Migrant Help Community Hubs Grant Scheme

Background

The Community Hubs Grant Scheme is provided and administered by Migrant Help.

Founded in 1963, Migrant Help is a registered charity that supports asylum seekers, refugees, victims of human trafficking and modern slavery, and others affected by displacement and exploitation.

Objectives of Fund

The funding aims to support new and existing community hubs and drop-in services that increases support and access to local services for asylum seekers and refugees through:

• Supporting third sector organisations delivering non contracted services to asylum seekers and refugees.

• Encouraging community integration.

• Supporting the health and wellbeing of asylum seekers and refugees.

• Welcoming asylum seekers and refugees into communities around the UK .

• Providing support to organisations and projects which may struggle to find support elsewhere.

Two grants are available:

• Small bridging grants of up to £2,000

  • To help with things like short-term running costs whilst seeking further funding or to provide essential needs that cannot be met elsewhere. This may include essentials like covering unexpected increases in bills / venue hire, activity costs, material items or for costs of training and advertising.

• Sustainability and start up grants of up to £5,000

  • To help start a new hub in an area of high need or to invest in an existing hub, creating sustainability, such as equipment, training for staff and volunteers, support in advertising opportunities or identifying partners, hosting launch days and community events etc.

Who Can Apply

Applications will be accepted from:

• Registered organisations managing existing hubs.

• Constituted groups.

• Charities.

• Faith groups.

• Community Interest Companies (CICs)

• Not for profit organisations.

• Partnerships of not-for-profit organisations.

Priority will be given to individuals and organisations who have not previously received funding from Migrant Help.

To be eligible, applicants must:

• Have a bank account in the organisation's name.

• Have adequate insurance in place to deliver the service or project as well as relevant safeguarding procedures.

Restrictions

The following are not eligible for funding:

• Public sector organisations, such as the NHS, Police, Local Authority etc.

• Private sector organisations.

• Organisations currently in receipt of a community hub grant from Migrant Help.

• Organisations with a greater annual turnover than £5 million.

• Work that has already been carried out (retrospective funding).

• Activities and services that do not predominantly benefit asylum seekers, migrants, refugees, survivors of trafficking and modern slavery.

• Projects or services that should be statutory duty, ie, covered under mainstream government funding.

• Projects that promote political or religious beliefs.

Eligible Expenditure

The funding can be used for:

• Capital costs, such as equipment, furniture and materials, etc.

• Revenue costs, such as staff wages, venue hire costs.

There are no deadlines for applications; however, when the maximum funding available for each year has been distributed, the applications will close until the following round in the next year. The year runs from 1 April to 31 March the following calendar year.

Applications can be submitted at any time and will be assessed on a bi-monthly basis with deadlines to submit applications for each round.

There will be five funding rounds with the following application windows:

• 1 April to 31 May 2023 with a decision by 30 June 2023

• 1 June to 31 July 2023 with a decision by 31 August 2023

• 1 August to 30 September with a decision by 31 October 2023

• 1 October to 30 November with a decision by 31 December 2023

• 1 December to 31 January 2024 with a decision by 29 February 2024.

Only one application per organisation can be made in any single funding round.

For more information and to apply, please visit Migrant Help Community Hubs Grant Scheme | Action Together

Micro Community Investment Fund

Fund Aims

The fund will provide valuable investment for community initiatives making a difference in towns and villages across Northern Ireland.

The fund will enable those organisations who are making the lives of others in their communities better, by improving their financial, physical, and mental wellbeing.

Criteria

You do not have to have a constitution to apply to this fund.  We will discuss your project with you in advance of application if you do not have certain governance requirements for funding in place.

We want to support smaller, grassroots organisations delivering great work.  For this reason, whilst groups with an income of up to £30,000 per annum are eligible to apply preference will be given to groups with an income of up to £10,000.

Community Investments available: Up to £2,000

Applications are sought to support both new and existing activities and projects that  enhance the financial, physical and/or mental well being of people in communities. We will support new or existing community initiatives that have a particular focus on addressing the challenges people are facing around the rising cost of living.

Community projects should focus on improving at least one of the following:

• Financial wellbeing

• Physical wellbeing

• Mental wellbeing

Applications for funding within one or other of these themes could be to support:

• Projects promoting inclusion and belonging, particularly to enhance the physical and mental well being of the local community

• Projects that strengthen the capacity of individuals to engage with a range of available digital services in order to help manage their money in a digital age

• Projects that enhance people’s financial knowledge through financial education programmes

• Projects promoting physical activity which uses the assets located within the area

• Projects that improve the ability of individuals to access mental health and wellbeing services either i) directly, through the provision of support or ii) indirectly, through education/awareness raising programmes

• Projects that encourage the active participation of individuals in their own mental wellbeing. Projects should aim to promote increased independence/resilience in relation to an individual’s mental health

For more information and to apply, please visit Micro Community Investment Fund - Community Foundation Northern Ireland (communityfoundationni.org)

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. For the full eligibility criteria please read the Fund T&Cs or visit Play it Forward Fund - fibrus

The Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) is delighted to announce that PEACEPLUS funding calls are now open!

The SEUPB are currently accepting applications to the following PEACEPLUS Investment Areas.  Please click on the Investment Area you are interested in to find further information. 

Investment Area 1.1 - Co-Designed Local Authority PEACEPLUS Action Plans

https://www.seupb.eu/node/2619

Investment Area 1.4 - Re-Imaging Communities

https://www.seupb.eu/node/2623

Investment Area 3.1 - Shared Learning Together Education Programme (Formal Education)

https://www.seupb.eu/node/2621

Investment Area 3.1 - Shared Learning Together Education Programme (Non-Formal Education)

https://www.seupb.eu/node/2622

Investment Area 3.2 - PEACEPLUS Youth Programme

https://www.seupb.eu/node/2617

Investment Area 3.2 - Quality and Impact Body for the PEACEPLUS Youth Programme

https://www.seupb.eu/node/2618

Investment Area 4.3 - Victims and Survivors

https://www.seupb.eu/node/2620

Application Support

Online support and guidance for completing your application is available on the new PEACEPLUS Support Portal. This includes how-to guides and videos to help you throughout the application process.  

If no call has been opened yet for the Investment Area you are interested in, please visit the Pre-Application support page. Before each PEACEPLUS funding call opens the SEUPB will hold a pre-application support workshop for each Investment Area.  Recordings of these workshops and information on future workshops will be published in the Pre-Application section. 

Find our more about pre-application support

Micro Community Investment Fund

Fund Aims

The fund will provide valuable investment for community initiatives making a difference in towns and villages across Northern Ireland.

The fund will enable those organisations who are making the lives of others in their communities better, by improving their financial, physical, and mental wellbeing.

Criteria

You do not have to have a constitution to apply to this fund.  We will discuss your project with you in advance of application if you do not have certain governance requirements for funding in place.

We want to support smaller, grassroots organisations delivering great work.  For this reason, whilst groups with an income of up to £30,000 per annum are eligible to apply preference will be given to groups with an income of up to £10,000.

Community Investments available: Up to £2,000

Applications are sought to support both new and existing activities and projects that  enhance the financial, physical and/or mental well being of people in communities. We will support new or existing community initiatives that have a particular focus on addressing the challenges people are facing around the rising cost of living.

Community projects should focus on improving at least one of the following:

• Financial wellbeing

• Physical wellbeing

• Mental wellbeing

Applications for funding within one or other of these themes could be to support:

• Projects promoting inclusion and belonging, particularly to enhance the physical and mental well being of the local community

• Projects that strengthen the capacity of individuals to engage with a range of available digital services in order to help manage their money in a digital age

• Projects that enhance people’s financial knowledge through financial education programmes

• Projects promoting physical activity which uses the assets located within the area

• Projects that improve the ability of individuals to access mental health and wellbeing services either i) directly, through the provision of support or ii) indirectly, through education/awareness raising programmes

• Projects that encourage the active participation of individuals in their own mental wellbeing. Projects should aim to promote increased independence/resilience in relation to an individual’s mental health

We want to prioritise projects that:

• Focus on the positive contribution of people within the community and support the challenges that people face in light of the rising cost of living

• Enable active participation of a community in decision-making and involvement in making their community a better place to live in

• Focus on the assets within the community which the project will use to make the community a better place to live in

• Help get people engaged in taking community action where it hasn’t happened before to make the community a better place to live in.

• Projects that address more than one particular strand of wellbeing

 For more information and to apply, please visit Micro Community Investment Fund - Community Foundation Northern Ireland (communityfoundationni.org)

The Cooper Richardson Fund

Introduction

Jack Cooper and his son-in-law Paul Richardson both died in 2022. This fund was set up by their family to honour Jack and Paul and the generous nature that they shared. They also shared a love of sport.

Jack was a talented footballer and badminton player. Paul was a competitive swimmer and water polo player.

As well as sports, the fund will also focus on the arts, especially music, which brought joy to Paul.

The fund will continue Jack’s lifelong connection with his home of Dundonald, and an interest in local history, which he passed on to his daughter Karolyn.

The Community Foundation is delighted to manage this fund on behalf of the Cooper and Richardson Families.

Size of Grant:

Applicants can apply for a grant ranging from £1,000 to £2,000.

Fund Criteria:

The first round of funding will initially support constituted organisations with funding for capital equipment that enables sporting activity.

The Fund for this round has four main aims:

• To improve access to sport and physical activity, with a particular focus on supporting facilities in areas of economic need and for those most isolated in communities

• To improve the health and well-being of people in Northern Ireland

• To provide funding for resources, including equipment for small organisations, who may have limited access to funding opportunities

• To remove barriers for getting things done in communities

*Applicants must outline how their application meets at least one of the above aims, however, in the event of a high level of demand we will prioritise projects that meet more than one of these aims.

What can the fund support?

In the interests of being a flexible and responsive funder, the fund will focus on providing support for capital equipment that enables sporting activity and reduces isolation of people.

• General sporting equipment – to enable and encourage physical activity, with a particular focus on those most isolated of any age, including older people.

• Additional equipment – to enable the expansion of activity or a safer environment for delivery of the activity providing that the equipment will enable the delivery of sport and physical activity.

• Minor facility amendments – to enable better accessibility to facilities for delivery of sport and physical activities – *any statutory permissions, if appropriate, will need to be in place and evidenced at the time of application.

Applications should explain why there’s a need for the project and how end users have been involved in developing the project.

Applications should consider how the project adds value to services currently available in your local community, and work collaboratively with other groups to maximise the impact of the project, where possible.

Projects must have their funding spent within 12 months from the date of a letter of offer.

Who can apply?

• Constituted organisations, including sports clubs with charitable purposes with income levels of £30,000 or below.

• Applicants must be based in Northern Ireland and applying to support projects and beneficiaries from Northern Ireland only.

We will prioritise small, locally based organisations, that find it difficult to access funding from other sources.

We are particularly interested in funding across the whole of Northern Ireland, and so in the event of a high demand for this funding, we will prioritise allocating funding across all Local Authority areas in Northern Ireland.

Closing date is 18th June at1pm. To apply please visit The Cooper Richardson Fund - Community Foundation Northern Ireland (communityfoundationni.org)

Kits 4 Kids Grants

Applications for Kits 4 Kids grants are now open until 17:00 on Tuesday 13th June.

Before applying, please make sure your organisation/team meets the stated criteria.

We'll let you know that your application has been successful by 31st July 2023. Due to the high volume of applications received, I'm afraid we can't provide feedback on individual applications.

Funding is only available to organisations based in the UK who have not previously received support from the Poundland Foundation

• Applications are not eligible from profit-making organisations or schools: registered charities, community interest companies (CICs) and unregistered organisations can apply

• Groups must work with children under 18 

• Grant to be spent on kit only (clothing) and clubs/teams/organisations must agree to display the Poundland Foundation logo on their kit

• Organisations must have an income of under £10,000 and hold reserves under £5,000 (we may ask for proof of this, so please provide accurate figures)

• Organisations must have a safeguarding and/or child protection policy that can be uploaded as part of the application process

• Organisations must have their own bank account and be able to submit proof of the account name, sort code and account number (unfortunately grants cannot be transferred to personal accounts) 

For more information and to apply, please visit Apply for Support | Poundland Foundation

Inclusive Communities: The Phoenix Green Community Fund

Environmental Responsibility is one of the core pillars of our Responsible Business Strategy. Just as we aim to act as an environmentally responsible business by supporting biodiversity projects and initiatives within the communities that we serve, we also continue to provide a low carbon solution to homes and businesses, supporting zero carbon targets.

In 2023, we're utilising the Green Community Fund to support community groups and organisations across our licence area with funding to help them deliver activity that helps to improve our environment and tackling the climate crisis in some way, no matter how big or small.

The Green Community Fund is currently open, with applications reviewed and funding awarded on a monthly basis. Full information on the Green Community Fund, including Terms and Conditions is available at the Green Community Fund page.

Resilience Grants

The National Archives’ Resilience Grants programme has been designed to support archives to be adaptable, resilient and sustainable, creating lasting solutions that enable them to respond to change, and contribute to communities and the economy.

Archives Resilience projects could include (but are not limited to):

• proposals that would lead to increased organisational stability, including long-term organisational, financial and strategic planning

• increased staffing capacity and enhanced skills

• reduced costs

• increased income

• improving capacity to develop, care for and enrich collections, physically and digitally

• ensuring that collections are safely preserved, including digitally

• work on diversity, equity and inclusion

• responses to climate change, such as developing energy-efficiency within an archives service.

Each applicant is likely to have different needs and approaches to building organisational resilience. To help organisations tailor their proposals to their own challenges and opportunities, we ask that applicants make use of the Archives and Record Association’s Archives Service Resilience Indicator Tool, which is designed to provide archive services with a quick methodology for assessing resilience, and identifying gaps or areas for development.

You may also wish to investigate Archive Service Accreditation, the UK standard for good practice across archives services. A Resilience Grant and/or the Resilience Indicator Tool could be used as preparatory actions for an Accreditation application, and have been designed using the same standards and frameworks.

You can download the Archives Sector Resilience Indicator and guidance notes from the Archives and Records Association.

To apply for a Resilience Grant, please complete an online application form.

If you have any questions about Resilience Grants, please contact us via email: archivegrants@nationalarchives.gov.uk.

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

The Henry Smith Charity - Holiday Grants for Children

The purpose of the Holiday Grants programme is to provide access to recreational trips or holidays for groups of children who experience disadvantage or who have disabilities. In particular we are interested in contributing to trips that would not take place without our funding.

Please note we have changed our approach to assessing safeguarding, please read the funding guidelines carefully and check our Safeguarding webpage to make sure your trip is eligible.

Key grant details

Grant size:£500 – £2,750

Length:One-off short grants

Decision timescale: 6 weeks

Deadlines: Submission dates vary depending when trips or holidays take place

Qualifying criteria

Please only apply for this grant if you meet the following criteria:

Location of work:UK only, with priority to the 20% most deprived areas

Funding covers:Short holidays and recreational trips

Organisation type:Schools, youth groups, not for profit organisations and charities

For more information and to apply, please visit Holiday Grants for Children - The Henry Smith Charity

Kingspan Kickstart Sports Fund

Amateur athletes and sports clubs across the island of Ireland are invited to apply for the Kingspan Kickstart Sports Fund, a fund created to help budding athletes get a financial boost to achieve their goals. Already committed to elevating and developing sports across Ireland through various sponsorships, including Ulster Rugby and Cavan GAA, we are also keen to provide a launch pad for grassroots level athletes, sports clubs and community sports facilities. The fund, which has Shane Lowry as ambassador, will run on a quarterly basis, and offer up to 1,000 euro / 850 sterling, per applicant, per year to help provide financial support for equipment, training, and other necessary resources. 

For more information and to apply, please visit Kickstart Sports Fund | Kingspan Group

The AIB Community €1 Million Fund opens in 2023

The AIB Community €1 Million Fund was first launched in 2022 and supported 72 charities across six regions in Ireland, NI and the UK. This year we will continue to support communities through the fund which will support a further 72 charitable organisations in 2023. The AIB Community €1 Million Fund enables customers, the public and our employees to support the local charities that mean most to them, within their region. 

To nominate your charity, please visit Community Fund - AIB (NI) (aibni.co.uk)

The Community Ownership Fund Round 3

The Community Ownership Fund launched an updated prospectus on 12 May 2023. They have made positive changes to the Fund for future bidding windows. Changes to the design of the programme and the eligibility requirements are informed by applicant feedback, stakeholder engagement, and lessons learned from previous rounds. These changes are explained in the updated Community Ownership Fund prospectus.

Round 3 Window 1 will open on 31 May 2023 and will close at 11:59am on 12 July 2023.

Development support is now available to applicants via the My Community website.

The Community Ownership Fund expression of interest (EOI) is open for applications.

For more information, please visit New levelling up and community investments - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award/ Joint Award Initiative

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award/ Joint Award Initiative is supporting organisations who are interested in offering young people the opportunity to take part in the Award through a funding package which aims to give organisations the resources and skills to be able to deliver the Award.

We are the world’s leading youth achievement Award, giving 14-24 year olds the opportunity to take on their own challenges, follow their passions, make a difference in their communities, and discover talents they never knew they had.  Each young person builds their own Award programme – picking their own activities for the 4 sections of the Award: Volunteering, Physical, Skills and Expedition (with an additional Residential section at Gold) – to achieve a Bronze, Silver, or Gold Award.

Gaisce – The Irish President’s Award and The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award work in partnership through the Joint Award Initiative (JAI) to offer Award participants in Northern Ireland a choice of recognition for their achievements.  On completion of their Award programme, they can choose a Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, a Gaisce – The President’s Award or a Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award certificate.

Eligible voluntary and community organisations which do not currently offer the Award programme can access up to £10,250 of grant funding combined with support from a dedicated member of staff to help set up, launch, and deliver the Award programme.

Eligibility criteria includes but is not limited to:

• Organisations must be a not for profit/Voluntary, Community or Social Enterprise (VCS) Organisation.  Types of eligible VCS organisations would include:

• Charitable Companies, registered with Companies House and the Charity Commission.

• Community organisations who are Companies Limited by Guarantee (CLG) with no share capital and are registered with Companies House.

• Community Interest Companies (CICs) which are not conducted for private gain: any surplus or assets are used exclusively for the benefit of the community.

• Organisations with other governance structures should contact us to discuss their eligibility.

• Organisations must not have delivered the Award within the last 6 months.

• Organisations must have been established for at least one year.

• Organisations must be incorporated and registered with Companies House.

• Organisations must have appropriate minimum standards in place to adhere to DofE licencing requirements. 

• The organisation is willing/able to contribute towards the reduced DofE licence fee (Year 1 will be fully covered by the grant, and 50% in year 2).

For more information go to Access Without Limits – community. Funding in Northern Ireland - The  Duke of Edinburgh's Award (dofe.org) or email Jim at jim.peacock@dofe.org.

If you are interested but don’t currently meet eligibility criteria, please do get in touch to discuss how we could support young people in your organisation to take part in the Award.

Community Relations / Cultural Diversity Scheme is now open

If you are planning events for the forthcoming year, please feel free to contact a member of our team to discuss your proposals prior to submitting your application. We can give you advice on how to plan your work and to source additional funding, if required.

The scheme will continue to support a wide range of work and offer support and assistance whether you are a first-time applicant or have been supported in the past.

While we will be supporting projects through to 31 March 2024, the closing date for all applications is 15 December 2023 at 4 PM. 

CR/CD Funding Details

• All projects in receipt of CR/CD funding must be completed within this financial year.

• Grants are up to £10K maximum and for project costs only.

• Average grant is £2K – £5K.

Aims of the CR/CD Scheme

The Community Relations Council, with the support of Government, has established a fund to spend each year on community relations projects. This funding is intended to help community/voluntary groups throughout Northern Ireland develop their capacity to engage in community relations work and to enhance the community relations potential of projects they undertake.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss a proposal prior to submitting an application please contact a member of the Funding and Development Programme or phone 028 9022 7500.

T:BUC Requirement

Applicants are required to outline the outcome in Together: Building a United Community (T:BUC) to which the proposed project will contribute.

Read more about the T:BUC strategy.

Eligibility Requirements

There are certain specific criteria you must adhere to when applying for funding:

Read about the CD/CR scheme criteria.

Apply for the Scheme

Use the link below to apply:

Apply now for CR/CD Scheme

Rural Engagement Arts Programme

The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is welcoming applications to the second round of the Rural Engagement Arts Programme (REAP), a funding scheme, funded through The National Lottery, which aims to increase access and participation in the arts in rural areas of Northern Ireland. Grants from £500 - £10,000 are available and applications must be made online on the Arts Council’s website.

Applications are open from Friday 5 May 2023 and will close at 12noon on 3 July 2023.

The purpose of the Rural Engagement Arts Programme (REAP) is to provide an integrated, cohesive approach to the needs of local rural communities while recognising some specific issues they face.

The primary theme of REAP is combatting isolation and loneliness and promoting social inclusion. The recent pandemic adversely affected many lives as families and friends were separated for sustained periods of time, resulting in a negative impact on mental health and well-being.  This was felt deeply in rural communities, characterised by smaller and more dispersed populations, where isolation can be more acute than in towns and urban areas.

There are a number of ways to differentiate between loneliness and social isolation: 

• Loneliness can affect any age group; it is the subjective, unpleasant and distressing phenomenon stemming from a difference between an individual’s desired and achieved level of social relationships.

• Social isolation is a forced isolation from normal social networks caused by loss of mobility or deteriorating health.

The impact that loneliness and social isolation can have on the physical, mental and social health of isolated older people is well documented. The Campaign to End Loneliness (opens in a new tab) points to research which shows that lacking social connections is as damaging to health as smoking. Lonely individuals are more likely to visit their GP, use more medication and have a higher incidence of falls. They are also more likely to enter residential or nursing care earlier.

Participating in the arts, and coming together as communities, can make a vital contribution to improving health and wellbeing, building confidence and integrating communities. The Arts Council has worked with local authority community development and arts officers to ensure that information on REAP is available and that this public funding is as widely distributed as possible.

Groups can apply for one-off projects or for a programme of events.  Projects do not have to be new - existing, successful programmes which meet the strategic themes of REAP, are also eligible for support.

While engagement must be targeted at rural communities as defined here, Local Authorities and other groups based in urban areas may apply to fund programmes delivered in rural communities. The definition of rural is outlined in Appendix 1 at the end of these guidance notes, page 12, and is taken from the NISRA review of statistical classification and delineation of settlements in March 2015 (opens in a new tab)

Who can apply?

We welcome applications from the widest possible range of organisations. You will be required to provide proof that you have a legal constitution.

• Registered charities and other organisations which cannot distribute profits

• Groups of organisations working together to deliver specific projects

• Formally constituted parent-teacher associations

• Local Authorities

• Arts Organisations

• Organisations based in Republic of Ireland or based outside the UK and Northern Ireland, may be eligible to apply however, any proposed project must benefit people living in rural communities within Northern Ireland.

• Organisations currently in receipt of Arts Council grant funding (Annual Funding or National Lottery Project Funding) can apply providing they demonstrate that project costs are additional to any programme and administrative costs already funded under other grants.

• In exceptional circumstances, organisations based in Belfast who are partnering with other organisations to deliver REAP projects in rural areas may be eligible to apply.

Applications from single organisations are permissible but should demonstrate partnership working. Consortium applications demonstrating partnership working will be prioritised. Partnerships might include sector providers such as rural development organisations, older people’s providers and agencies, arts organisations or Local Authorities. See the Arts Council’s REAP Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for examples of good partnership working.

How much can you apply for?

You can apply for an award between £500 and £10,000 for a project.

What you can apply for?

You can apply for the following eligible costs, which are indicative and not limited to:

• Costs of artists and tutors (including fees , accommodation, travel and subsistence) However please note that subsistence costs are capped at £20 per day. Also, if you are applying for artists and/or tutor costs, you must supply the relevant CVs, biography, or history of artistic practice information

• Transport costs, including vehicle hire (for example this could be to transport participants to courses/activities)

• Existing programmes which meet the criteria of the scheme are eligible – but only for activity which will not begin prior to issue of funding decision letters

• Materials

• Travel expenses within Northern Ireland – please note the Arts Council has a maximum allowance of 25.7p per mile. If applicants are partnering with organisations in border communities and the project would necessitate travel across the border, this additional travel is eligible within reason

• Equipment hire

• Volunteer expenses

• Venue hire for workshops, training, rehearsals and performance

• Publicity and marketing costs

• Evaluation costs

• Participation, education and outreach work in film and media

• Equipment costs to a maximum value of 50% of your requested amount

• Equipment items will only be considered if identified as essential within your project and where it is vital for its successful delivery. Arts Council will not fund equipment only projects. Contributions towards laptops or PCs will be up to a maximum of £1,200; and, towards tablets, up to £500

For more information and to apply, please visit Rural Engagement Arts Programme | Arts Council NI (artscouncil-ni.org)

Community groups urged to apply for support as Co-op opens applications for Local Community Fund

Applications have now opened for community groups and charities to apply to receive funding and support from Co-op’s Local Community Fund.

Co-op is searching for around 4,000 community organisations to take part in the next round of the local funding scheme

Applications have now opened for community groups and charities to apply to receive funding and support from Co-op’s Local Community Fund.

Co-op’s Local Community Fund has supported over 30,000 local community projects across the UK since its launch in 2016, and charities and organisations, who play a vital role in the wellbeing of communities, can apply up until 11 June to be considered for the next round of funding.

The Co-op's support comes at a much-needed time, with insight from community causes across the UK showing that more than eight-in-10 (84%) of local groups have seen a jump in demand for their services through the cost-of-living crisis.

Co-op is looking to continue to support projects that have an impact and make a difference locally and, align with Co-op's vision of co-operating for a fairer world, with a focus on:

• Bringing people together to access food: Such as community fridges, allotments, and cookery classes

• Helping to improve people’s mental wellbeing: Including sporting activities and, clubs and societies that promote mental well-being and build social connections

• Creation of opportunities for young people to be heard and make a difference: For example, youth groups and forums that work to build confidence, life, and employability skills

• Enabling communities to save and restore nature or tackle climate change: With examples including community gardens, tree planting, energy schemes, re-wilding, and sustainable transport

Last month, (April) Co-op also announced that it was aiming to attract one million active new Members over the next five years, and launched new member price benefits within its food business to help its members save more.

Members make a difference simply by shopping at Co-op. By buying selected Co-op products and services, members earn rewards for themselves and for their community too – with £117m raised over the last seven years to support local causes and community projects across the UK.

Rebecca Birkbeck, Director of Community and Member Participation at Co-op said: “Co-op is committed to making a real and tangible difference in our local communities, while creating significant value for Members through our Membership scheme. Our Local Community Fund is more relevant than ever as the cost-of-living crisis is making it incredibly challenging for many local organisations. We know that our members want to support the communities they live in, and Co-op membership is a powerful way for people to do this, simply by shopping at Co-op - with our funding support enabling local organisations to provide valuable services and support to people at a time when communities need it most.”

More information about the benefits of Co-op Membership including its exclusive offers and deals is available by visiting www.coop.co.uk/membership

Community groups interested in applying to Co-op’s Local Community Fund, should visit causes.coop.co.uk

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

Allen & Overy Foundation Increases Funding For Charities In Northern Ireland

Charities across Northern Ireland are invited to apply for up to £100k support from the Allen & Overy (A&O) Foundation, which is funded by contributions from A&O partners worldwide.

Financial support available for charities from The A&O Foundation in Northern Ireland has increased by 80% compared to 2022, and is administered by the Belfast Grants Committee. Charities that specialise in promoting access to justice or those that support and develop education or employment projects across Northern Ireland are encouraged to apply.

Charities interested in applying for funding should email belfastgrants@allenovery.com requesting an application form and outlining how their work meets the criteria of increasing access to justice or the advancement of education or employment. Completed application forms should be returned by 5pm on Friday 19 May 2023.