Cash for Kids - Sports Challenge Now Open

The Cash for Kids Sports Challenge is a fundraising competition for grassroots sports groups. The funds support initiatives to encourage the participation of disadvantaged or disabled children and young people in sports.

Currently, only groups from certain locations in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland may apply for funding. Applicants are advised to check the Cash for Kids website for the eligible regions.

The following organisations who work for the benefit of disadvantaged or disabled young people (up to and including the age of 18) may apply:

• Local sports groups with a formal governance document.

• Charities, community, and voluntary groups that deliver sport or physical activity in their community with a formal governance document.

• Community amateur sports clubs.

• After-school sports clubs.

If selected, the group must fundraise as much money as they can (from 7 September to 7 October) and finalise the Cash for Kids grant application form on the GivingisEasy platform that was completed as part of the application process.

The top three fundraising groups will receive an additional £5,000, £2,500 and £1,500, respectively. Furthermore, there are special awards of £500 each for the Teamwork Award and Sports Challenge Champion Award.

The closing date for applications for groups to be considered for the fundraising competition is midday on 2 September 2024.

For more information, visit Sports Challenge | Cash for Kids | Helping the children that need it most

7Stars Foundation Reopens for Third 2024 Funding Round

7Stars Foundation is offering grants of up to £2,500 for registered charities with an annual turnover of less than £1.5 million across the UK to deliver projects and activities that support young people aged 16 years and under across the priority themes of abuse, addiction, child carers, and homelessness.

Funding for offered across the following streams:

• Project grants to cover the costs of projects that respond to one or more of the funding priorities of the 7stars Foundation.

• Shine Bright funding for registered charities to purchase items and resources to protect and support the children they serve through the cost-of-living crisis.

• Direct grants funding to individuals affected by the Foundation's priorities, supported by outreach/social/care workers or legal professionals. (Applications must be submitted by the supporting professional/organisation.)

• Social Impact funding for three charities across the year for projects that align with awareness days across the year.

The trustees typically meet four times a year to review grant applications.

The next deadline for applications is 31 August 2024. 

For more information, visit Apply for Funding - the7stars foundation

£1,000 Grants for People of Colour in Arts (UK)

Through the Grand Plan Grant, funding is on offer to support people of colour who want to create and deliver a new cultural project.

The programme supports creativity in all its forms, including poetry, paintings, fashion, zines, music, food, flowers, photographs, workshops, events, or something else completely.

Grants of £1,000 are available to cover the cost of equipment, courses, applicant's time, materials, travel, etc.

Applications are open to UK-based individuals, aged over 18, who and identify as a person of colour (Black, Asian, Brown and/or part of the Global Majority).

The deadline for the current round is 7 August 2024 (18:00).

For more information, visit Application Guidance — Grand Plan (grandplanfund.co.uk)

Funding to Help With Maintaining Public Memorials in UK

Grants are available to help with VAT on the construction, repair and maintenance of public memorial structures in the UK for work which took place on or after 16 March 2005.

The funding is intended to cover the costs of VAT already paid. The maximum grant available is the full rate of VAT (20% of project costs).

Applications will be accepted from registered charities and faith groups excepted from registering as a charity to help with the cost of works like repairing and cleaning public memorials or installing a new memorial. 

The memorial can commemorate a person/people, an animal/s or event/s.

The funding can only be provided for works that have already taken place. It cannot be used for future works. Part-funding is available for ongoing work for parts of the work which have been completed.

To be eligible, the memorial must:

• Be a public memorial

• Be a structure or involve construction

• Have a commemorative purpose

• Be single purpose.

• Be accessible to the public allowing people to visit, reflect, and pay their respects. The public must have access for at least 30 hours per week.

The funding is for relevant costs which are services provided by a VAT-registered contractor, such as

• Construction of an eligible type of memorial

• Cleaning

• Repairs

• Removal of graffiti

• Repainting or other decoration

• Minor landscaping of areas around a memorial (where it is part of other eligible work)

• Minor landscaping in the course of memorial construction.

Local authorities, costs which can be reclaimed from HMRC, grave markers, headstones, mausolea, memorial gardens and trees are not eligible for funding.

The deadline for applications is 30 September 2024.

For more information, please visit East Midlands Business Limited | EMB Group (emb-group.co.uk)

Groups Supporting Families of Convicted Individuals in Northern Ireland Invited to Apply for Project Funding

Funding is available to community groups across the island of Ireland to facilitate projects to improve the system of support for families affected by convictions and imprisonment.

St Stephen's Green Trust is inviting applications to its Family Matters programme, which prioritises families in the criminal justice system, aiming to reduce harm, aid rehabilitation, and strengthen family bonds to lower reoffending risks, while considering the best interests of both families and prisoners.

The programme supports non-profit groups across the island of Ireland through two strands of initiatives:

• Under Strand 1, groups can apply for grants to support work which tests new approaches, adds value to current family support work and develops pathways to knowledge and learning around how to improve the situation for families. The focus is on children and families with a loved one affected by convictions and imprisonment as well as developing and strengthening systems which acknowledge prisoners as a family member.

• Strand 2 funds groups which are working strategically towards the programme outcomes. Funded groups should have a good understanding of the context for family support systems in the criminal justice sector and have ambitions for improvement using a systems change approach.

The following levels of funding are available:

• Strand 1 - groups can apply for one-year grants of up to £6,000 (€7,000).

• Strand 2 - groups can apply for up to £21,500 (€25,000) per annum for one to three years.

Groups should only apply under one strand unless there are particular reasons for applying under both strands - for example, as part of a consortium.

The deadline for applications is 9 September 2024.

For more information, please visit St Stephens Green Trust – grant programmes: families affected by imprisonment (ssgt.ie)

Northern Ireland Community Groups Invited to Apply for Environmental Improvement Funding

Funding is available to community groups in Northern Ireland for local projects aimed at promoting civic pride within communities and improving the environmental quality of shared community spaces.

The Small Grants Scheme forms a key part of the wider Live Here Love Here programme, a partnership between local councils, Northern Ireland Housing Executive and Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful. The scheme's 2024/25 funding round will be accepting applications from local community organisations including:

• Community and voluntary groups (including non-constituted groups).

• Sports clubs.

• Churches.

• Youth groups.

• Schools and third level education organisations.

Funding is intended for purchase of equipment and items that enable volunteers and community groups to deliver practical environmental action in their locality. Eligible costs and activities include:

• Community food growing projects.

• Development of community gardens.

• Planting for pollinators.

• Addition of assets to existing shared places.

• Materials to tackle dog fouling (in line with local councils' own schemes).

Grants of between £500 and £5,000 are available to constituted organisations, and non-constituted groups can apply for a maximum of £1,500.

The 2024/25 funding round will open for applications on 27 August 2024 and close to applications on 17 September 2024.

For more information, please visit Live Here Love Here | Small Grants Scheme (etinu.net)

National Lottery Community Fund Makes Some Changes to its UK Fund

Created last summer, the UK Fund has been ­­a significant commitment to the National Lottery Community Fund (NLCF) new strategy ‘It Starts with Community’ which aims to tackle social issues facing UK communities.

In its first year, the UK Fund focused on supporting communities to connect in ways that better fit changing lives.

A year on, NLCF is increasing the focus and investment in creating lasting change for children and young people as part of its community-led mission to support communities to help children and young people thrive.

Grants of between £500,000 and £5 million are available for not-for-profit projects that run for 2 to 10 years.

The funding is intended to increase the impact of what is already being done.

Projects need to:

• Benefit communities across the UK (by working in different locations, or by sharing learning between countries).

• Scale up their impact by expanding their work (by helping more people, or doing more for people they already work with).

• Support people experiencing poverty, disadvantage, and discrimination.

• Help make significant changes to services or systems that affect people’s everyday lives.

Projects must also meet at least one of the following aims:

• Improve relationships between people with different life experiences.

• Help people and communities who find it difficult to meet face-to-face to make meaningful connections online.

• Help people from all backgrounds to influence the future of their communities.

• Help children and young people facing specific challenges change the systems that affect them.

• Help more organisations to involve and listen to children and young people.

NLCF is holding three webinars giving further details about the recent updates to the fund:

• 29 July 2024 (14:00)

• 1 August 2024 (11:00)

• 6 August 2024 (15:00)

Registration for the webinars is required and can be done through the NLCF website.

Registered charities, constituted voluntary and community organisations, companies limited by guarantee, CICs, CIOs, community benefit societies, co-operative societies, statutory bodies and partnerships can apply for funding.

Grant applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

For more information, please visit The UK Fund | The National Lottery Community Fund (tnlcommunityfund.org.uk)

Applications Open for Tenant Support Funding from Northern Ireland Housing Executive

Funding is available to voluntary and community organisations in Northern Ireland for projects and activities that promote the welfare of Housing Executive tenants and the sustainability of their tenancies.

The Northern Ireland Housing Executive is investing a total of £3 million through its Sustaining Tenancies programme for the 2023-25 period. Expressions of Interest are now invited for the second tranche of funding, which will provide grants of between £5,000 and £100,000 to fund projects lasting up to 36 months.

Applications will be accepted from constituted voluntary and community groups based in Northern Ireland. This includes (but is not limited to):

• Housing Community Network groups.

• Residents' groups.

• Social enterprises, charitable organisations and Community Interest Companies that are limited by guarantee.

Grants are used to support the delivery of projects that address one or more of the programme's Priority Areas:

• Early tenancy support for new Housing Executive tenants (within the first 12 months of a tenancy starting).

• Projects that help Housing Executive tenants to manage their tenancies and look after their homes.

• Projects that provide practical and social support to care experienced young tenants (under the age of 25) to set up a tenancy or build resilience in an existing Housing Executive tenancy and strengthen their community ties.

• Practical support within the home for older Housing Executive tenants (does not include therapeutic support for medical conditions, eg hoarding).

• Intensive support for Housing Executive tenants with acute mental health issues or other vulnerabilities in localities where there are gaps in services.

• Crisis intervention models.

Eligible costs and activities include salary and volunteer expenses, venue and transport hire, minor property works, and purchasing goods, materials and equipment.

The deadline for Expressions of Interest for 2023-25 Tranche Two funding is 8 August 2024 (4pm).

For more information and to apply, please visit The Housing Executive - Sustaining Tenancies (nihe.gov.uk)

Grants Available for Children’s Summer Holiday Activities (UK)

Sports or holiday clubs across the UK can apply for a share of £150,000 to provide activities for children under 18 during the summer holidays.

The Tesco Stronger Starts Fund – Activity for All campaign, delivered in partnership with the Sun Newspaper, aims to improve children’s access to physical activity by funding better equipment, resources and healthy food and snacks for those who need it most.

150 grants of £1,000 are available to support a wide range of sports and physical activities to promote children’s health and wellbeing, particularly those unable to access their usual provision or where cost is a barrier.

The closing date for applications is the 5th August 2024.

Learn More 

Funding to Address Violence Against Women & Girls (UK)

Grants of up to £25,000 are available to support organisations run by and for women who stand up and take action to address violence against women and girls (VAWG).

The funding can support organisational development work that empowers and strengthens frontline VAWG organisations. At least eighteen organisations are expected to be supported.

Organisations with an average annual income of between £100,000 and £500,000 can apply. The funding is being made available by the charity Rosa through its Stand With Us Fund which closes to applications on the 30th July 2024.

Learn More

The Foyle School Library Scheme Final Deadline Announced - Reminder (UK)

The Foyle Foundation has announced that its School Library Scheme will finally close to applications on the 30th September 2024.

The scheme awards grants of between £2,000 and £10,000 to UK state schools to improve or establish their libraries. Priority is given to primary schools up to Key Stage 2, but secondary schools that need books and reading resources for catch-up reading programmes for Key Stage 3 pupils and/or transition reading programmes for feeder/local primary schools will also be considered. The Foundation can also consider applications from special schools for all SEN age groups.

Applications can be submitted at any time up to the final deadline.

Learn More

Peter Harrison Foundation Active Lives Programme (UK)

Charities and Community Amateur Sports Clubs (CASCs) throughout the United Kingdom can apply for grants of up to £50,000 to the Peter Harrison Foundation Active grant scheme.

The grant scheme aims to provide opportunities for sport and physical activity at a grassroots level that enable physically, mentally, socially or economically disadvantaged people to develop personal and life skills to fulfil their potential. The grants can be used for various purposes, such as funding new sports programmes, improving existing sports facilities, or providing training and support for sports coaches.

Priority will be given to organisations with an annual turnover of up to £500,000. The next closing date for applications is the 1st October 2024.

Learn More

National Churches Trust: Small Grants

Next Deadline : 30 August (midnight)

This programme offers our Small grants of between £500 and £5,000 (with capacity to award  up to £10,000 where the case for investment and need are demonstrated to be very high, and funds are available to award) towards urgent maintenance works and small repairs identified as high priority within a recent Quinquennial Inspection, Building Survey or Condition Report. Also, small investigative works and surveys.

Project costs should be up to £20,000 incl. VAT and awards will never exceed 50% of the costs. Decisions are made on a rolling basis.  Small grants | National Churches Trust

Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council: 'Sports Club Accelerator’ Fund

Applications are open for the second year of the ‘Sports Club Accelerator’ Fund to provide much needed financial support to local sports clubs.

Up to £3,000 is available exclusively for sports organisations to help meet the costs associated with their development. The fund is aimed at sports clubs located within the Lisburn and Castlereagh area who are affiliated to both a national governing body as well as their local sports advisory body, Sport Lisburn & Castlereagh.

The closing date for applications is Friday 23rd August. For more information contact Kevin.Madden@lisburncastlereagh.gov.uk

See ‘Sports Club Accelerator’ Fund - Lisburn & Castlereagh (lisburncastlereagh.gov.uk)

The Fore’s Funding Programme Opens for Registration on 24 July

The Autumn 2024 funding round opens for registration at 12pm (midday) on 24 July 2024 and closes at 12pm (midday) on 31 July 2024.

The Fore provides unrestricted grants to small charities and social enterprises based in the UK.  The funding is intended to have a transformational impact on the organisations being supported by unlocking exponential growth, sustainability, efficiency, or some other major step forward.  There is particular interest in grassroots organisations working with underserved communities.  The grants are viewed by the Fore as investments in the organisations it supports.

The Fore funds work across the following charitable sectors:

• Arts and culture / Disability / Economic development and employability / Environment / Health and wellbeing. / Housing and homelessness / Human rights, law and justice / Poverty and disadvantage / Sport / Women and girls / Youth and education.

For more information please visit Home - The Fore

Barclays Community Football Fund Invites UK Applications to Round 2

Barclays Bank in partnership with the Sported Foundation is offering grants of up to £1,000 to not-for-profit organisations operating in an area of high deprivation to support delivery of their football activities to engage with young people (under the age of 25 years) from underrepresented groups.

This is an access grant which aims to help improve access to football for all. The funding is for groups that are running football activities for one or more of the following underrepresented groups: women and girls, young people with disabilities, young people from racially diverse communities, young people from the LGBTQ+ community and young people from lower socio-economic groups.

The funding can be used for anything that will support delivery of football activities to underrepresented groups. Typical examples of costs might include a contribution towards:

• Venue hire including floodlights and heating / Coaching costs / Volunteer expenses / Equipment / Kit / Marketing and communications / Training and qualifications / Insurances and affiliation.

Apply to the Barclays Community Football Fund 2024 | Sported

Northern Ireland Youth Service Small Grants Programme Accepting Applications

Funding is available to young people aged 4-25 years, who are part of an Education Authority Youth Service registered group, to take part in projects which have been planned by young people for young people in Northern Ireland.

The Small Grants Programme is intended to strengthen the participation of young people as decision-makers within the local and wider community by providing grants for projects which contribute to one or more of the following aims:

• Promote youth participation, leadership, and volunteering.

• Build and develop life skills.

• Promote positive mental health, wellbeing, and self-care.

• Explore issues for young people such as relationships and sex education, suicide awareness and risk-taking behaviours.

• Demonstrate care and concern for the environment.

• Promote equality, diversity, and inclusion within the programme.

The programme is open to groups of young people aged 4-25 years, who are part of an Education Authority Youth Service (EA-YS) registered (and verified) group. The group applying should be made up of no less than three young people.

Groups can apply for:

• A maximum of £500 for a one-off event.

• A maximum of £1,500 for a group work programme with multiple sessions.

Grants can be used for equipment, venue hire, transport, and consumable and material costs associated with the project.

The deadline for applications is 30 September 2024.

Small Grants Programme 2024-2025 | Education Authority Northern Ireland (eani.org.uk)

Building the Community-Pharmacy Partnership Programme

The Building the Community-Pharmacy Partnership (BCPP) is a joint venture between the Community Development and Health Network (CDHN) and the Health and Social Care Board with strategic direction offered by a multi-agency Steering Group. BCPP projects address a wide range of issues operating in both villages and urban housing estates. The projects work best when local groups work with pharmacists in their own area although some projects do cover a wider geographical area. The funding is intended to promote and support local communities to work in partnership with community pharmacists to address local health and social wellbeing needs using a community development approach. 

The overall aims of the programme include:

• Enabling project participants to achieve their full potential.

• Supporting pharmacy to fulfil their role as advocates for public health within communities.

• Supporting community partners to recognise and address health inequalities in their community.

• Increasing social capital to build connected and engaged communities.

The following grants are available: Level 1 grants: £2,500 maximum for a six-month project. / Level 2 grants: £12,000 maximum for a one-year project.

Building the Community-Pharmacy Partnership Programme | Community Development and Health Network (cdhn.org)

CFI at Home Funding 2024

The Community Food Initiative (CFI) is a programme that aims to positively influence the eating habits of families with children across the Island of Ireland. The programme runs over a three year cycle (2022-24) and its purpose is to support the development of knowledge and skills around food and cooking. The programme is funded by safefood, an All-island government body responsible for the promotion of food safety and healthy eating. 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 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 food and cooking skills.  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:

•    Recipe books and videos

•    Food Pyramid and EatWell Guide posters and leaflets

•    Kitchen skills and food safety videos

•    Booklets and posters on healthy eating and food safety

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)87 354 3606

E: sconroy@secad.ie

Closing date for application

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis but as all activities must be finished by 1st November 2024, it is important that applications are submitted as soon as possible.

Sustainable Community Buildings

Sustainable Community Buildings helps organisations identify and make changes to their community building, to reduce their carbon footprint and save money on bills.

Groups will have the opportunity to complete free carbon literacy training and work with energy experts to develop environment plans, to identify how they can improve sustainability and save money. Grants of £50,000 are available to make improvements such as the installation of solar panels, energy efficient lighting or improve insulation.

More information can be found on the Sustainable Community Buildings webpages: https://www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/funding/programmes/sustainable-community-buildings

When to apply

Applications will open from 11 September 2024 to 23 October 2024 for groups with community buildings in Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, Derry City and Strabane District Council, Mid and East Antrim Borough Council or Fermanagh and Omagh District Council area.

Applications will open from 8 January 2025 to 19 February 2025 for organisations with community buildings in Belfast City Council, Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council, and Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council area.

The programme was open for applications earlier this year for organisations in
Newry, Mourne and Down District Council, Mid Ulster District Council, Ards and North Down Borough Council and Armagh City and Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council area.

Around 50 applicants have now completed accredited carbon literacy training and are identifying what they can do to reduce their carbon footprint, save money and improve their area.

As part of their strategy to 2030, It starts with community, The National Lottery Community Fund has a clear focus on funding groups that consider environmental sustainability.

The National Lottery Community Fund - Sustainable Community Buildings | The National Lottery Community Fund (tnlcommunityfund.org.uk)

Enquiries: 028 9055 1455 or enquiries.ni@tnlcommunityfund.org.uk