Fibrus Play it Forward Fund

The Fibrus Play It Forward Fund was established in Spring 2023 and is designed to give back to local communities.

The Fund exists to support non-profit voluntary and community groups, organisations, and charities in Northern Ireland and Cumbria to provide financial support for their children’s sports projects or initiatives. The Fund strives to encourage children to switch off from their devices more often, get active, and get outdoors – improving the health and wellbeing of the children.

Fibrus is pledging £30,000 in 2023 to the Fibrus Play it Forward Fund to support on-the-ground children’s sports projects in those local communities served by Fibrus. Organisations can apply for up to £1000 of funding.

Our focus is on grassroots sports that support children. You can apply for funding for children’s sports projects or initiatives, for example to purchase new kits, playing or training equipment or improving club facilities. When purchasing new material including shirts and equipment, we ask that you add the Fibrus Logo.

The 2023 Play it Forward Fund will go live for Round 1 of funding on 30 May, closing on 27 June. Round 2 will open in October (these dates are subject to change).

For more information, please get in touch with us on sponsorships@fibrus.com.

T&Cs apply

Expressions of Interest for 2023-25

The Irish Football Association (Irish FA) and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) Multi-Sports Grassroots Facilities Investment Fund aims to allow local grassroots football clubs in Northern Ireland (NI) to improve and upgrade facilities to create a better grassroots football infrastructure foundation. 

Investment in creating the best possible multi-sports and grassroots football facilities enables young people to have the opportunity to reach their full potential in football, as well as providing the local community with access to facilities where they can participate in other sports and become healthy and active. 

The UK Government has confirmed the allocation of a £230 million uplift to England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland for investment in football facilities across the UK. Read more on this here.

DCMS has committed to supporting grassroots football facility development in Northern Ireland up to March 2025. Phase 3 of the investment covers the financial year, April 2023 to March 2024 with Phase 4 covering April 2024 to March 2025. 

Two million pounds of capital funding has been secured for 2023/24, with a further £3.59 million of capital funding to be delivered in 2024/25.  Projects to be supported will be selected for their ability to deliver improved facilities in deprived areas, support multi-sport use and increase participation among currently underrepresented groups, including women, girls and those with a disability. 

The Irish FA / DCMS Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Investment Fund 2023-25 will be directed towards larger capital projects primarily focusing on the installation and improvement of natural grass or certified artificial grass pitches (AGP).  Funding will support and be directed towards the installation of new or replacement natural grass surfaces, new or replacement artificial grass surfaces or new multi-use games areas (MUGA).

Associated pitch infrastructure will be considered for funding in addition to the pitch installation e.g. changing rooms, floodlighting, fencing etc.

In order to understand the number, type and scale of projects which may come forward over the next two financial years, we are running an Expression of Interest (EOI) process. The EOI will gather crucial information on proposed projects at early stages of their development, identifying future investment possibilities.  It is anticipated that applications for funding will be opened in February / March 2023. 

EOIs will be open for over two weeks from Wednesday 18 January 2023 and will close at 12 noon on Friday 3 February 2023.   The EOI can be accessed via the link below.

A full list of the questions on the Expression of Interest form can be found in the PDF download below.

CLICK HERE FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST FORM

Irish FA/ DCMS Grassroots Facilities Investment Fund...

2022-23 DCMS Grassroots Facilities Investment Fund

Applications for the 2022-23 DCMS Grassroots Facilities Investment Fund opened on Thursday 29 September 2022 at 9am. 

The fund aims to allow grassroots football clubs in Northern Ireland (NI) to improve and refurbish facilities, helping to create a better grassroots football infrastructure foundation.

A total funding pot of £700,000 was available in 2021-22, distributed via the Irish FA, for small capital grassroots projects. In this latest tranche of funding a further total funding pot of £700,000 is available for the 2022-23 financial year. This funding is for small capital grassroots projects to improve football infrastructure throughout NI, thus increasing participation in the grassroots game. 

The minimum award available in this tranche of funding will be £15,000 with a maximum award of up to £30,000. The objective of the award is to represent around 75% of the total project cost, with 25% match funding to be available from an alternative source. Greater levels of match funding may be viewed more favourably whilst lower levels will be considered in the context of the strength of the overall application.

The main objectives of the Irish FA/DCMS Grassroots Facilities Investment Fund are:

•           To improve the capital infrastructure of grassroots football clubs across Northern Ireland

•           To increase participation in sport and physical activity across Northern Ireland, improving mental and physical health of participants

•           To increase participation in non-football sports (40% of project value) through funding multi-sports facilities

•           To reduce the postcode lottery for quality facilities by directing at least 50% of investment to disadvantaged or areas of deprivation and boost participation in sport

•           To deliver improved access for women and girls (100% equal access), and other under-represented groups, to increase participation in these groups and improve availability and accessibility of facilities.

Information relating to the 2022-23 funding scheme, including eligible projects/applicants and the application process, is detailed on the Information and Guidance Notes document.  

Closing date for applications is Monday 24 October 2022.

For more information and to apply, please visit Irish FA/ DCMS Grassroots Facilities Investment Fund...

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

Small Grants 2022-23 Tranche 2 now open

Belfast City Council’s Small Grants 2022-23 Tranche 2 are now open for applications for the grants listed below. The submission deadline for receipt of applications is 12 noon on Friday 23 September 2022.

1. Arts and Heritage Project Grant

2. Parks Events Grant

3. S4S Small Development Grant

4. S4S Hospitality Grant

5. S4S Sporting Individual Grant

For guidance notes and to apply online please visit www.belfastcity-grants.com

Belfast City Council will be holding short online information sessions on Thursday 11 August at 10:00 am and Friday 12 August at 2:00 pm on how to apply. To attend, please email cgugrants@BelfastCity.gov.uk

Tesco Community Grants

Support for your community

Tesco Community Grants fund thousands of local community projects across the UK, helping to fight holiday hunger, tackle mental health, support young people, host community events and much more.

Who can apply?

Tesco Community Grants support local good causes that focus on helping children and families and tackling food poverty. Grants will be awarded to voluntary or community organisations (including registered charities/companies), schools, health bodies (e.g. Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs), NHS Hospital Trust, Foundation Trust), Parish/Town Councils, local authorities and social housing providers.

This list is not exhaustive and there will be many other types of organisations that will be funded.

Eligible projects

Examples of eligible projects with a focus on supporting children and families could be;

• a local school needing food for a children’s breakfast club,

• a voluntary organisation working with families to run holiday clubs,

• a charity supporting young people with specialist advice to manage mental health,

• a brownie or scout group needing new tents,

• or a youth sports club needing new equipment,

• a family advice centre wanting to recruit more volunteers,

• or a local friends of a park group wanting to develop a new toddler area.

How to apply

Tesco Community Grants is administered by Groundwork and projects can apply online at: Tesco Community Grants If you are a Tesco customer or colleague, you can nominate a cause that you’d like to see supported and we’ll contact them to encourage them to apply, you can also do this online.

Awards are available up to £1,500.

There is no deadline for applications.

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/

Hargreaves Foundation: Funding for Sport and Education

Charities and educational institutions can apply for grants to support those under the age of 18 years, and living with a mental health problem, physical disability or growing up in poverty through the mediums of sport and education.

Registered charities, charitable incorporated organisations, schools and further education colleges, as well as NHS Trusts can apply for grants. Although organisations from across the UK are eligible to apply, priority will be given to organisations based in and/or working in the South West of England.

Funding (there is no set minimum or maximum grant) will be awarded for activities that achieve one or more of the following objectives:

• Enabling individuals to experience the mental and physical health benefits of participatory sport.

• Ensuring participatory sport is accessible (accessibility includes affordability).

• Providing sporting or educational activities that foster life skills.

• Aiming to improve academic engagement and attainment.

• Encouraging the development of skills and personal attributes to aid future employability.

The following types of activities are eligible:

• One-off, time-limited (less than six months) projects or events.

• Training for staff/volunteers.

• Residential activities.

• Events.

• Purchase of specific items.

The majority of those benefiting from the project/using the items must be from the target group, which are those under the age of 18, and living with a mental health problem, physical disability, or growing up in poverty.

Applications are accepted at any time.

For more information and to apply please visit https://www.thehargreavesfoundation.org/