Ireland Housing Executive areas.

What type of projects will the Small Grant Scheme fund?

• Development of shared spaces such as alleys.

• Community food growing initiatives.

• Skill sharing in horticulture and community growing.

• Projects that tackle litter issues and dog fouling.

Litter picking equipment is not eligible for funding through this grant - please check out the Adopt A Spot project.

Need some inspiration?

Check out the documents below, they are packed with hints and tips to help with your application.

Biodiversity Recovery Project Advice
Pollution Solutions Project Advice
Tackling Textiles Project Advice

Please visit Small Grants Scheme delivered by Live Here Love Here

Move More and Eat Well

Up to £1000 of funding is being offered to local communities under a project developed by Council’s Active Belfast partnership with the Public Health Agency.

The ‘Move More and Eat Well – to Feel Better’ funding opened for applications on Monday 6 February and takes a participatory budgeting approach.

This format encourages residents to pitch and vote on small-scale projects that will have a positive impact on physical activity and healthy eating in their area.

Chair of Belfast City Council’s People and Communities Committee Councillor Micky Murray is keen to encourage applications and said: “Groups can apply for up to £1000 for ideas that they think their community will benefit from - as long as they’re based around moving more and eating well as the title of the scheme suggests.

“Physical activity and healthy eating remain priority areas within the refreshed Belfast Agenda and our new draft action plan includes a clear commitment to trial and pilot participatory budgeting in the city.

“The fantastic part about this fresh initiative is that it is completely led by local people and allows them to identify their own needs and wants in their own communities. It gives residents a voice, brings people together and perhaps most importantly, enables them to have the final decision on which projects are brought to life.” 

David Tumilty from the PHA and Chair of the Active Belfast Partnership (ABP) said:

“In line with the Belfast Agenda and on behalf of Belfast Community Planning Partnership (BCCP), ABP is committed to delivering the first ‘test & learn’ pilot of participatory budgeting in Belfast, providing a way for local people to make decisions about how public money is spent.

“We are delighted to be running ‘Move More and Eat Well – to Feel Better’ and I want to thank all the community, voluntary and statutory partners who have worked together to make this happen.  We hope this initiative will be a success, and that we and others will be able to learn from its development and delivery to inform the development of future participatory budgeting approaches.”

Active Belfast is a partnership that includes a wide range of stakeholders from statutory, community and voluntary sectors who support the physical activity and healthy eating agenda in Belfast.

For more information on the funding guidelines and to submit your application, visit the Your Say Belfast website at https://yoursay.belfastcity.gov.uk/

BHSCT ‘Carer Support Service’ – invite to their Information Sharing Session and launch of grant

The Carers NI State of Caring (2022) report found that 40% of carers said that they had not had a break within the past 12 months, 27% reported their mental health as bad or very bad, rising to 31% for those caring 50+ hours a week and to 32% for those who had been caring for 10 years or more, and almost a quarter - 23% said that they were cutting back on essentials like food and heating to help them cope. Against this backdrop, the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust (BHSCT) want to ensure that ‘unpaid’ carers are supported and provide a range of services including a small grant set to be launched in December to provide services for carers to the Voluntary & Community. Find out more about the grant and other services at their Information Sharing Session, Thursday 8th December from 12 noon to 1.00pm.

Community and Voluntary Sector Information Sharing Session - 8th December 2022 12 - 1pm (office.com)

National Lottery Community Fund - Living Places and Spaces

Grants are available to voluntary and community organisations in Northern Ireland for small-scale projects to create more sustainable and resilient outdoor spaces.

Fund Information

Funding body: National Lottery Community Fund - Northern Ireland

Maximum value: £ 10,000

Application deadline: 06/01/2023

Background

The Living Places and Spaces programme is administered by the National Lottery Community Fund on behalf of the Northern Ireland Executive's Department for Infrastructure.

Objectives of Fund

The funding is intended to support environmental improvement works in local communities through projects in the following areas:

• Greening - planting more trees and plants in an area.

• Rewilding - allowing nature to take over an area.

• Water management - slowing rainwater before it gets to the drainage systems.

Value Notes

The fund has a total value of £750,000.

Grants of £1,000 to £10,000 are available.

Projects may start from April 2023 onwards, and grants must be spent within one year of award.

Who Can Apply

Applications will be accepted from the following organisation types:

• Voluntary or community organisation.

• Registered charity.

• Constituted group or club.

• Not-for-profit company or community interest company

• School.

Organisations must have at least two people on their board or committee who are not related.

For land or building projects, the applicant must either:

• Own the land or building.

• Have a lease that cannot be ended for five years.

• Have a letter from the owner saying the land or building will be leased to the applicant for at least five years.

• Have a letter from the owner or landlord that says the applicant is allowed to do work on the building.

Applicants must also consider whether they require planning permission for the work.

Location

Northern Ireland

Restrictions

The following are not eligible for funding:

• Individuals.

• Sole traders.

• Organisations that are aimed at generating profits primarily for private distribution.

• Organisations based outside the UK.

• One individual or organisation applying on behalf of another.

• People under the age of 18.

• Revenue costs (including salaries).

• Projects delivered outside of Northern Ireland.

• Items which will only benefit an individual or family, rather than the wider community.

• Contingency costs, loans, endowments or interest.

• Feed-in tariff payments.

• VAT that can be reclaimed.

• Activities that generate profits for private gain.

• Costs that have already been incurred.

• Work on land or buildings where the applicant does not meet requirements around land ownership and permissions.

Eligible Expenditure

Grants may be used to support the following types of projects and activities:

• Community gardens (a single piece of land gardened collectively by a group of people).

• Pocket parks and forests (small urban or rural forests).

• Allotments (an area of land used for growing fruit and vegetables).

• Rain gardens (an area which is planted so that rainwater from roofs, driveways, etc runs into it and soaks into the ground, and therefore does not cause flooding or other problems).

• Green roofs (a roof that is partially or completely covered with vegetation).

• Ponds and living walls or vertical gardens (vertical structures that have living plants or other greenery attached to them).

• Installation of outdoor furniture or features to encourage usage.

• Measures to encourage walking, wheeling and cycling.

Eligible costs include:

• Land and building costs (ie the costs of creating pathways, installation of vertical garden structures, developing a green roof etc).

• Equipment and materials (ie trees, plants, seeds, pots, tools, furniture etc).

All applicants should consider the environmental impact of their project and try to reuse, reduce and recycle where possible.

How To Apply

The programme will open for applications on 9 November 2022 and close to applications on 6 January 2023 (6pm).

Guidance notes and the online application form can be found on the National Lottery Community Fund website.

Contact National Lottery Community Fund for further information.

Useful links

National Lottery Community Fund - Living Places and Spaces
Living Places and Spaces | The National Lottery Community Fund (tnlcommunityfund.org.uk)

Plant trees, hedges and orchards in your community

If you’re planning to plant trees in your community this coming 2022-2023 winter season, then our grants can help.

Branching Out Fund

This Grant fund supports schools, community groups and Tree Warden Networks to plant trees, hedges and orchards. Grants can be between £200 and £2000. All projects must have strong community involvement, and ideally involve children and/or young people. We encourage you to read the application guidance fully before you complete the application form, particularly in relation to eligibility. The grant is open to the whole of the UK.

Trees and Hedgerows for Wildlife & Biodiversity Fund

Competition is high for our Branching Out Fund, but for the second year we are delighted to announce that thanks to one of our corporate supporters, Animal Friends, we have some extra funding for community tree planting projects from our new ‘Trees and Hedgerows for Wildlife and Biodiversity Fund’.  This fund places a special emphasis on wildlife and biodiversity, and is a great opportunity for planting projects that are planned with care and thought as to how our animal and insect friends might best benefit, or are situated in a location where animals are cared for, such as rescue centres or city farms, as long as they have charitable status. Grants can supports schools, community groups and Tree Warden Networks to plant trees, hedges and orchards.

Up to 15% of the amount awarded may go towards the cost of wider ecological enhancements to support wildlife and biodiversity, such as providing or enhancing nesting, feeding and roosting opportunities for birds, bees, bats and insects, and costs associated with pond creation. If you believe that your project falls into this category please complete the Branching Out application form above, and provide further details in Section 3 on how you are prioritising wildlife and biodiversity.

Closing date for applications is 4th December 2022. For more information and to apply, please visit Our grants - The Tree Council

Fermanagh Trust Grants

Fermanagh Trust currently have a number of funding oppurtunities available to organisations located within the following Wind Farm areas:

• Callagheen Community Wind Farm Fund

  Is your community project located within 7 km of Callagheen Wind Farm (between Belleek and Garrison in Co. Fermanagh)? If Yes your group may be eligible to apply for a Callagheen Community Wind Farm Fund Grant for further information see GUIDELINES and APPLICATION FORM

  Closing date is 12 noon Tuesday 1st November 2022

• Slieve Rushen Wind Farm Fund

  Is your community project located within 12 km of Slieve Rushen Wind Farm in South West Fermanagh? If Yes your group may be eligible to apply for a Slieve Rushen Wind Farm Fund Grant.

  For further information see GUIDELINES and APPLICATION FORM

• Teiges Mountain Wind Farm Fund

  Is your community project located within 5km of Teiges Mountain Wind Farm? If yes your group may be eligible to apply for a grant from the Teiges Mountain Wind Farm Fund.

  For further information CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD GUIDELINES (please read the guidelines carefully prior to preparing and submitting an application)

  1.  REVENUE SMALL GRANTS PROGRAMME application form - offering grants up to £2000 towards: community activities, venue improvements / minor capital works, recurring costs for a programme.

  2.  STRATEGIC PROJECTS REVENUE GRANTS application form - (up to a maximum of £5000 pa over 1-3 year period) working with a range of organisations across the Area of Benefit, which will make a significant contribution to community life. We would particularly welcome strategic applications which will make a significant contribution to these themes; - reduction in crime / anti-social behaviour, community first aid, defibrillator initiative, hosting of cross-community events, improve access to services via a community volunteer driver scheme, environmental improvements, increasing access to the natural environment, renewable energy, improving mental health.

  Nb - an organisation can only hold one grant award from the Fund at any one time. Partnership applications which include an organisation in receipt of another grant at the time will be considered. The Fermanagh Trust will not discuss, or fund applications submitted by professional fundraising consultants on behalf of local groups. We are committed to building the capacity of grass roots organisation's and are here to help voluntary committee members directly.

  Closing date for applications is 12 noon Friday 4th November 2022

• Cornavarrow and Slieveglass Wind Farm Fund

  Is your community organisation / project located within 5km of either the Cornvarrow or Slieveglass Wind Farm? If yes your group may be eligible to apply for a grant from the Cornavarrow and Slieveglass Wind Farm Community Benefit Funds.

  For further information CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD GUIDELINES (please read the guidelines carefully prior to preparing and submitting an application)

  Application Forms:

  1.  REVENUE SMALL GRANTS PROGRAMME application form - offering grants up to a maximum of £4000. It is envisaged the majority of grants will normally be awarded up to £2000, towards: community activities, venue improvements / minor capital works, recurring costs for a programme.

  2.  STRATEGIC PROJECTS REVENUE GRANTS application form - (up to a maximum of £5000 pa over 1-3 year period) working with a range of organisations across the Area of Benefit, which will make a significant contribution to community life. We would particularly welcome strategic applications which will make a significant contribution to these themes; - Community Education Classes; Community First Aid / Defibrillator Initiative – aimed at improving access and support; Organising / Hosting Cross-Community Events; Improve access to services, via a Community Volunteer Driver Scheme; Environmental improvements; Renewable Energy; Improving Mental Health.

  For the Cornavarrow Wind Farm only

  3.  STRATEGIC CAPITAL LEGACY PROJECTS application form - providing grant aid up to £25,000 per annum, over a five year period or equivalent amount over a longer period, which will make a significant contribution to improving the health and wellbeing of the local community. An initial outline application requesting support towards a strategic capital project will be considered. If successful in passing this first stage of the application process – the project promoter will then be invited to go to the second stage of the process. To be considered for this funding, on submission of the Full application the project promoter must have the necessary statutory permissions in place.

  Nb - an organisation can only hold one grant award from the Fund at any one time. Partnership applications which include an organisation in receipt of another grant at the time will be considered. The Fermanagh Trust will not discuss, or fund applications submitted by professional fundraising consultants on behalf of local groups. We are committed to building the capacity of grass roots organisation's and are here to help voluntary committee members directly.

  Closing date for applications is 12 noon Friday 11th November 2022.

For more information please visit Fermanagh Trust Grants

Marine Litter Capital Grants

The Marine Litter Capital Grants will support organisations and groups to purchase items to:

• Prevent litter and plastic pollution from entering the marine environment

• Enhance the environmental management of a local area to reduce marine litter

• Improve the health and wellbeing of communities and marine biodiversity recovery by helping to improve and/or maintain the quality of public open spaces

• Improve the quality of their local environment by changing behaviour through creative concepts to reduce the incidence of littering.

Guidance and support

Please read the guidance notes before you complete your application.

Recipients of Marine Litter grants in Round 1 of funding in 2022 are not eligible to apply to Round 2.

To be eligible:

• Your organisation is likely to be responsible for managing and/or owning free to access public open space, or if not, will have a clearly defined role in managing the local environmental quality of such space and this will be formally agreed with the land owners

• Your project must be located on free to access public open space or, for creative concept ideas, must show how it is applicable to free to access public open space

• You must clearly demonstrate how the project will decrease the amount of litter and plastic entering the marine environment

• You must clearly demonstrate commitment and the ability to provide for the ongoing management of any physical assets (eg regular and timely emptying of bins) purchased as part of the project

• Funding must only be used for the purchase and installation of eligible capital items

• Schools must demonstrate how they will use any assets purchased in an educational context.

Grants are available across the whole of Northern Ireland and are not restricted to coastal areas. However, the funding is specifically targeted at preventing marine litter. Therefore, applications must be able to demonstrate clearly how a project will contribute to reducing litter and plastics entering our seas. In this way, projects will help ensure good environmental status of our coastal and marine environments in relation to litter. Ultimately, this will ensure that the properties and quantities of marine litter do not cause harm to the coastal and marine environment.

Need inspiration or help to complete your application? Book a 121 Q&A session to speak with a member of the team to discuss your project. Book here Marine Litter Q&A session

For more information please visit Marine Litter Capital Grants delivered by Live Here Love Here

Triangle Trust: 1949 Fund

Triangle Trust 1949 Fund offers funding for specialist community and voluntary organisations working with young carers or the rehabilitation of young offenders or ex-offenders within the UK.

Scheme details

Their current primary focus is to help support the needs of young carers and young people caught up in the criminal justice system.

They run two grant rounds each year – one for work supporting young carers/young adult carers and one for work supporting young people with criminal convictions. 

Grant Size

• Grants of from £10,000 up to £60,000 for a duration of 6 months to two years available.

• A maximum of £30,000 per year can be requested.

Who can apply

Registered charities, not-for-profit social enterprises and community interest companies that are working within the UK and have a UK office are eligible to apply.

To be eligible for round two, applicants must:

• Have previous experience of either working with young people with criminal convictions or adults with criminal convictions in an employment context.

• Have an income of less than £1.5 million over the past three years.

• Be a registered charity or an organisation set up with a clear social purpose and appropriate governing documents stating this.

• Be able to start their project by 30 November 2023.

Applicants complete their online application form via the link on their website

Application deadline 12pm (noon) on 28 Oct 2022

Building the Community-Pharmacy Partnership Programme

The Building the Community-Pharmacy Partnership (BCPP) Programme is led by CDHN and funded by the Health and Social Care Board (HSCB), with strategic direction provided by a multi-agency Steering Group. BCPP supports communities and community pharmacists to work in partnership to address locally defined needs so that people make connections, listen to and understand each other better and work together to address the social determinants of health and health inequalities.

We recognise that health is impacted by much more than the everyday lifestyle decisions that we make, important as they are. Research shows that social isolation can be as damaging for your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. With this in mind, our projects aim to address these wider issues and tackle the root causes of poor health. These vary greatly for different groups of people and may include mental health issues, housing issues, low educational attainment, poverty or debt. Group work and relationship building is at the core of all our projects. By sharing our assets, our lived experiences and supporting each other we can achieve great things.

For information on the Programme or for some support with your application, please contact a member of the BCPP team on 028 3026 4606 or visit Building the Community-Pharmacy Partnership Programme | Community Development and Health Network (cdhn.org)

Closing dates - Level 2 - 17/11/22

The ESB Community Benefit Fund is open for 2023

The ESB Community Benefit Fund aims to support community projects which clearly address current and emerging local issues, needs and opportunities, while also seeking to develop and build upon existing initiatives. From equipment to refreshments for activities; from painting lessons to science books, you can apply for items that will help you address at least one of the following themes:

• Education and skills

• Health, safety, and wellbeing

• Environment and habitat conservation

• Energy efficiency and sustainability

• Culture and heritage

• Recreation, sport, and social inclusion

Who can apply?

• If you are a current recipient, you should submit your last claim by Tuesday 1 November. Unfortunately, we will not be able to take your application forward if this is not the case.

• If you have been unsuccessful before to the ESB Community Benefit Fund, an application from your organisation/group is welcome.

• If you are a group/organisation applying for the first time to the ESB Community Benefit Fund, your application is welcome, please note the criteria below and for further information, visit our website.

Eligibility

To be eligible to apply, you must meet all the following criteria:

• Your project must address at least one of the above themes

• Your project must be located within the Area of Benefit.

OR the primary beneficiaries of your project must be drawn from one of the above areas of benefit.

• You must be a registered charity; voluntary/community sector organization; sports or recreation club; or school with a constitution or article of association.

Workshop

Join us for an online workshop which will cover the application form and criteria for this fund. Register here:  https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwsf-qqqj0oGdVyN0uQl0aNmFuh7rWX-zIc

If you have any queries about your application, please send us an email at esbcommunityfund@groundworkni.co.uk

The Cancer Charities’ Support Fund

The Cancer Support Funding award will enable charities to provide a wide range of support services for cancer patients throughout NI, and will cover key areas in the cancer pathway; from pre-diagnosis, through to palliative and end of life care. These services are key support mechanisms towards the implementation of the Cancer Recovery Plan and the Cancer Strategy, and important in working towards the Department’s aim of building cancer service capacity in communities.

The Cancer Charities’ Support Fund will provide support of between £5,000 and £1 million for cancer charities.

The three categories of grant values are:

• £5,000 to £30,000 – Small Grant

• £30,000 to £500,000 – Medium Grant

• £500,000 to £1million – Large Grant

In exceptional circumstances higher awards to charities working together to deliver a proposal, may be considered.

Applications are welcome for projects that must have all the funds spent by March 2024. You can, however, apply for projects over 12 months or up to March 2024.

You should clearly outline in your application the duration of the project and costs associated for each year you are applying for.  This will be used for reporting purposes and you should therefore be as accurate as possible when outlining your application costs.

Fund outcomes:

Specific outcomes that the Fund should deliver are:

• Prevention such as awareness raising sessions and campaigns

• Psychological support/counselling

• Palliative care

• Improved access to information and support services including financial/welfare/ benefits advice, and support available through new technologies

• Enhanced provision of, and access to, practical support for people with cancer

• Services to support physical and mental health and wellbeing

• Specific research into the experience of patients with cancer

• Provision of screening services, and

• Delivery of cancer rehabilitation programmes.

For an application to be successful, it must contribute to at least one of the above outcomes, depending on the level of funding applied for.

Who can apply:

• The charity must be providing or funding services in Northern Ireland. These services should be focused predominantly on people living with cancer, or their support structure

• Charities must be registered or awaiting registration with the Charity Commission

What can be supported:

• Projects which support delivery of at least one of the outcomes above

• Costs associated with project delivery only

• Proposals will be particularly welcome which focus on supporting those living in rural communities, and from the lesser heard/excluded or marginalised communities

• Delivery of Departmental objectives as outlined in strategic frameworks

• Funding for research linked to cancer patient experience will also be eligible, and

• Consideration of other sources of funding may be applied, for example: if the applicant is applying and/or in receipt of funding from any other DoH fund, or support from a Trust, the Foundation may prioritise funding for other applicants who have not accessed other such sources of funding

• Costs associated with IT equipment, providing it will support service delivery and enhance a particular service

• Volunteer expenses, including training

Closing date for applications is 7th October 2022. For more information and to apply, please visit The‌ ‌Cancer‌ ‌Charities’‌ ‌Support‌ Fund‌ ‌ - Community Foundation Northern Ireland (communityfoundationni.org)

Grant Making Strategy for 2022-2025

BBC Children and Need have just launched a new Grant-Making Strategy for 2022-2025, with a new funding programme launching mid-October this year. This programme will offer project based funding, and also funding for core (organisational) costs. The strategy focusses on the principles of:

• Sharing power with children and young people

• Acting flexibly

• Using BBC Children in Need’s voice to build awareness and empathy around issues

• Building partnerships to bring communities and investors together

In Spring 2023, a funding stream will also be launched for smaller, emerging organisations. This stream is aimed at organisations who may need greater support to access funding.

For more information about available grants, please click here. If you would like to speak to one of the Northern Ireland team about a potential application, you can get in contact via email cin.ni@bbc.co.uk

The Community Food Initiative is now open for applications

The Community Food Initiatives (CFI) is a healthy eating programme funded by safefood.  The programme runs over a three year cycle (2022-24) and its purpose is to provide people with the knowledge and skills to provide healthy food options for themselves and their families.  safefood, as a North / South body established under the Good Friday Agreement, provides CFI funding to organisations in Northern Ireland and in the Republic of Ireland.  The programme is managed by SECAD Partnership on behalf of safefood.

CFI at Home

safefood is inviting organisations who are not currently involved in the CFI to apply for funding to deliver an online project, in their own local area, that meets the criteria of the CFI at Home Programme.  The purpose of the CFI at Home Programme is to support families in their own homes to develop their cooking skills and healthy eating habits.  Projects could include all or some of the following elements:

·     Learning how to prepare & cook a recipe

·     Attending an online cookery session

·     Online support groups for sharing ideas and tips

·     Online interactive talks delivered by a dietitian or registered nutritionist

Examples of online projects that were delivered during 2020 and 2021 can be found at this link: CFI Booklet 2019-21

safefood Resources

The resources needed to plan and deliver a CFI at Home project can be found on the safefood website at www.safefood.net/cfi-hub and include:

•    101 Square Meals Recipe Book

•    Food Pyramid and The Eatwell Guide

•    safefood START campaign

•    Handwashing

•    Family Meal Planning

•    Food Safety

•    Healthy Lunchboxes

•    Kitchen Skills

Funding

Interested organisations can apply for funding up to a maximum of €2,000 or £1,720 to deliver a project in their local area.

Applicant Organisation Criteria

Organisations must:

•    Be community-led organisations with a legal status and appropriate governance structure

•    Be experienced in the management of public funds which support social inclusion initiatives

•    Currently employ and manage full time professionals with community development experience

•    Have experience of working with the target group identified

•    Be supporting other broader community initiatives through their work

•    Provide supports across communities irrespective of age, race or creed

Preparing an Application

Please contact SECAD Partnership for details on how to apply for the funding at:

Sinéad Conroy

SECAD Partnership CLG

T: 00 353 (0)87 353 3606

E: sconroy@secad.ie

Closing date for application

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis up to and including Friday, 9th September 2022.  As funding is limited, interested organisations are advised to apply as soon as possible.  All activities must be completed by Sunday, 6th November.

Elevate Community Mentoring & Grants Programme: Information Session

CDHN’s Elevate team is hosting information sessions about how to apply for the Elevate Community Mentoring and Grants Programme, to let potential applicants know what we’re looking for and give examples of how groups have used Elevate Mentoring and Grants in previous years.

The Elevate programme is for community groups who want to use community development to tackle health inequalities experienced by the community or group you support. We want to support groups who are in need of mentoring, and who can benefit from funding (up to £5000) to deliver a project which uses community development to tackle health inequalities.

Our information sessions will give you an insight into what the mentoring involves and the benefits of it, and what kinds of projects are eligible for Elevate funding.

Ahead of the session we wanted to share an update below:

The Elevate application process and submission date are being delayed until after the holiday period. This will give your group more time to develop your application. We will be sharing more information at the event.

To register for the session please visit Elevate Community Mentoring & Grants Programme: Information Session - Elevate NI

Marine Litter Capital Grants

Live Here Love Here are delighted to announce the launch of the second year of the highly successful Marine Litter Grants. The Live Here Love Here Marine Litter Capital Grants are funded by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs through the Live Here Love Here collaborative partnership, involving DAERA, ten Local Councils, Northern Ireland Housing Executive and Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful.

The Marine Litter Capital Grants will support organisations and groups to purchase items to:

• Prevent litter and plastic pollution from entering the marine environment

• Enhance the environmental management of a local area to reduce marine litter

• Improve the health and wellbeing of communities and marine biodiversity recovery by helping to improve and/or maintain the quality of public open spaces

• Improve the quality of their local environment by changing behaviour through creative concepts to reduce the incidence of littering

Financial support of between £500 and £40,000 will be available to constituted groups, businesses and statutory bodies meeting the eligibility criteria. 

Financial support of between £500 and £5,000 will be available to non-constituted groups. 

For more information and to apply, please visit Marine Litter Capital Grants delivered by Live Here Love Here

The 7 Stars Foundation

the7stars foundation, established by the7stars, supports the most challenged young people in the United Kingdom. Assisting forgotten young people aged 16 years and under, lacking opportunity, to achieve their potential.

Our funding looks to support those challenged by abuse; addiction; those who are young carers; and those without a safe place to call home. Our grant funding prioritises the areas of:

• Abuse

• Addiction

• Child Carers

• Homelessness

Application Submission Deadlines

• January 31st for March funding review

• April 30th for June funding review

• July 31st for September funding review

• October 31st for December funding review

Please note that we will notify you mid-month of any funding decisions applicable to you.

For more information and to apply please visit https://the7starsfoundation.co.uk/apply

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