Welcome 

Spring has arrived in theory, but in practice many of us found the cold weather and snow over the Easter break a shock. Let's hope that better weather is on the way. April also sees the start of the new year for Growing Care Farming and gives us chance to reflect on the last 12 months and consider what is in front of us. 

It goes without saying that the last 12 months have been difficult for everyone, and schools and the education sector have been no different. In light of the impact that Covid-19 has had on schools, the Department for Education have had to divert some funding earmarked for the Children & Nature Programme (which Growing Care Farming falls under) to prioritise continued education provision and recovery in schools. However, Defra secretary George Eustice and Minister Rebecca Pow remain supportive of the programme and appreciate the value of the work undertaken so far. We are grateful to them, and colleagues at Defra and Natural England, for taking steps to ensure that Growing Care Farming continues to be supported this year.

The future remains uncertain for many of us, but we look forward to sharing new resources and offering opportunities to get together – albeit virtually and not quite as often. This month sees us looking at ‘Starting with Care Farming’ and on 14th April our webinar will introduce Jim Bowen from Clynfyw Care Farm to share his experiences of starting up. We hope you can join us. Also, keep an eye on Twitter and take a look at our lovely new resources in our care farming ‘Knowledge Base’. This will be a work in progress this year and we are keen to hear from you about what you like and what you think is missing.

This newsletter covers:

• GCF Update
• GCF Question of the Month
• GCF Networking & Events
• England Wide Funding Opportunities
• England Wide Training Opportunities
• News & Opportunities (North)
• News & Opportunities (Central & East)
• News & Opportunities (South)
• Other News & Resources

GCF Update

Training

Our online GCF training continues, attracting both those who are new to care farming and those who have been delivering for a while. We have been hearing lots of positive feedback on these courses from attendees, and our four client-specific training courses (focused around care farming for Mental health; Learning Disability and ASD; Young people with anxiety and depression, and developing Alternative Provision on care farms) are also being well received. As with the other GCF training, all four of the client-specific courses will be repeated regularly throughout 2021 - more details can be found here.

Networking

During March we once more hosted our virtual monthly get together, the online care farming network meeting, attended by 24 care farmers/prospective care farmers plus three staff from the GCF team. As always there were some interesting and lively discussions on hot topics! Later in March we also presented an introduction to care farming for Lincolnshire Food Partnership members and Mark Coulman, Director of Hall Farm in Eastoft, spoke more specifically about their care farming journey and the work they do to support young people and adults in the Lincolnshire & Humber areas.

As you may know from previous newsletters, eight projects across England have been selected by Defra as pilots for Green Social Prescribing. The GCF team have been doing their best to make connections with the lead staff at each project in order to advocate on behalf of the sector and explain why care farming services should be included in as many of these projects as possible. Defra have now announced the contact details for each project, so if you wish to be involved we suggest you make contact with the relevant lead officer:

• Humber Coast and Vale Health and Care Partnership, Andrew Barber and Linsay Cunningham,  [email protected]
• South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw Integrated Care System, Communications and Engagement Team,    [email protected]
• Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care System, Nottingham Community and Voluntary Service (NCVS),    [email protected]
• Joined Up Care Derbyshire Sustainability and Transformation Partnership, Richard Murrell, Place Officer (DDCCG), [email protected]
• Greater Manchester Health & Social Care Partnership, Giles Wilmore, Associate Lead: People and Communities,    [email protected]
• Surrey Heartlands Health and Care Partnership,    Rebecca Brooker, [email protected]
• Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Sustainability and Transformation Partnership, Victoria Bleazard, Head of Mental Health and Learning Disabilities (Transformation),    [email protected].

This month we have three networking meetings lined up - our monthly online care farming network meeting will take place as usual on Thursday 22nd April, but we are looking forward to facilitating regionally based network meetings in the North East and North West, so do make sure to get your places booked at these if you wish to attend.

We do our very best at GCF to network with support organisations across England in order to identify and communicate to you the most useful funding, training and support opportunities in your area, however it's always a good idea to contact your local VCSE support organisation directly and make sure you are on their mailing list. Many also offer support with funding applications or may run networks into which you can link. If you are not sure who covers you area a good place to start is the NAVCA website - their interactive map highlights all the support organisations who are NAVCA members and you can link straight to their websites.

Resources

As mentioned earlier Hannah and the rest of the GCF team have been working hard behind the scenes developing new resources and making them much more accessible for our care farming ‘Knowledge Base’. We are adding new materials to this all the time and so please let us know what you think and what you'd like to see. 

Quality Assurance via the Code of Practice

Advocacy and promotion

March was an exciting month for the GCF Team, culminating with our online conference ‘Celebrating Care Farming: Adapting to Change’ on March 25th. The event saw the care farming and green care community come together virtually to showcase some of the fantastic work that has taken place on care farms this past year in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. We opened the event with our new ‘Celebrating care farming’ film, followed by an update on GCF project progress after which the ‘floor’ was then handed over to our care farmer chair and our fantastic guest speakers from care farms across the country. We heard of the challenges that the pandemic had presented, but numerous positive stories of how these care farms adapted to the situation and provided continued support for their service users and the wider community. The event then closed with an insightful Q&A session, allowing our speakers to provide valued advice to the sector. All in all, the event was uplifting and inspiring, and was met with positive feedback from all that attended. If you are interested in watching our recording of the event, you can do so here.

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Question of the month

This month's question is for all of the 'prospective' care farmers out there!  If you are thinking about, or are in the process of setting up a care farm or green care site - then please let us know about the biggest barriers or challenges that you are facing. This will help us to shape the support and resources we develop to make sure we are gettiing it right. This month we really have only one question so we'd be grateful if you could spare 5 minutes to answer it here.

Last month we asked existing care farmers about what resources, training or support you found useful when you were setting up and you told us how useful you found CEVAS therapeutic route training; SF&G factsheets; SF&G Facebook page; online resources from Care Farming UK, reading books on farming and setting up a smallholding, speaking to other care farmers, gathering a team of people together with different skills - to name but a few! Other suggestions for what could be useful include a dedicated helpline, emotional support and mentoring services.

GCF Networking & Events

Wednesday 14th April, 2.00pm - 3.00pm - GCF Themed Webinar; The Story of Clynfyw Care Farm

We are lucky to have secured an interesting speaker for April's GCF webinar. Jim Bowen is a care farmer living and working in Wales. Jim will speak about his journey in farming; from the family run organic farm, through various diversifications to what is now Clynfyw Care Farm CIC. Jim will talk openly about his pathway to starting up and the challenges faced along the way. Jim is keen to encourage other people to set up care farms and to improve community-focused social care, so to help capture his learning and advice he also became the author of a book ‘Care Farming for Beginners — a how to guide’. He hopes that his book, plus the regular talks he gives, will help enthuse and support others to develop their land for social and therapeutic purposes. Book here.

Tuesday 20th April, 3.30pm - 5.00pm - GCF North East Network Meeting

Following on from the GCF Going Live; Care Farming North East event which took place in January, this online network meeting will be facilitated by the Growing Care Farming project team and will provide an opportunity for anyone involved in care farming delivery or referral/commissioning sector in the North East to come together to make connections and discuss how we can work together to grow the sector in the region. Book here.

Thursday 22nd April, 3.30pm - 5.00pm - GCF Online Care Farming network meeting

These are our regular meetings providing peer support and an opportunity to connect online but 'face-to-face' with the GCF team and other care farmers/prospective care farmer. The meetings are open with no agenda, so can raise anything you would like to discuss on the day, or drop us an email beforehand if you'd prefer. Book here.

Wednesday 5th May, 4.00pm - 5.00pm - SF&G Members Gathering

A chance for SF&G members - particularly new members - to gather virtually, build connections and share support ideas in a safe, encouraging environment. Open to any SF&G member. Book here.

Wednesday 19th May, 3.30pm - 5.00pm - GCF North West Network Meeting

Following on from the GCF Going Live; Care Farming North West event which took place in February, this online network meeting will be facilitated by the Growing Care Farming project team and will provide an opportunity for anyone involved in care farming delivery or referral/commissioning sector in the North West to come together to make connections and discuss how we can work together to grow the sector in the region. Book here.

If you're interested in any GCF or SF&G webinars but can't attend on the day, please don't worry as all webinars are recorded and uploaded to our website here for GCF webinars or GCF YouTube channel, or here for the SF&G webinars.

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England Wide Funding Opportunities

The Fore (UK)

The Fore offers grants of up to £30,000, which can be spread over up to 3 years. The Fore is particularly looking to fund small organisations working with marginalised groups and led by people in the community that may have found it hard to access trust and foundation funding in the past.  They want to be different.  Their funding process is specifically designed to level the playing field and give no advantage to those with fundraising experience or connections. Any registered charity, CIC, CIO or Community Benefit Society with turnover of under £500,000 in the last financial year is eligible to apply. To apply for funding, organisations must first register some basic contact details at the start of each funding round. Registration opens 12th April with the deadline being 3rd May.

Read more - The Fore

Lloyds Bank Foundation (England & Wales)

We fund small and local charities, investing in their work helping people overcome complex social issues across England and Wales. We support charities with an annual income of £25,000 to £1 million with a proven track record of helping people on a journey of positive change through in-depth, holistic and person-centred support. We offer unrestricted funding, including around core costs, and tailored development support to help your charity be more effective. It only fund Charities or Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIOs) registered with the Charity Commission, and who also have at least one year of published accounts with an annual income of £25,000 to £1 million. Applications for funding will remain open throughout the year.

Read more - Lloyds Bank Foundation

Core costs for small charities

The Yapp Charitable Trust invites small charities to apply for grants of up to £3,000. Registered charities in England and Wales, with annual expenditure less than £40,000, can apply for funding for core costs and staffing.

Read more - The Yapp Charitable Trust

Magic Little Grants

Localgiving are offering £500 grants to charities and community groups in their first year of operation or with a turnover of less than £250,000. The application process should only take 15 minutes.

Read more - Magic Little Grants

The Good Exchange Community

Any registered charity or other group that operates for public benefit in the UK can use The Good Exchange to apply for fundinq and fundraise for a recognised charitable purpose, attract donations and raise funds. To get started simply register your Applicant Organisation on The Good Exchange platform and complete the single online application form. Applicant Organisations will need to include details of the project for which funding is required (including a description of the project, the goals, expected impact and benefits, costs and the amount of funding needed). Once submitted and approved, the project is published on the platform and matching begins. Live projects will be automatically matched and short-listed for Funders on the platform according to their specific grant-giving criteria.

Read more - The Good Exchange

Calor Rural Community Fund

Help power your community with the Calor Rural Community Fund. Find out if you project is eligible here. There will be  11 x £5,000 grants, 6 x £2,500 grants and 5 x £1,000 grants to the winning rural projects. As well as an £85,000 funding pot, Calor is working with Crowdfunder to offer a platform to raise awareness of the work you’re doing for your local area. You’ll have more tools to generate support and raise donations, to help get your community projects off to a flying start! Grants must be no more than 50% of the project costs. Deadline for submission is 21st April.

Read more - Calor Rural Com Fund

Armed Forces Covenant Fund - Force for Change Programme

The Force for Change Programme will award grants of up to £10,000 for community projects that reduce isolation and promote integration; supporting post-Covid recovery in local Armed Forces communities affected by isolation. Projects must be able to show one of these two main themes: which are:

1. Empowering Armed Forces communities to become more engaged in their local area.
2. Providing opportunities for isolated members of the Armed Forces community to take part in activities that improve general wellbeing.

To be eligible to apply, organisations must be an established registered charity or community interest company (CIC) with substantial recent experience of supporting Armed Forces communities. Projects must start within one month of being awarded a grant and be completed in a year or less. Deadlines: Round 1 closes on 12th April 2021 by midday, Round 2 closes on 2nd August 2021 by midday and Round 3 closes on 9th November 2021 by midday.

Read more - AFC Force for Change

Grants for Animal Welfare Charities (UK)

Animal Welfare Charities offering sanctuary, rehoming and rehabilitation to animals in the UK and/or internationally can apply for a grants of up to £35,000. Organisations involved with the conservation of wildlife, the rescue, rehabilitation and (where possible) release of animals are also eligible to apply. The funding supports general running costs or capital purchases. Apply for this round by 1st May 2021. The Trust also offers a separate Covid emergency fund for those with less than 6 months cash reserves.

Read more - Jean Salisbury Trust

Steel Charitable Trust

Grants of up to £25,000 are available from the Steel Charitable Trust to registered charities in the UK working in the areas of arts and heritage, education, environment, health, or social and economic disadvantage.

Read more - Steel Charitable Trust

The Hilden Charitable Trust

In the UK Hilden’s grant making priorities are:

• Homelessness
• Penal Affairs
• Asylum Seekers and Refugees
• Community Based Initiatives for Disadvantaged Young People Aged 16 to 25.

Average grants are £5,000.  Hilden will consider funding for more than one year. The next closing date for applications is Friday 16 April 2021.

Read more - Hilden Charitable Trust

The Bernard Sunley Foundation

The Bernard Sunley Foundation awards grants for four main funding themes: Community, Education, Health and Social Welfare.

The foundation will fund:

• Capital projects which include new buildings, extensions, refurbishments and recreational spaces.
• New minibuses that provide a vital service to those most in need in their local community.
• Churches and other places of worship with a strong, secular community focus.
• Charities or CIOs (Charitable Incorporated Organisations) registered in England and Wales.    
• Certain organisations with ‘exempt’ status which are places of worship, specialist schools, scout and guide groups, hospices, museums, galleries, heritage centres, housing associations and community benefit societies.

Trustees decide on the amount to be given so do not specify an amount unless there is a good reason for doing so – for example, you may only need a specific amount to meet your fundraising target. To apply complete the online eligibility checker and if successful, you will automatically be directed to the application form.

Read more - BS Foundation

Charity & Community Group Covid Hardship Fund

From 1st March 2021 to 31st May 2021, the Arnold Clark Community Fund will be open to all UK registered charities and local community groups who need financial assistance due to the coronavirus pandemic. At the end of each month, 500 applications can receive grants of up to £1000. One application per organisation. Unsuccessful monthly applications will be rolled into the following month(s). Apply online.

Read more - Arnold Clark Foundation

Launch It

The Opportunity Fund pilot is a partnership between the Paul Hamlyn Foundation and the Blagrave Trust to directly support 8 young entrepreneurs. The program will run for 18 months from May 2021 to October 2022. An opportunity for 8 people to launch their own business with a £1000 investment, a monthly salary of £651 and ongoing business support. You must be aged 18-25 years old and can be based anywhere within the UK. Training & support will be delivered virtually as part of the 18-month business development program.

Read more - Launch It

Arnold Clark Community Fund

Grants are available for UK-based charities and community interest organisations to support projects that promote the mental health and wellbeing of children and young adults.

Read more - Arnold Clark Com Fund

Funding for Organisations Connecting Local Communities

The focus of the Barchester’s Charitable Foundation is about connecting or re-connecting people with others in their local community. Applications are supported that combat loneliness and enable people to be active and engaged. In particular they support older people over the age of 65, and adults with a physical or learning disability and/or mental health problems. Applications are favoured that help improve people’s mobility, independence and quality of life. Grants range from £100 up to £5,000, with the recent average grant being approximately £775. They are particularly keen to provide grants which enable groups and individuals to mix, join in social activities and reduce their danger of isolation and loneliness.

Read more - BHC Foundation

The Foyle Foundation (England, excluding London & SE)

The Foyle Foundation is an independent grantmaking trust that distributes grants to UK charities. The Foundation does not support applications from individuals. We welcome applications from across the country and encourage applications from all areas outside London and the South East. The Foundation supports charities in three main areas:

• Main Grants Scheme, supporting charities whose core work covers Arts and Learning.
• The Foyle School Library Scheme.
• Small Grants Scheme, supporting charities in all fields with a turnover of less than £150,000 per annum.

Applications are accepted all year round, with no deadlines. 

Read more - Foyle Foundation

Ocado Foundation for Good (UK)

Ocado has launched the Ocado Foundation for Good with BizGive, to support charity and fundraising activities across the UK.The programme will support ‘the many rather than the few’ by providing grants of up to £1,000 to charities, community organisations, community interest companies, academic institutions, and local authorities for community projects which focus their efforts on three core areas:

• skills for the future
• natural resources
• responsible sourcing.

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, for volunteering, only applications for digital volunteering will be accepted. Applications can be made at any time until the 31st December 2021.

Read more - Ocado Foundation for Good

Funding to Support Disadvantaged Young People and Offenders (UK)

The Weavers' Company, a textile-related, charitable and sociable organisation, has announced that the next closing date for its grants programme is the 30th April 2021. Small, registered charities can apply for grants of up to £15,000 for projects working with:

• Supporting offenders and ex-offenders, particularly those under 30 years of age
• Helping disadvantaged young people.

To be eligible for funding, local organisations such as those working in a village, estate or small town should normally have an income of less than £100,000. Those working across the UK or in larger areas should normally have an income of not more than £250,000. Grants are usually given for one year. Applicants must show that they have investigated other sources of funding and made plans for the future, which should include replacement funding if appropriate. For further advice and information about the Company’s Charitable Grants or to receive an application form  by  e-mail,  please  contact  Anne  Howe,  Charities  Officer  Tel:    020  7606  1155  /  e-mail:  [email protected]. To apply for a grant, complete the application form online, then print the form and mail it to The Weavers' Company together with your supporting documents.

Read more - The Weavers Charitable Trust

The Stanley Smith Horticultural Trust (UK)

The Trust offers grants of up to £5,000 (average grant size £3,000 – £4,000) to charities, community and voluntary organisations and institutions for projects that meet the objectives of the Trust:

• to promote horticulture
• to promote the conservation of the physical and natural environment by promoting biological diversity
• to promote the creation, development, preservation and maintenance of gardens (preference will normally, but not exclusively, be given to gardens accessible to the public)
• the advancement of horticultural education.

Read more - Stanley Smith Horticultural Trust

The Green Hall Foundation

The Green Hall Foundation’s objective is to sustainably improve lives among the sick, the elderly, the disabled and the disadvantaged, particularly in the UK. Grants of between £1,000 to £10,000 are available to registered charities to fund special projects or the purchase of equipment that will benefit their charitable purposes. The next application cycle is due to open at 9am on 1st September 2021 and close when 100 applications have been received. This round is only for charities with an income of £250,000 or less.

Read more - Green Hall Foundation

NFU Mutual Charitable Trust

Charities working in rural areas to support the education of young people or relief of poverty can apply for grants of up to £50,000. The funding is available for mainly larger projects that would have a significant impact upon rural economies. Projects supported in the past have ranged from city farms, Federations of Young Farmers Clubs and farming Community Networks. The funding is being made available through the NFU Mutual Charitable Trust. Deadline is 29th May.

The NFU Mutual Charitable Trust also provides small grants of up to £250 through the NFU Mutual's Community Giving Fund which supports worthwhile community events, charities, schools and community group activities that are local to their operations.

Read more - NFU Mutual

Bursaries and grants available for horticultural projects

Here is a useful list on the Chartered Institute of Horticulture website.

Read more - Chartered Institute of Horticulture

Veterans Association grants.

Grants up to £30,000 (spread over up to three years if you wish) can be given, for organisations which are helping past or present members of the British Armed Forces, operationally qualified seafarers, and their immediate dependants, who are in need. Projects can include those that reduce homelessness, increase employment, provide welfare and medical support, increase confidence and social integration, as well as reducing dependence on alcohol and drugs. There is no deadline. Find out more details on the Veterans Association website, where you will also find an eligibility test.

Read more - The Veterans Association

Cameron Grants

Seed funding grants (up to £2500) are available for UK based charities and other not-for-profit groups and organisations to trial new and innovative ways to support people in the UK who are suffering with poor mental health.

Read more - Cameron Grants

Register now for the Social Entrepreneurs Programme

Register interest in The Lloyds Bank and Bank of Scotland Social Entrepreneurs Programme (opens soon), jointly funded by The National Lottery Community Fund. They are offering free learning, a grant (between £1,000 and £7,000) and a mentor. The intake is from October 2021 to October 2022.

Read more - School for Social Entrepreneurs

Ann Rylands Small Donations Programme

Funding for UK based charitable organisations that work in the following areas of interest:

• Serious illness - to assist many fundraising initiatives by charities and charitable institutions which help those suffering from serious illness. The needs addressed include nursing, residential facilities, assessment and treatment, and support and advice.
• Disability - to make life easier for the disabled, to improve their quality of life, and to promote integration with the able bodied.
• Disadvantage - to help those less fortunate in society to enjoy new experiences, and to provide support to help them to lead more fulfilling lives and to realise their potential.  
• Overcoming adversity - for work with people experiencing particular difficulties in their lives, who are vulnerable and in need of support.

Funding is intended to support registered charities that will use the grant for a specific project of a humanitarian nature or to supplement their core funding. The scheme aims to support charities that share the organisation's vision of helping sick and disadvantaged people. Eligible organisations must have registered charity status, be based in the UK and use the funds for domestic purposes. Grant amount: Up to £1,500. Applications are accepted at any time.

Read more - Ann Rylands Small Donations

Allen Lane Foundation

The Allen Lane Foundation funds small registered charities, voluntary groups, and charitable organisations that work with seven particular beneficiary groups:

• Asylum seekers and refugees
• Gypsies and Travellers
• Migrant communities
• Offenders and ex-offenders
• Older people
• People experiencing mental health problems
• People experiencing violence or abuse.

Please apply as soon as you are ready.

Read more - Allen Lane Foundation

Grants online - Full list of Coronavirus funding including regional and national.

This list compiles all current coronavirus funding, so it's worth having a look to see if there is anything you could apply for locally or nationally

Read more - Grants Online

Postcode Places Trust

This grant-giving body is looking to make the process more flexible to better serve smaller charities and good causes. With this in mind there will be a funding round opening each month from February until October. Each round will close once a maximum number of bids have been submitted. Once a round has closed organisations that didn't get to apply are encouraged to apply in the following month's round.

Funding Themes:

• Improving mental wellbeing;
• Enabling community participation in the arts;
• Preventing or reducing the impact of poverty;
• Supporting marginalised groups and promoting equality;
• Improving biodiversity & green spaces;
• Enabling participation in physical activity;
• Responding to the climate emergency & promoting sustainability;
• Increasing community access to outdoor space.

Funding up to £2,000 for unregistered charities and community groups; up to £20,000 for registered charities.

Read more - Postcode Places Trust

The Matthew Good Foundation

Grants for Good is the foundation's first fund that invites charities, community interest companies and social entrepreneurs to apply to them directly for funding. Every three months, they'll share £10,000 between 5 shortlisted projects that have a positive impact on communities, people or the environment. Funding will be awarded every three months, in April, July, October and January, with an application deadline of the 15th of the month before.

Read more - Grants for Good

CLA Charitable Trust

The CLA Charitable Trust is dedicated to helping those who are disabled or disadvantaged to visit and participate in learning experiences about the countryside and the great news is that they have a record of giving grants to care farms. The aims of the Trust, and the criteria for funding applications, are:

1. To promote education about the countryside for young people from towns and cities and those who are disadvantaged.
2. To provide facilities for those who are disabled, who have learning difficulties or who are in some way disadvantaged to enjoy the benefits of the countryside.
3. To support the advancement of education in agriculture, horticulture and conservation for disadvantaged people, particularly the young.

Trustees meet three times a year with 2020 meetings scheduled in March, July and November. All completed applications need to be sent to the Trust Administrator at least one month before the meeting.

Read more - CLA Charitable Trust

Barchester Healthcare Foundation

The foundation's mission is to make a difference to the lives of older people and other adults with a physical or mental disability; supporting practical solutions that lead to increased personal independence, self-sufficiency and dignity.

They fund:-

•     Older people 65+
•     Adults (18+) with a physical disability
•     Adults (18+) with a mental disability
•     Individuals living in England, Scotland or Wales
•     Small community groups and charities based in England, Scotland or Wales.

The foundation favour applications that encourage a person’s mobility, independence and improved quality of life. Their grants range from £100 up to £5,000. Apply via the online form on the website. Applications can be submitted at anytime. Allow 10 weeks for a decision.

Read more - Barchester Healthcare Foundation

Baily Thomas Charitable Fund

Grants are available for voluntary and community organisations who support those affected by learning disabilities.  Funding can be used for both capital and revenue costs. Application for funding is normally considered for capital and revenue costs and for both specific projects and for general running/core costs. Grants are awarded for amounts from £250 and depend on a number of factors including the purpose, the total funding requirement and the potential sources of other funds including, in some cases, match funding. Applications for small grants are made in the same way as general grants and you must complete the online application form. Such appeals are usually considered on a monthly basis, or as demand decrees. For grants over £10,000 a 3 months lead in is required, so applications received by 1st June will be considered at the September meeting.

Read more - Baily Thomas Fund

Funding for Projects that Work with disabled children and their families

Through the True Colours Trust UK Small Grants Programme, charities and projects with a charitable purpose can apply for funding that work with disabled children and young people; children and young people with life-limiting conditions; and their families.

Grants of up to £10,000 are usually available for;

• hydrotherapy pools
• multi-sensory rooms
• mini buses
• young carers projects
• sibling projects
• bereavement support
• specialised play equipment / access to play and leisure
• family support / parent-led peer support, etc.

Applications can be submitted at any time.

Read more - True Colours Trust

The Cruach Trust

The CruachTrust is a small charity which provides financial support for gardeners, retired gardeners and for preserving gardens throughout the United Kingdom has announced that the next deadline for applications is the 10th September 2021.   The funding is available to registered or recognised charities, societies, trusts or other bodies. There is a preference for small local and national charities. The trustees also have discretion to make donations to a wide range of organisations in the UK and abroad, with charitable objectives of whatever nature.

Previous projects supported have included:

• Supporting  a  horticultural  apprenticeship,  arranged  through  the  Royal  Botanic  Garden Edinburgh.
• Grants for gardens, wildlife and the natural environment.
• Grants for music, the arts and cultural charities.
• Grants for medical research and support.
• Grants for organisations working with children, the elderly and vulnerable.

The trustees also have discretion to make donations to a wide range of organisations in the UK and abroad, with charitable objectives of whatever nature.

Read more - The Cruach Trust

The National Lottery Community Fund

Although it's main programmes were closed during 2020 in order to focus on the Covid-19 relief funding streams, NLCF has re-opened a number of it's core programmes this year.

Read more - TNL Community Fund

Warburtons community grants up to £400

Warburtons' financial giving programme is aimed at supporting projects, activities and organisations that have charitable aims and will be of real direct benefit to families. The support they provide should reach charitable organisations delivering work that aligns to their three key priorities – Health, Place and Skills - and have a direct and tangible impact on families. Quarterly deadlines in November, February, May and August.

Read more - Warburtons Community Grants

The Soil Association Small Grants (Birmingham, Stoke on Trent, Walsall, Leicester City, Leicestershire, Nottingham City, Hull, Calderdale, Kirklees, Sheffield, Rochdale, Salford & Wigan only)

Small grants of £150 to support community-led food growing, cooking and sharing activity and Get Togethers. For projects that bring people of different backgrounds and/or ages together to strengthen and connect communities.
Deadline for this round is 12th March. Next round is 17th June.

Read more - Food For Life Get Togethers

The Henry Smith Charity (Gloucestershire (Inc. Bristol and South Gloucestershire), Hampshire (Inc. Southampton and the Isle of Wight), Kent, Leicestershire, Suffolk, Surrey, East Sussex and West Sussex)

The Henry Smith Charity County Grants programme is open for applications in selected counties. Grants from £500 to £20,000 are available to registered charities with income of £250,000 or less (up to £1m if working countywide) for work benefiting groups experiencing social and/or economic disadvantage and work in areas of high deprivation. Please note decisions take around 6 months.

Read more - Henry Smith Charity

The A B Charitable Trust

The A B Charitable Trust (ABCT) was set up in 1990 by Yves and Anne Bonavero. Its purpose was to support unpopular causes that championed human dignity, and to focus on small and medium-sized charities working close to the ground. Applications are particularly welcomed from charities working to support:

•     migrants, refugees and asylum seekers
•     criminal justice and penal reform
•     human rights, particularly access to justice

Deadline: The trustees meet four times a year, in January, April, July & October.  Deadlines are 4-6 weeks prior to the meeting dates.  Please see the latest deadlines on the website.

Read more - AB Charitable Trust

D'Oyly Carte Charitable Trust

The D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust funds UK registered charities operating in the fields of the advancement of the arts, health and medical welfare and environmental protection or improvement. The majority of the Trust’s grants are single grants over a one-year period. Occasionally longer-term grants (usually up to 3 years) are agreed by the Trustees when deemed to have particular merit. Next deadline - 16th June 2021.

Read more - D'Oyly Carte Charitable Trust

Garfield Weston Foundation

Grants are available to charitable organisations in the UK for a wide range of projects in the areas of welfare, youth, community, arts, faith, environment, education, health, and museums and heritage. Grants can be used for capital, revenue (core costs) or project work. Applications for Regular Grants (under £100,000) are reviewed by our Trustees on a regular basis and are dealt with in order of receipt. Apply at any time.

Read more - Garfield Weston Foundation

Tesco Bags of Help

This scheme is still open for new applications to support local projects focused on children and young people. This theme could cover a large mixture of local causes.  Examples include:

• Mental Health support for children and young people – COVID-19 has had an impact on the health and well being of children, particularly mental health.
• Outdoor activities – sport & green space provision for children & young people including use of green spaces support well being through physical activities.
• Non statutory educational activities – to support, widen and rebuild educational support networks for children, web based activities.
• Sport, exercise, and arts.
• Young carers– support for young carers as a result of current and continued isolation.
• Bereavement counselling – offering support to children that have lost family members and support networks due to COVID-19.
• Child poverty – to support organisations that offer family support that are further impacted by COVID-19, which could include food/educational packs, free activities.
• Vulnerable at risk children – the pandemic has impacted vulnerable children with challenging home & family circumstances.

Voluntary/community organisations, registered charities, schools, health bodies, Parish/Town councils, social enterprises, Community Interest Companies, community councils, local authorities and social housing organisations can apply. Take the eligibility quiz below which will be followed by the application if you are eligible.

Read more - Bags of Help Eligibility Quiz

Charles Hayward Foundation - Funding Programme For Older People.

The Trust is interested in supporting programmes which show some creativity in improving the quality of life of older people:

• Programmes aiming to alleviate isolation & depression in older people, including informal day care or social
• Physical & recreational activities
• Programmes which mainly use volunteers to give practical help, assistance and support for older people living in their own homes
• Programmes addressing the emotional and practical needs of older carers
• Programmes designed to meet the specific needs of people with dementia.

Small Grants are up to £7000 and you can apply any time. Charles Hayward Foundation also provides main grants for projects related to justice, heritage, overseas work and older people.

Read More - Charles Hayward Foundation

BlueSpark Foundation

The BlueSpark Foundation are offering grants of up to £5,000 for schools, community groups, clubs, societies and other not-for-profit organisations to fund or part-fund projects that aim to improve the education and development of children and young people by means of educational, cultural, sporting or other activities. Apply anytime.

Read more - Blue Spark Foundation

Edward Gostling Foundation

Support to improve life opportunities for disadvantaged people. Their 'Vision' is that people living with a physical and/or mental disability or a long-term illness should have, as many as possible, of the same choices, quality of life opportunities and aspirations as others more fortunate than themselves. To help them achieve this goal they provide grants to other charities with a gross annual income of £5M or less and operating front line services supporting this beneficiary group. Two grants are available:

• Small unrestricted grants to £5,000 for charities with income under £3m needing urgent support.
• Capital grants open to all charities with a gross annual income of £5M or less wishing to apply for a grant in excess of £5,000 towards the cost of funding a new project.

Apply anytime. They aim to decide all applications made under the Small Grants Programme within 1 month; Capital Grants Programme, they target a decision on 90% of grant applications under £25K within 2 months of receipt and 100% within 3 months.

Read more - Edward Gostling Foundation

Betty Messenger Charitable Foundation

Grants of £100 - £1000 are available to 'small charities (turnover of less than £1m) who are temporarily struggling but otherwise viable'. It's a rolling programme of support, the deadline for applications is the 20th of each month. You have to be a registered charity to apply.

Read more - Betty Messenger CF

The Archer Trust

Small charities can apply for grant of between £500 and £4,000 to support a defined group of needy or deserving people, for instance those with physical or mental disabilities or the disadvantaged.  The Trust favours organisations that make good use of volunteers and that operate in areas of high unemployment and deprivation.  You must apply in writing and there are no deadlines, but the trustees only meet twice a year, normally March and September.

Read more - The Archer Trust

Finnis Scott Foundation

Charities and charitable organisations, including school Parent Teacher Associations, are eligible to apply for grants of up to £10,000 to support projects relating to horticulture, plant sciences, fine art and art history. Grants awarded may cover capital or revenue expenditure. Preference is given to smaller organisations where the grant will have a significant impact. Applications need to be received at least 4 weeks in advance of meetings to be considered.

Read more - Finnis Scott Foundation

The Volant Charitable Trust

The Covid-19 Response Fund aims to help charities in the UK to alleviate social deprivation, helping vulnerable people affected by the coronavirus pandemic.Registered charities, community interest companies, community organisations and social enterprises based and working in the UK may apply.

To be eligible, applicants must:

• Be constituted (have a governing document).
• Have a bank account in the name of the group with at least two unrelated signatories.
• Have at least three unrelated members on their management committee.
• Have committee meetings with a quorum of at least three unrelated members present.
• Be at least two unrelated cheque signatories.
• Activity must be specifically related to the Covid-19 pandemic and can be for project and administrative costs, as the Trust does not usually fund capital expenditure. However, applications for medical equipment and the production or distribution of PPE may be considered.

Deadlines: Round 2-31st July 2021.

Read more - The Volant Trust

David Solomons Charitable Trust

The David Solomons Charitable Trust offers grants to registered charities supporting people with learning difficulties. To be eligible for funding, organisations working with both physically and mentally disabled people must be able to show that at least 75% of those supported have learning difficulties. Grants tend to be in the range of £500 to £1,000.

Applications must be made in writing to Mrs Elizabeth Prior, David Solomons Charitable Trust, 2 Highfield Road, Collier Row, Romford, RM5 3RA. Telephone: 01708 502 488. Email: [email protected].

The Astor Foundation

The Astor Foundation provides grants to registered charities in the UK working in the following areas:

• Children and youth groups
• The disabled
• The countryside
• The arts
• Sport
• Carers groups
• Animal welfare.

Preference is given to assisting with the launching and initial stages of new projects and filling in gaps/shortfalls.Grants are generally between £250 and £1500. Applications should be in writing to the secretary and must include the applicant’s organisation most recent accounts and an annual report if available. Contact details: Trust Secretary, Astor Foundation, PO BOX 168, Bideford, EX39 6WB. Telephone: 07901 737488. Email: [email protected].

Boshier-Hinton Foundation

The Boshier-Hinton Foundation awards grants to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities, learning difficulties or sensory impairment, and their families. Requests to support projects which are innovative and developmental are particularly welcomed. Registered charitable trusts, community charities and institutions providing services, facilities or advocacy for children or adults with special educational or other needs in the UK can apply for grants up to £2,000.

All organisations that are awarded a grant must confirm that they have in place Health and Safety, Vulnerable Persons, DBS and Equal Opportunity policies, as appropriate. Applicants should include a copy of their most recent balance sheet or audited accounts, showing funds received from all sources, with the application form.

Read more - Boshier-Hinton Foundation

Peter Cruddas Foundation

Registered charities in England and Wales can apply for funding for projects that help disadvantaged and disengaged young people in England and Wales.  Priority is given to projects designed to help disadvantaged and disengaged young people in the age range of 16 to 30, to pursue pathways to Education, Training and Employment with the ultimate aim of helping them to become financially independent. There is no minimum or maximum amount and projects can be funded for more than one year. The next closing date for applications to the Peter Cruddas Foundation is the 1st September 2021.

Read more - Peter Cruddas Foundation

Grants to cover running costs for small charities.

Grants of £300 to £2,000 are available to small charities to help them to pay for with running and core costs. The funding is available to registered charities (CICs are excluded) working in the areas of literature, arts and heritage; social welfare; environmental causes and animal welfare; education and training; and healthcare.

The funding is being made available through the Marsh Christian Trust. The Trust focuses on providing funding which could help small organisations pay for various running costs, such as volunteer expenses, training days, equipment maintenance and other core outgoings. Their funding strategy is to provide long-term core funding for such costs, as they understand that many of the organisations they support depend on unrestricted income in order to meet their operating needs. Grants are unrestricted and range from £300 - £2,000. Successful new applicants can expect to receive a grant at the lower end of this scale.

Applications are considered on the basis of the organisation’s financial position, performance against charitable aims and objectives and the ratio of voluntary income against fundraising expenses. The Trust aims to build long-standing relationships with successful applicants and, subject to an annual review, continue its support over time.There are no application deadlines.

Read more - Marsh Christian Trust

Grants to support those with mental health issues

The Gamesys Foundation is a newly formed charity, set up by the Gamesys Group to alleviate Mental Health Issues. Funding is available to charities and other not-for-profit organisations with an income of more than £50,000 who support individuals suffering from mental health issues, as well as those who focus on research in the mental health field. The Foundation will also consider funding for other types of organisation so long as they can be proven to have an impact with regard to mental health, support, and treatment. Funding comes from both corporate contributions and employee initiatives. There is no minimum or maximum grant amount and applications can be made at any time.

Read more - Gamesys Foundation

The Grocers' Charity

 The Grocers’ Charity typically provides one-off grants up to £5000 for UK. registered charities working in the areas outlined below. Please follow the links to read the specific criteria for each;

• Relief of poverty
• The Elderly
• Disability
• Health
• Military
• Heritage and the Arts
• Environment
• Children & Young People

Deadlines for an initial enquiry: 9th March (decisions are in June) or 10th September (decisions are in December).

Read more - The Grocers' Charity

The Douglas Arter Foundation

This Foundation offers grants to charitable organisations working in the UK for projects to aid the physically or mentally disabled. Previous grants have been for between £500 and £2,000, with the majority being given in the £250 to £500 range. All grants are made on a one off basis with no ongoing commitment. Applications must be made in writing and should include a copy of the organisation's most recent accounts. Contact details: The Secretary, Douglas Arter Foundation, Fern Villa, Melksham Road, Patterdown, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN15 2NR. Telephone: 01249 448252.

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England Wide Training Opportunities

PHE launches new Psychological First Aid training

Public Health England (PHE) has developed online training for those supporting children and young people affected by COVID-19. The course covers how to provide practical and emotional support to children and young people affected by emergencies or crisis situations. The training is aimed at all frontline workers such as teachers, health and social workers, charity and community volunteers and anyone who cares for or is regularly in contact with children and young people up to 25 years of age. It is free and takes about 3 hours to complete. For more information, visit Future Learn.

Free Risk management training

In SCVO’s Virtual ‘Introduction to Risk Management Webinar’ they will explore some of the basic risks to an organisation together with potential consequences and what actions can be implemented. The free webinar will take place via a Zoom Conference Call on Thursday 15th April 2021, 10am – 12pm.

Read more - Risk Management Training

Free Nature Connectedness course

This free online course offered by the University of Derby provides an opportunity to learn about Nature Connectedness and the value of having a strong relationship with nature. Made up of eight short units, the course encourages you to actively consider our relationships with nature, for well-being as well as for the longer-term benefit of nature and the natural world. During the course, you will look at why nature connectedness matters and how it can be improved. You’ll learn about the Pathways to Nature Connectedness Framework and will look at how you can use this framework to positively impact our connections with nature, pro-nature and environmental behaviours and our overall well-being.

Read more - Free Nature connectedness course

Directory of Social Change training courses

DSC are running a series of training courses on a huge range of subjects. These are not free but costs are on a sliding scale. Courses include income diversification, communicating to influence, dynamic leadership, proposal writing, etc.

Read more - DSC courses

ACAS training

ACAS, the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service offer a range of management, employment law and HR training courses (run remotely using Zoom).

Read more - ACAS training

Free Prevent training

Have your staff and volunteers undergone Prevent training yet? Although primarily aimed at those in formal education it provides useful insight into potential signs and symptoms of radicalisation using two different case studies.

Read more - Prevent

Free Dementia Training through Dementia Adventure

Several of our care farms were involved in the ‘Dementia Adventure in a box’ project that finished last year and have experienced the really useful dementia skills training first-hand. If you are looking to deliver services to people living with dementia in future, Dementia Adventure are currently offering a couple of free training sessions that we think you might find useful. We recommend that you start with the 2-hour online course ‘Thinking Differently About Dementia’. Once you have completed this you can move on to their online training taster session – ‘Time in nature’. There has been a good take up from care farmers so far so we thought we’d spread the word!

Free courses in England

This website provides access to over 50 free courses across the country. Some of the most popular courses include awareness of mental health problems, understanding autism, understanding children and young people's mental health, mental health first aid and behaviour that challenges.

Read more - Free courses

Fully Funded Learning Curve Courses available across most of England (excluding Liverpool City Region and Bristol/Gloucester)

Learning Curve Group have a wide range of training courses including an updated infection control course, behaviour that challenges, children & young people's mental health, dementia care, learning disabilities, understanding autism and many more. These courses are available fully funded to learners who are;

• 19+
• have lived in the UK or EU for at least 3 years
• are not on any other government funded programme
• who have not previously accessed for funding for the same course

For a full list of the courses available visit www.LearningCurveGroup.co.uk. For more information on how to sign yourself or your staff up to these courses please contact Stephen Hind at Learning curve on [email protected] with how many people you are looking to put forward.

FutureLearn Free Courses

Learn 100% online with world-class universities and industry experts. Develop your career, learn a new skill or pursue your hobbies with flexible online courses. Categories include business and management, healthcare and medicine, nature and environment and psychology and mental health.

Read more - Future Learn

Health Education England - Free online courses

HEE have a huge range of online training available free for NHS professionals and those working or volunteering to improve the population's health.

Read more - HEE courses

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North - News & Opportunities

Gateshead Cares

‘Gateshead Cares’ is a collaboration primarily between health and care organisations that work together at Gateshead ‘place’. Partners are finalising a formal alliance agreement that aims to embed those collaborative working arrangements to improve health and care in Gateshead. The VCS, of course, makes a significant contribution and we want to develop an ongoing dialogue with, and participation in, the emerging system priorities. This event will provide an overview of progress to date and an opportunity to discuss next steps with colleagues’. You can register to join the meeting on Thursday 29 April 2021, 2.30pm - 3.30pm (online - Zoom) here.

Free Training (North East, particularly Newcastle & Gateshead)

Booking is currently open for Connected Voice's training sessions in their 2021 programme up to July. Sessions include;

• Improving health equality for BAME people and communities, 22 April, 1pm - 2.30pm
• Climate Emergency: Making practical changes in your organisation, 22 April, 1pm - 2:30pm
• Introduction to Safeguarding, 6 May, 1pm - 2.30pm
• Understanding how advocacy works and how it can benefit the people you work with, 20 May, 1pm - 2.30pm
• Budgeting and using digital financial management resources, 27 May, 1pm - 2.30pm
• Funding - Developing a strategic approach, 24 June 1pm -2.30pm
• Funding: Effective Bid-writing, 29 June 1pm - 2:30pm
• Introduction to Safeguarding, 8 July, 1pm - 2.30pm
• Climate emergency - Making practical changes in your organisation, 13 July, 1pm - 2.30pm

The training is currently delivered via Zoom and open to VCSE organisations serving Gateshead or Newcastle, although their safeguarding sessions are open to organisations from across the North East.

Read more - Training & events

Free support for VCSE organisations via 'Skills for Growth SME Support' programme (Greater Manchester)

Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) organisations have been hit hard by the economic and operational consequences of the pandemic. A new service has been launched to help organisations come back stronger from the challenges presented during the pandemic, this time better equipped and better prepared with the skills for the future. Skills for Growth - SME Support is a fully funded, tailored service offering one-to-one, personalised and impartial advice from skills coaches, wellbeing champions and change specialists to help organisations grow through re-shaping, developing talent and enhancing team performance. Available to all VCSE organisations in Greater Manchester with more than 5 employees as well as individuals, the service is delivered by Growth Company (GC) Business Growth Hub in partnership with Greater Manchester Centre for Voluntary Organisation (GMCVO), funded through the European Social Fund and commissioned by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA).

Read more - Skills for Growth

Stuart Halbert Foundation

Grants are available to UK registered charities and other charitable organisations for projects that support disadvantaged people, animal welfare, the Armed Forces, or the local community. They give grants in the Tynedale Valley and beyond. The Trustees of the Stuart Halbert Foundation meet regularly to assess all requests for support. Find out if you are eligible.

Read more - Stuart Halbert Foundation

Ways to Wellbeing Small Grants Fund (York)

Ways to Wellbeing have just received the news that they will be funded for another year through the Better Care Fund. They will continue to develop their work with York District Hospital, Foss Park and the Community Safety Hub, and will soon be providing details of their Small Grants Fund and how to apply. They are also able to deliver free Social Prescribing training. Please get in touch with them to find out more: [email protected].

Free training on mental health and suicide awareness (North Tyneside)

As part of the North East & North Cumbria Suicide Prevention Network, North Tyneside Council is offering a range of FREE mental health courses for people who work in the borough. The free courses cover different issues from emotional resilience to suicide prevention and are available to anyone working in North Tyneside.They aim to raise awareness and increase confidence and competence of participants to be able to support those who maybe struggling with their mental health.To book or for further information please contact: Email: [email protected] Tel: 0191 477 4545.

Junior soldiers ready to volunteer – can you use them?

Do you have any volunteering opportunities available for groups of Junior soldiers aged 16 – 17? The Army Foundation College in Harrogate has 198 Junior soldiers (aged between 16 and 17) who are undertaking the Duke Of Edinburgh Award. To achieve their award before they graduate in August they would like to offer their time to help in the local community. Ideally they are looking for volunteering opportunities for groups of up to 48 that can be broken down into groups of no less than 12 Junior soldiers to take place on weekends, if possible within one hour’s drive of Harrogate.  The Army will provide transport, supervision, food and refreshments. An organisation would just need to provide technical supervision if required, access to any tools, PPE and an environment that considers Covid safety; preferably outdoors. If you have any opportunities, however big or small, please get in touch with Andrew Clayton DofE Coordinator/Administrator, on 01423 813216  extension 4216, [email protected]. They would love to hear from you!

Environmental Entrepreneurs Programme (West Midlands, Yorkshire & NW)

The School for Social Entrepreneurs, in partnership with the Co Op foundation, are running the Environmental Entrepreneurs programme for a second year – helping organisations with environmental aims to grow, become more robust and increase their impact. Do you run a social enterprise or community based organisation that delivers an environmental impact? Register interest in the 2021-22 programme now. They can help you grow and build capacity,  develop sustainability and scale your impact. Across 8 months of support, they'll help you to develop the skills, knowledge and attitudes you need to develop robust models and deepen environmental impact. You will be part of a safe and supportive group of like-minded peers – committed to environmental causes. The Environmental Entrepreneurs Programme will bring together the leaders from 15 organisations working in the West Midlands, Yorkshire and the North West, offering them:

• 6 days of cohort-based learning spread over 8 months
• 3 Action Learning Sessions
• Group and 1-2-1 coaching,  
• Support network of like-minded peers.

The application window is open now!

Read more - SSE EE programme

Funding for South Yorkshire projects

The Freshgate Trust Foundation is a small charitable trust that offers grants to registered charities and small local groups in South Yorkshire. Grants are available to charitable groups for projects in Sheffield, Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham that address the areas of education, recreation, heritage restoration, environment, music and the arts, welfare or health and social care. Typically the grants are in the range of £100 to £2,000. Please see the funder website for any restrictions. Applications can be made either online via the Foundation’s website or by post.

Read more - Freshgate Trust Foundation

Cumbria Youth Alliance

Cumbria Youth Alliance can help support any care farms or prospective care farms working with young people in Cumbria, with small grants, and support with fundraising, governance and quality assurance. For more information please contact Juan Shimmin via email at [email protected] or telephone 01900 603131.

Read more - Cumbria Youth Alliance

Free Funding Advice (Newcastle/Gateshead)

Do you have any support needs or questions about funding? Funding advice is one of the many services Connected Voice offer to their members. Whether you have a question about funding sources, need guidance in the final step of preparing a funding application, or want to develop a more comprehensive and strategic approach - they can offer a wide range of support. They offer a level of free service to organisations operating in Newcastle or Gateshead.

Read more - CV funding support

South Yorkshire & Bassetlaw Health Partnership Grants

Grants are available to support partnership work between community organisations and the NHS, working together to address health inequalities in South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. The minimum grant size is £83,500. There is no maximum set, but it’s unlikely to be more than £130,000 given the size of the pot. The priorities are:

• Preventing avoidable admissions to NHS facilities
• Supporting discharge into the community
• Supporting mental health and wellbeing.

Grants are specifically to support partnership working between community organisations and the NHS. Applicants should be community organisations already working with the NHS, not speculative proposals. The funding is being administered by South Yorkshire’s Community Foundation. Initial application forms must be received by 5pm on Friday 16 April 2021. Those accepted will have four weeks to submit a more detailed proposal.

Read more - Health Partnership Grants

Funding for Young people (Cumbria)

Charities, voluntary and community groups, and other not-for-profit organisations can apply for funding for projects that support and inspire young people in Cumbria, particularly those from challenging backgrounds. The Young Persons Opportunity Fund, managed by Cumbria Community Foundation, will fund projects which work with specific groups of young people over a period to expand their horizons and self-confidence. Funding will also support the development of leadership qualities in young people, especially those who have the potential to inspire their peer group and/or their own communities. There is no minimum or maximum award amount, however, grants will normally be less than £20,000. Grants may be a single award, or a series of awards paid over up to three years and dependent on progress.

Read more - Cumbria CF

Social Enterprise Exchange (Sheffield City Region)

This is a programme of support for not for profit social enterprises within the Sheffield City Region, which is South Yorkshire plus northern parts of Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. It is delivered by a consortium of partners and (still) funded by the European Regional Development Fund. Support is offered for start-up and existing social enterprises including events, grants up to £5,000, mentoring and knowledge exchange to help growth and  development. If you are part of the programme, the next deadline for grants is 22nd April 2021. To register please visit the Social Enterprise Exchange website.

Read more - Register here

Seeking land or financial support for a project in Cumbria?

Cumbria Community Foundation exists to address disadvantage by making life changing grants and philanthropy. They have told us that one of their donors has a piece of land outside Carlisle that they would like to be used by charitable groups.  If you are interested in putting your organisation forward please contact Ellen Clements via email at [email protected]. Why not also check out the various funds they manage and see if you are eligible to apply?

Read more - Cumbria Community Foundation

Grantfinder Access (Cumbria)

Cumbria CVS have Grantfinder (a funding database) and can carry out searches for potential funders, such as grant-giving Trusts and Foundations. For more information email [email protected]. They also have a fortnightly funding newsletter and a monthly funding forum.

Read more - Cumbria CVS

NYC Stronger Communities Grants

Small grants of up to £1000 to help groups adapt existing activities or start new things that help people regain confidence and independence in a safe and Covid compliant way.

Read more - NYC Stronger Communities

Key Fund: Northern Impact Fund (North of England and Midlands)

Up to £150k is on offer through blended finance (loans with up to 20% grant). This unsecured lending is suited to new and early stage enterprises who are seeking finance to support growth or become more robust; typical investments are around £50k. During Covid-19 the fund continues as normal and can help with cash-flow problems as well as fund new projects.

Read more - Northern Impact Fund

CRH Charitable Trust (North West)

CRH support charitable activities that seek to support children, young people and adults with mental illness and mental disability. Applicants should be able to demonstrate how the work will be financed after the Trust's grant has ended. Priority is given to local organisations. National organisations will need to demonstrate that any spend can be restricted to the local area. Charities or not-for-profit organisations working in north west England can apply. There is no specific maximum or minimum grant. Funding is at the discretion of the trustees. Most grants range from £5,000 to £15,000 per annum with a maximum of three years funding. Larger grants may be subject to reducing amounts in the second and third years. Most forms of revenue expenditure are eligible. Capital costs will not receive priority but can be considered but not relatively small contributions to a large appeal. Preference for specific pieces of work rather than ‘general operating costs’. Priority will be given to requests for new work. Deadline: Rolling programme. The trustees meet normally four times a year and grant applications are considered at the next available meeting. For more information email [email protected].

Free safeguarding training (North East)

Safer Culture North East are hosting Designated Person for Safeguarding training, Wednesday 9th June 2021, 9.30am – 12.30pm (Deadline for booking: 9am on Wednesday 2nd June), Online via Zoom. Every organisation that works with children and young people needs to designate someone to take the lead on safeguarding and child protection, and that person needs to have a thorough understanding of safeguarding issues. The role of Designated Person is a challenging one, but is vital in protecting your organisation, its staff and the people you work with. To book your place email [email protected].  Please state the name of the session and date when booking.

Fully funded distance learning opportunities

Diamond Group, working in partnership with Tyneside Training Services, is offering fully funded distance learning that is suitable for volunteers, employees and the unemployed. Courses include: Awareness of Mental Health Problems;The Prevention & Control of Infection; Principles of Team Leading; Lean Organisation Management Techniques; Principles of Customer Service; Equality & Diversity; Safeguarding, Prevent & British Values; Understanding Nutrition & Health; and Principles of Warehousing.

For more information or to sign up contact: 0191 286 2919 or 0333 358 2002 or [email protected].

Bettys and Taylors Group Coronavirus Community Fund (Yorkshire)

Administered by the Two Ridings Community Foundation, the fund aims to support the long term sustainability of small groups who are working to improve the lives of local people. Grants of either £500 - £1000, or £1001 to £5000 are available to support groups with running and/or organisation development costs. Applications will be considered from groups from organisations with an income of under £200k per annum across the whole of Yorkshire. Priority will be given to groups whose work meets one or more of the following aims:

• Promoting good health & wellbeing
• Reducing inequality
• Reducing loneliness and social isolation.

Priority will also be given to disadvantaged communities and may also be given to projects in the areas surrounding Bettys Café Team Rooms and the Bettys and Taylors head office. Deadline is 31st May 2021 (for decisions late July 2021).

Read more - Bettys and Taylors CCF

The Chrysalis Trust (North East)

The Trust supports local projects in the North East of England only, national organisations providing benefit across the UK, as well as, international charities registered in the UK. The Trust is able to provide support for both capital projects and core funding with 'one off' donations. Their current priorities are;

•     Relief of poverty and disability
•     Provision of access to shelter, education, healthcare and water
•     Less popular and hard to fund activities/projects

Submission deadlines are midnight (GMT) on 15th May and 15th December respectively.

Read more - The Chrysalis Trust

The George A Moore Foundation (Yorkshire)

The Foundation supports registered charities based in North and West Yorkshire. Typical grants made by the Foundation range from £500 to £2,500, although larger grants may be considered for selected projects. The next quarterly trustee meeting to discuss general applications for funding is in late May, so the likely deadline for applications to be considered during this meeting is the beginning of May, but do check deadlines with the foundation if you are thinking of applying.

Read more - George A Moore Foundation

Free skills training (East Riding of Yorkshire)

The Skills Network and ERVAS are currently working together to offer learners access to qualifications via distance learning. This opportunity provides access to interactive and engaging learning content from The Skills Network, a company that has partnered with a number of leading awarding organisations, including NCFE, CACHE and TQUK, to develop outstanding learning resources that meet a diverse range of learning needs. Learners can submit their answers online or via the answer booklets provided.

Read more - Find out more and apply for a course

Useful Northumberland Focused funding list

Northumberland CVA has produced this useful list of 30 funding sources all Northumberland based groups should know about.

Read more - 30 funding sources

Psychological Support Fund for North Cumbria

North Cumbria Health & Care System and Cumbria County Council have provided a combined total of £180k of funding for voluntary sector organisations supporting people struggling with their mental health during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.  The Psychological Support Fund will be held by Cumbria Community Foundation. The considerable impact of Covid-19, and the subsequent lockdown, has been significant on people’s lives – physically, emotionally and economically.  Anxiety, stress and depression are normal reactions to life events such as losing someone, losing your job, or suffering isolation. 

It isn’t inevitable that everyone needs clinical intervention and timely support may be better delivered by small, local organisations. Bids for grants of up to £25k which tackle the following areas will be considered:

• emotional wellbeing - impact of anxiety and isolation
• bereavement.

Bids for grants of over £25k which demonstrate a collaborative application from multiple charitable organisations will also be considered. If you are considering making an application please call Annalee Holliday at Cumbria Community Foundation on (01900) 825760 or e-mail [email protected]. To find out more about each strand of the Psychological Support fund please click on the links below.

Read more - Emotional Wellbeing Strand

Read More - Bereavement Support Strand

Free Training in Youth Work, Health and Social Care (Oldham)

We have been made aware that training company The Training Brokers is running a number of courses which are free and accessible to people living in the Oldham area. Courses on offer include a number of adult care issues (dementia, dignity, safeguarding), adult and young peoples' mental health awareness, plus youth work and education support qualifications.

Read more - The Training Brokers courses

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Central and East - News & Opportunities

Environmental Entrepreneurs Programme (West Midlands, Yorkshire & NW)

The School for Social Entrepreneurs, in partnership with the Co Op foundation, are running the Environmental Entrepreneurs programme for a second year – helping organisations with environmental aims to grow, become more robust and increase their impact. Do you run a social enterprise or community based organisation that delivers an environmental impact? Register interest in the 2021-22 programme now. They can help you grow and build capacity,  develop sustainability and scale your impact. Across 8 months of support, they'll help you to develop the skills, knowledge and attitudes you need to develop robust models and deepen environmental impact. You will be part of a safe and supportive group of like-minded peers – committed to environmental causes. The Environmental Entrepreneurs Programme will bring together the leaders from 15 organisations working in the West Midlands, Yorkshire and the North West, offering them:

• 6 days of cohort-based learning spread over 8 months
• 3 Action Learning Sessions
• Group and 1-2-1 coaching,  
• Support network of like-minded peers.

The application window is open now!

Read more - SSE EE programme

Upcoming Norfolk Green Care Network event

On 19th May, 4pm - 5pm, Norfolk Green Care Network will be hosting a Networkshop on Green Social Prescribing - hear about the evidence supporting ‘green care’ from Professor Jules Pretty, find out about the prize-winning Dundee Green Health Partnership from Dr. Viola Marx, the view from Natural England’s Giles Merritt (including an update on the national Green Social Prescribing pilots) and hear about the development of social prescribing from regional NHS leads Tim Anfilogoff and Sian Brand. Book here.

Free Training (Warwickshire)

Warwickshire CAVA offer a range of free training courses for organisations within their area.

Read more - Warwickshire CAVA

Support for Social Entrepreneurs (Wolverhampton)

The Empowering Social Entrepreneurs Programme (21st April to 26th May) is a free six week programme for aspiring entrepreneurs who also have a social mission. The programme will cover a wide range of topics including how to communicate your vision, identify your unique selling point and discuss legal structures for your enterprise. We will identify key business planning tools and considerations to make your enterprise successful; all within a welcoming and relaxed group setting where we can share learning, ideas and resources. If you have an idea for a project or an enterprise but don’t know what to do next, then this programme could be for you!

Read more - Empowering Social Enterprise

Bedford Borough Youth Empowerment Fund

Bedford Borough Children’s Services has a funding pot of £460,000 to distribute to organisations working within Bedford Borough to support children and young people. Funding applications linked to one of the following key priority areas are invited from local organisations, with preference to charities and community interest companies:

• Homelessness
• Domestic Violence
• Access to jobs and training
• Things to do and places to go
• Support with Mental Health
• Climate Change
• Tackle discrimination and hate crime
• End Knife crime and serious youth violence
• Special Educational Needs and / or Disabilities (SEND).

Preference will also be given to those applications for demonstrably new projects and those with match funding.

Read more - Bedford Youth Empowerment Fund

Green Shoots Community Climate Change Fund 2021 (Warwickshire)

The Warwickshire County Council Green Shoots Community Climate Change Fund provides grant funding to community projects to mitigate against, and adapt to, the impact of climate change. It is aimed at community and voluntary organisations. The Green Shoots Fund is designed to support community projects and initiatives that aim to achieve the following:

• Increase the adaptability and resilience of Warwickshire to the effects of climate change,
• Reduce impacts on the environment, particularly regarding climate change,
• Ensure funded projects benefit the wider Warwickshire community.

The fund is open to applications for projects which require investment of up to a maximum of £25,000. There is no minimum application value. Deadline: 5:00pm on Monday 17 May 2021. For more information and to apply click here.

Leading Lives - Community Benefit Fund

Grants from £200 - £3000 are available through this year’s Fund. The Fund will be focused on suitable projects that support adults and young people in transition with social care needs (e.g. people with learning disabilities, physical disabilities, autism, older people etc.) and family carers in the geographical area (i.e.. Suffolk, north-west Essex and south-east Norfolk) in which the company operates. Ideally, they are looking for organisations that have not previously benefited from this fund, or if you have, any such application would need to be for a new / different project relevant to the themes identified above. Particular priority will be given to bids which foster a partnership approach. The fund will award grants to organisations – charities, community groups, voluntary groups. They will not fund individuals or commercial organisations.  They will award grants to charities, social enterprises and other not for profit organisations. The application period runs from 1st March to 16th April 2021. The application form can be downloaded from here.

Mental Health First Aid training opportunity for male residents and workers (Rugby)

Do you live or work in Rugby? Are you interested in becoming a Mental Health First Aider? Springfield Mind are now accepting applications for course options taking place in either April or May from people who live or work in the Rugby Borough.The courses are fully funded by the Rugby Health Board to build mental resilience in the community. Email [email protected] or call 01789 298615 for more information.

Enjoy free funding support (Suffolk)

Community Action Suffolk can offer VSCE organisations in Suffolk free support in developing their funding strategies and applications. Online Funding Surgeries are available Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays and take place on Zoom for up to one hour.

Read more - CAS Funding support

Online learning - Introduction to Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) (Bedfordshire)

Central Bedfordshire has some new online learning for professionals who work with children or young people who have SEND.  The modules will help participants to gain an understanding of how to support children and young people to ensure a positive outcome.

Read more - SEND Local offer

The Tudwick Foundation (Essex & Suffolk)

The Tudwick Foundation is now accepting applications for grants of up to £3000 from voluntary and community groups which are working to benefit the residents of Essex and Suffolk. Not-for-profit organisations with an annual income of £500K or less are invited to apply. The foundation supports requests for core funding as well as project-based grants, and actively encourages applications from relatively new organisations to help them become established or organisations which are struggling to find the funds they need during the Covid pandemic. Apply anytime.

Read more - The Tudwick Foundation

Funding for Men's Mental Health (Suffolk & NE Essex)

Grants are available from the Suffolk and North East Essex Men’s Mental Health Community Fund for projects to improve men’s mental health, to reduce the risk and incidence of suicide amongst men in high risk groups. If you have an idea about a project that supports and/or works with men in any of the following high risk groups, please contact Karen Tedder-Ward – [email protected] or call 01255 425692 in the first instance to register an interest and to discuss the funding available.

• Men in the care of Mental Health Services, including inpatients.
• Men working in specific occupations such as the construction industry, rural and agricultural sectors.   
• Men in other high-risk groups – BAME, LGBTQI, Veterans, Homeless and rough sleepers.
• Men in contact with the criminal justice system.
• Men who are survivors of domestic/sexual abuse.
• Men with a history of self-harm.

Severn Trent Community Fund (Warwickshire)

Customers have helped to create and share the new community fund to better understand community needs and as a result, have chosen to design the fund around improving community wellbeing:

• People: Projects that help people to lead a healthier life and gain new skills
• Places: Projects that help to create better places to live in and use
• Environment: Projects that will help to look after our environment, give people greater access to that environment or help look after water.

If your organisation is registered not-for-profit, and the project you would like to fund will benefit Severn Trent customers, you may be eligible for a grant from the Severn Trent Community Fund.

Read more - Severn Trent Community Fund

Health & Wellbeing Grants (Derbyshire)

South Derbyshire CVS manages a number of small grant funds for voluntary, community and not-for-profit organisations wanting to make a difference to local people and communities. You can apply for up to £2,000 in total. Guidelines and application forms can be found online.

Read more - South Derbyshire CVS

Alfred Haynes Charitable Trust grants (Birmingham)

The Alfred Haines Charitable Trust is a small local grant making charity. The Trust primarily allocates its funds to support local organisations helping people to improve their quality of life. The Trust prefers to make donations towards specific items and does not give to large appeals. The Trustees prefer to support specific projects and concentrate on helping smaller charities based in Birmingham and the immediate surrounding area.  They meet quarterly to consider written applications for grants.

The majority of donations are made on a one-off basis.  Sometimes the Trust will agree to fund a project annually for up to three years subject to receipt of satisfactory project reports. One off grants are normally in the range of £250 to £2,000. Please check their exclusions list before applying. Also grants are not normally made to individuals.

Read more - Alfred Haynes Charitable Trust

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South - News & Opportunities

Free Business Support (Cornwall)

Tevi (Cornish for ‘grow’) is a unique business support programme funded by European Regional Development Fund, delivered by the University of Exeter in partnership with Cornwall Wildlife Trust, Cornwall Council and Cornwall Development Company. Tevi has thus far supported nearly 300 small-medium enterprises (SMEs) to increase their contribution to Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly’s environmental growth through a mixture of events, expert advice and direct deployment of small grants. The Tevi team is particularly keen to engage with and support those charities, communities and businesses who are involved in promoting and delivering nature-based interventions for the benefit of the mental and physical welfare of their clients, through:

• One-to-one support from Dr Dan Bloomfield, Tevi Project Manager and founder of A Dose Of Nature (https://www.adoseofnature.net/)
• Developing relationships with our community of Cornish landowners who can host green prescription activities
• Provision of advice around wildlife and wild spaces
• Hosting dedicated events on the theme of Health and Nature.

For more information please see the Tevi website and the Tevi events page where all online events are recorded and hosted in their entirety. You can sign up with Tevi by requesting a registration meeting at [email protected].

Free Safeguarding Training (West Sussex)

Voluntary Action Arun & Chichester (VAAC) are running a Local Authority Designated Officer – Awareness raising for members training on Wednesday 12th May 2021, 10am - 11am via Microsoft Teams/online (signing on details will be sent beforehand).  This session is suitable for anyone working or volunteering with children in West Sussex (not just designated safeguarding leads), as it is about raising the awareness of the role of the LADO and what to do if there is an allegation.

Read more - VAAC training

Fidelity UK Foundation Surrey Community Development Fund

The Fidelity UK Foundation Surrey Community Development Fund is looking to support organisations benefiting those most disadvantaged in society (especially children and young people) and is open to considering organisations active in the field of health and environmental conservation.  The focus is on looking to strengthen organisations’ impact, effectiveness and/or sustainability.  This could include investment in leadership, strategic planning, technology (not hardware), fundraising, financial management or impact measurement. Deadline: on-going. Value: £5,000-£15,000.

Read more - Fidelity UK CD Fund

The Chidwick Trust (Sussex)

The Childwick Trust provides funding to registered charities working in Sussex, covering health related projects. The Trust has a strong emphasis on helping charities which offer care and support for people who are terminally ill, or have a serious illness, older people, adults and children who have mental health problems or a learning disability. The Trust gives help to both children and adults with physical disabilities. Organisations who offer care and support for ex-servicemen and women who have been injured or traumatised from past and recent conflicts can also be funded.The funding can be used towards specialist equipment, respite care, holidays, education and core costs. Medical research projects form only a small part of projects that are funded. The Trust will consider funding towards some building and refurbishment costs but only once the appeal has reached at least half of the total budget. Deadline: 30th April 2021.

Read more - Chidwick Trust

New £1m Discovery Community Fund (Somerset - not open yet)

Somerset Community Foundation are currently recruiting an organisation to design and undertake an accessible consultation with adults with learning disabilities and/or autism in Somerset, to help shape the delivery of the Discovery Community Fund. The aim of the Discovery Community Fund will be to help improve the health and independence of people with a learning disability and/or autism. This is an opportunity to have a real impact on the delivery of a £1 million fund - those who stand to benefit are disproportionally affected by the coronavirus outbreak, and the consultation will help inform how this money can be best used over the coming years as our communities begin to recover. It also provides advance notice of the fund which will be coming online later in the year.

Read more - Discovery Community Fund

Co-creating Cornwall's Future

One year on from the first national lockdown, Cornwall VSF is inviting you to book on to their alternative G7 summit on Friday 11 June, online via web link, 10:00am - 2:30pm. For many years, the voluntary sector has bridged the gaps in the economy, environment and health sectors of our communities. And since the pandemic hit the UK, they have seen your talents, experience and timely support equip individuals and whole communities to overcome adversity. This event is about shining a light on the examples of co-creation from Cornwall's voluntary sector organisations, and evoking systemic change and best practice for all. 

Read more - Co-creating Cornwall's Future

Support for London based organisations

Are you based in London? We just wanted to make sure you were aware of the support available through Social Farms & Garden's London team, Amber, Nadia & Ellie. For more information of what's happening in your area check out out London web page.

Read more - SF&G London page

Gatwick Airport Community Trust (South East)

The Gatwick Airport Community Trust has re-opened for applications. The Trust funds schemes and projects that are targeted towards the development of young people, the arts, sporting facilities, environmental improvement and conservation, improvements to community facilities, volunteering, the elderly and the disabled. Grants of £1,000 to £5,000 are normally available to a wide range of organisations including Charities, schools, sports clubs. Projects supported will be operating within the area directly affected by operations at Gatwick Airport i.e.. parts of East and West Sussex, Surrey and Kent. Deadline is 21st May.

Read more - GA Community Trust

Fidelity UK Foundation Community Development Fund (Surrey)

The Fidelity UK Foundation Surrey Community Development Fund is looking to support organisations benefiting those most disadvantaged in society (especially children and young people) and is open to considering organisations active in the field of health and environmental conservation. Grants are between £5k and £15k. The focus is on looking to strengthen organisations’ impact, effectiveness and/or sustainability.  This could include investment in leadership, strategic planning, technology (not hardware), fundraising, financial management or impact measurement. . Apply at any time.

Read more - CF Surrey

Free cycle parking

Lifecycle provide free, secure cycle stands to businesses and community organisations, thanks to funding from your local authority. Installing cycle parking is a great way to drive footfall to your premises, create cycle-friendly workplaces and give back to your community. To apply for your free Sheffield stands through their Take a Stand® scheme, please read the information on their webpage to check you are eligible, then fill out their online application form at the bottom of the same page. The funding covers the following local authority areas only;

•     Bath & North East Somerset (BathNES)
•     Bristol
•     Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole (BCP)
•     Herefordshire
•     Swindon
•     North Wiltshire

Read more - Lifecycle

Society of Merchant Venturers Charity (South West)

Registered charities and organisations with a charitable purpose within the greater Bristol area can apply for grants of between £500 and £5,000 through the Society of Merchant Venturers Charity. The Charity will consider applications from organisations addressing the following needs within the greater Bristol area (defined as the former County of Avon):

• Social Needs – care of the elderly, homelessness, poverty or the prevention of crime
• Youth – to support training (outside educational establishments), assist character development and increase employment prospects and to assist the disadvantaged
• Education – directly involved with primary, secondary and tertiary education. Priority will be given to the SMV family of schools; and in support of other greater Bristol educational activities and initiatives.
• Social Enterprise – to promote and support social enterprise
• Health Care
• Culture and the Arts
• Environment
• Bristol – projects, preferably those associated with the Society’s spheres of interest and achievement which will benefit Bristol and its economic development.

The charity meets four times a year, typically in January, April, July and October, to consider applications for funding and the next closing date for applications is 5pm on the 22nd June 2021.

Read more - Society of Merchant Venturers

Bristol Impact Fund

The Bristol Impact Fund is open for applications until Monday 17th May. The fund’s purpose is ‘to build city resilience by growing the power of communities experiencing the greatest inequality.’ Details about funding priorities and intended impacts for this round of applications are outlined on the Voscur website. You can also watch their new video for an introduction to the funding and the 12 baseline standards from Bristol City Council here.

Voscur is also gathering details from organisations interested in updates about the fund and potential collaborative bids.There is additional background information about the fund on the Voscur website. Further support resources will be added in due course. Do get in touch with them if you’d like to discuss support for your application.

Support for groups working in the Bexley Borough

Does your community or voluntary group need help to:

• Re-invent or adapt how they work in lockdown,
• Prove the difference they are making,
• Get funding,
• Or something else?

Impact in Action is here to help groups that work in the Bexley borough (that’s Belvedere, Erith, Sidcup or all the parts in between!) with FREE help. Whether that is 1-2-1 support, training or resources on our website, they can help in a way that suits your group. Now is the perfect time to be in touch as they launch another batch of bitesize training sessions. Thanks to funding from the City of London Corporation’s charity, City Bridge Trust they have funding to help groups, but it won’t last forever, so contact them today. Contact Karen Jefferys on 01322 315391 or email [email protected].

Gerald Palmer Eling Trust

Charities with activities in West Berkshire or neighbouring counties can apply for project grants (no amount specified) to support community/education facilities, social/welfare support/therapy, medical research and/or the advancement of the Christian religion. Applications must be made in writing.

Read more - Gerald Palmer Eling Trust

The City Bridge Trust (London)

Grants are available to support young people with mental health needs; young disabled people; those in care and moving into adulthood. Applications are open to a wide range of registered organisations e.g. charities; CIC; CIO. Grants have no min or max but a grant in any one year must be no more than 50% of total income. Online application process; allow at least 4 months for a decision. Apply at any time.

Read more - The City Bridge Trust

Funding for third sector organisations adversely affected by Covid-19 (Buckinghamshire)

The deadline for The Rothschild Foundation’s Covid-19 Support Fund has been extended and is open for applications until end of April 2021. The Fund has already awarded approximately £0.6m in grants to 21 local organisations which provide a range of services to communities across Buckinghamshire.

Read more - The Rothschild Foundation

Coronavirus Response Grants (Wiltshire)

Wiltshire Community Foundation have a Coronavirus Response Grants programme to distribute funds raised through their own appeal and Wiltshire and Swindon’s share of the National Emergencies Trust Coronavirus Appeal Fund. Details on how to apply are available below.

Read more - Wiltshire Community Foundation

Free skills support (Bristol)

Bristol’s voluntary sector organisations can access free skills-based support from local businesses, with the help of the City Funds Pro Bono service. Contact [email protected] to find out how Bristol's City Funds Pro Bono Brokerage can connect your organisation with the skills or resources that you need.

Involve Community Services (Berkshire)

Involve is a charity that helps other charities. No time to write grants? Stuck for words? The Involve Funding Advice Team have launched a grant-writing service FREE for not for profit organisations serving those in Wokingham Borough Council and Bracknell Forest Council areas.  In the last 4 months NFP's using the service have received more than £180,000 from applications and they are still waiting for decisions on applications worth more than £350,000.  For those NFPs outside these areas they also offer a low cost grant writer service drawing on experienced writers from their register. 

Read more - Grant writing service or contact [email protected]  or call 01344 304404.

Funding for the rehabilitation of young offenders (Kent)

Registered not-for-profit organisations in Kent can apply for grants of up to £75,000 for projects that support the rehabilitation of offenders and to help reduce the consequences of their imprisonment. Grants are offered to local organisations working in Kent and national charities currently offering, or planning to offer their services in the county. Collaborative/partnership working is particularly welcome, but consortium applications must be submitted by a ‘lead’ organisations. The funding is being made available through the NewColyer-Fergusson Charitable Trust’s Investing in Rehabilitation programme. This is a rolling programme and applications can be submitted at any time.

Read more - Investing in Rehabilitation Programme

POP Small Grants (Plymouth)

Since September, POP has given £10,849 to 45 Plymouth-based groups through £250 a POP. If your work brings social or environmental benefit to Plymouth, you could receive up to £250 for incidental costs since 16 March. They are only accepting a further 16 claims so get in quick! CLICK HERE to register.

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Other News & Resources

New Code for Visitor Attractions with Animals

The revised Industry Code of Practice on preventing or controlling ill health at visitor attractions with animals has been revised and recently launched. This is for all farmers, owners, operators and managers of visitor attractions. It can be found here. For those of you who haven’t seen it before this is a Code developed and managed by the Access to Farms Partnership (which also owns the CEVAS training) of which Social Farms & Gardens is a member.

Semble - Action Funder platform

What if there was a platform where the funders came to you? What if you could upload just one funding pitch and get it seen by lots of funders?! What if endless, time-consuming grant applications were a thing of the past? Semble heard what you need and are building it: ActionFunder is a platform that can connect you to funding from businesses and foundations, with less hassle and less paperwork. If this sounds like just what you need, register your interest and get ready for action.

Read more - Action Funder

Last chance to apply for School for Social Entrepreneurs

This programme has helped more than  2,000 people to start up, build and scale social enterprises, charities, community projects and impact-led organisations, but the deadline to register ids 1pm on 16th April. We have heard the following from SF&G member and prospective care farmer Gina O'Connor of Roots and Bloom:

"I'm part of the Lloyd's Bank "School for Social Entrepreneurs" programme, which has been incredibly helpful so far. If you're after some support from others that are also trying to change the world, I'd recommend applying for the SSE. (And it comes with a grant!)" .

Read more - SSE programme

Free Online Finance Workshops for Small Charities

Embrace Finance is a non-profit social enterprise working with registered charities, charitable foundations and social enterprises to build financial confidence and financial resilience.  Their upcoming courses include the following:

• Financial Resilience on Wednesday 14th April - Practical tools to better allow charities to anticipate, adapt and respond to sudden changes in order to survive and prosper.
• Financial Storytelling on Thursday 22nd April - Revisiting what effective financial storytelling looks like, what it looks like when we have a compelling narrative of our financial history, financial present and possible financial future/s and how this can strengthen financial governance, management and resilience.
• Financial Security on Wednesday 28th April - Building financial security with confident leadership, robust financial management and a pathway towards long-term security.

UK Government - Sustainable Farming Incentive Pilot

The window is now open for farmers to express interest in taking part in the Sustainable Farming Incentive pilot. The Sustainable Farming Incentive is the first in a package of environmental land management schemes (ELM's), which will provide a straightforward way for farmers to get paid for producing public goods. These include cleaner water, cleaner air and carbon reduction. We’ll start to pilot the Sustainable Farming Incentive this year with an initial group of several hundred farmers. Then, in March 2022, we will start to roll out the scheme to recipients of the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS).

We’d like to involve several hundred farmers in the first phase of the Sustainable Farming Incentive pilot, from a range of farm types from across England. For the first phase of piloting, a farmer is only eligible if they:

• are a recipient of the Basic Payments Scheme
• registered on the Rural Payments Agency system
• enter land parcels (fields) into the pilot that do not have an existing agri-environment agreement on them
• have management control of the land for the duration of the pilot. They must either own the land with management control or have a tenancy of enough length to implement their pilot agreement (including landlord’s permission if required).
• enter land parcels that are in England.
• enter land parcels that are not common land.

Later, we’re planning to extend eligibility to include farmers who aren’t eligible for, or don’t claim, BPS. We also might add specific farm types not eligible for the first phase, like farms on common land. To express an interest, you just need to complete a short, simple online form. We will then invite farmers from a mix of farms and locations to make a pilot application. If we’re oversubscribed, we’ll select farmers at random instead. People who have been invited to apply will then need to prepare their full application. If they’re eligible, they will then enter into a pilot agreement. The first agreements will go live in October 2021.   

Mental Health Awareness Week

This year Mental Health Awareness Week runs from 10th - 16th May and the theme is nature and the environment, particularly pertinent given recent experiences around the importance of accessing nature and green spaces for mental health during the Covid-19 pandemic. Why not think about how you can link in, for example using your social media to help raise awareness of mental health issues and highlight the work you do? For more information visit the website.

Do you know your social value?

Being able to demonstrate your social value is becoming increasingly important, especially for organisations wanting to work with statutory organisations. The government has produced this handy guide which aims to encourage more charities and social enterprises into public sector supply chains.

GoodGym

GoodGym are a group of runners that combines regular exercise with helping our communities. GoodGym helps you get fit by doing good. They stop off on their runs to do physical tasks for community organisations and to support isolated older people with social visits and one-off tasks they can't do on their own. It's a great way to get fit, meet new people and do some good. There are currently 58 active areas across the country and two new groups starting soon. Why not see if there is a group near you and ask for help with any projecvts you have underway?

Read more - GoodGym

Governance Jargon Buster

You may find this useful Governance Jargon Buster produced by GirlDreamer and Trustees Unlimited helpful in demystifying loads of governance jargon, perfect for anyone thinking of becoming a trustee.

Read more - Jargon Buster

So...you want to work in Social & Therapeutic Horticulture (STP)?

If you are thinking about going into delivering STP you might want to read this interview. Jan Broady works for our GCF project partner Thrive and this article provides useful insights into the role.

Read more - So you want to work in STP?

Support for Social Enterprises

Pilotlight are looking to work with ambitious charities and social enterprises that want to develop their organisation. Two separate types of programme are currently open for applications: 'longer, holistic programmes designed to look at your organisation strategically and help build leadership capacity; and shorter, focused programmes designed to tackle a specific opportunity or issue your organisation is facing'.

Read more - Pilotlight programmes

Corporate Social Volunteer offer from Engie

Is your organisation looking for a team of people to help with litter picking, building community gardens, soil filling, painting and decorating, minor electrics, or plumbing? Engie are offering support to any community-focused charity in need of skilled and semi skilled volunteers. Take a look at the offer here. To apply for this offer and more, you must have a charity profile on whatimpact.com. If this offer doesn’t suit your charity’s needs, use this search engine to browse what else is on offer.

Opportunity to take part in Social Enterprise Survey

Social Enterprise UK's is the national body for social enterprises – businesses with a social or environmental mission. If your turnover is under £100k and you are a social enterprise you can join for free (Turnover above that incurs a tiered membership fee). State of Social Enterprise Survey is the UK’s biggest and most important survey of social enterprise. They are looking for as many people to take part as possible - you can take part by phone or via a unique link to the online version. You will be asked about your business model, size, staffing, access to funding and finance and impact. If you'd like to take part email [email protected].

Good Practice Toolkit for volunteers working with older people and those with dementia

Introducing the Good Practice Toolkit offering support and advice around volunteering for and with older people and people with dementia. This toolkit was created by Volunteering Matters project, Network Point Newcastle, commissioned by Newcastle City Council. The toolkit shares good practice and provides practical examples.  By following the steps in this toolkit, trusting your knowledge and skills, practices and processes, we hope that you can think differently and creatively about how you engage more older people and people with dementia in volunteering.

Need support with developing your social enterprise?

Inspire2Enterprise works with individuals and organisations across the UK to start, run, finance and grow social enterprises. They offer a variety of remote and 1-2-1 support options that can be tailored to your needs. Since 2011 they have supported over 2500 clients to achieve their goals, from discussing basic ideas right through to helping them source funding to become successful sustainable businesses.

Read more - Inspire2Enterprise

We're better, connected

School for Social Entrepreneurs Fellow Suzanne Noble has launched Let's Connect, a directory to help social enterprises and charities that share similar beneficiaries to find each other and collaborate. It's born out of the challenges Suzanne has encountered trying to find the correct contact within an organisation and the frustration of knowing that together we could reach more people who need our help. It's easy to use directory, completely free and organisations can search by location or by the beneficiaries they target. You can sign up your own organisation.

Read more - Lets Connect

Free Finance Checklist for small charities

This free digital resource from the Sage Foundation can help small charities to build a financially sustainable future.

Read more - Sage Finance checklist

Changes to DBS ID checking

Due to Covid-19 the government have issued new guidelines for organisation running DBS checks. The rules regarding ID checking have been relaxed slightly, so please do check and stay up to date.

Read more - DBS revised ID checking guidelines

Guidance for those supporting adults with ASD/learning difficulties

The Social Care institute for Excellence (SCIE) has published guidance for families and professionals supporting autistic adults and adults with learning disabilities during the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis.

Read more - SCIE guidance

NHS England Safeguarding app

The NHS Safeguarding app has been developed to act as a comprehensive resource for healthcare professionals, carers and citizens. It provides 24-hour, mobile access on up to date legislation and guidance across the safeguarding life course. The app also provides information on how to report a safeguarding concern and even has a directory of safeguarding contacts for every local authority in England, searchable by region. It is accessed by over 300 users daily and has had over 100,000 downloads. It can be accessed via Apple iOS, Google Play or it can be downloaded by visiting your device’s appropriate app store and searching for ‘NHS Safeguarding’. If you have any questions or amendments that need to be noted on the NHS Safeguarding App please the Safeguarding Team: [email protected].

Advice and Guidance on Governance

If you are seeking guidance on governance and best practice in setting up your organisation, the NCVO has a wide range of useful resources available.

Read more - NCVO

How to get the money you need for your charity

Read NCVO's step-by-step guidance on how to apply for funding and explore their practical tips to get you started.

Read more - NCVO guide to funding

Vaccines for people with learning disabilities and/or autism

A short film and media clips have been produced by NHS England/Improvement to help people with learning disabilities and/or autism understand more about vaccines, how they are made, and why you should get them. Watch the film here.

Webinar Checklist

Charity Digital has produced a really useful checklist of things to consider when planning and running a webinar. The checklist covers the planning process, promotion, the event itself as well as how to follow-up with attendees after the event.

Read more - Webinar checklist

Financial management in 2021; Tips for social enterprises.

The School of Social Entrepreneurs has published an article that provides social enterprises with expert guidance on how to manage finances during a crisis. The article covers cashflow, planning, and details what help and support is currently available in the form of loans and grants.

Read more - Tips for financial management

Free Legal Support for your project (Semble members only)

Would some free legal support help your project out of a pickle or give more power to your policy work? The law firm Reed Smith is offering pro bono support to non-profits in the environment sector and Semble have bagged some of their precious time for their network (it's free to join). They can help you out with all sorts of issues including contracts, privacy policies, property disputes, taxes, data protection, policy research and much much more.

Read more - Free legal support

Safeguarding guidance from NCVO

The importance of care farmers having robust safeguarding policies and procedures in place cannot be overstated, that is why it is a key part of the Code of Practice process, so it is worth spending time to get this right when you start up and also to review on a regular basis. NCVO provide a useful set of resources to support with this including;

• Understanding the steps to doing safeguarding well
• Templates and tools to help create safeguarding policies
• Safeguarding for Trustees
• What to do if you are worried.

Delivering safe face to face adult day care

The Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) have produced a useful guide for day care managers, social workers, commissioners and providers to restart or continue activities. It is focused on community-based day services, day centres (with and without personal care), including specialised day centre environments, and those with outdoor spaces.

Read more - SCIE Guide for delivering safe adult day care

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Stay safe everyone and keep in touch with us.  We love to hear from you!

You can send general enquiries to [email protected] or you can contact Debbie and Rachel on [email protected]