Community Business Bright Ideas Fund Opens for Final Round
This is the third and final round of the £1.85 million fund which provides business support and grants to not-for-profit organisations that want to set up their own community business in England.
New guidance notes have been published for the final round, and groups should refer to them before they start the application process.
There is one significant change to the eligibility criteria. The community organisation applying must not have been constituted for more than five years at the time of making an application. This is to ensure that only new groups are being considered.
This is also reflected in the level of funding available. Previously grants of up to £20,000 were available for established stage projects, but as this round is focused on new groups, the funding now consists of:
Ideas stage – grants of between £1,000 and £10,000.
Pre-venture stage – grants of between £1,000 and £15,000.
It is anticipated that 15 to 20 projects will be funded. They will join the 70 community businesses that have already received funding over the course of the two-year fund. These include a community transport scheme to link isolated rural villages and give elderly people more independence; an indoor skate park for a forgotten coastal community with few activities for young people and poor health; and a community food club tackling food poverty through pop ups.
The deadline for applications is 1 December 2017.
Further information can be found on the Locality – My Community website.
Source: j4bcommunity.co.uk
Glass Recycling Initiative – prizes for community groups in Reading up for grabs
Community groups could be in with a chance of winning up to £1,000 in a new glass recycling campaign prize draw from re3. To take part in the prize draw, re3 is encouraging schools, charities and voluntary and community sector organisations to make a commitment to increasing glass recycling at bring banks.
This could be by collecting hot drinks jars after a fundraising coffee morning and taking them to a re3 glass bank; telling others about the initiative through social media; encouraging supporters to use a glass bring bank on their way to work; or to give a school assembly or write an article in a community newsletter on the benefits of glass recycling.
In return, groups will be entered into the community fund prize draw. At the end of the campaign in October 2018, prizes will be allocated to 15 schools, charities or community groups in the re3 area. The more glass recycled through the campaign, the bigger the community fund, up to the value of £15,000 or £1000 per individual prize.
To register your group’s participation in the campaign and to be eligible for the community fund prize draw, please visit www.re3.org.uk now for the application form and a full list of terms and conditions.
Christmas trees for sale – from your local nature reserve
AT: Edgbarrow Woods Car Park, Wildmoor Heath, Sandhurst Road, Crowthorne near RG45 7PP
WHEN: 9 and 10 December 2017, 11.00 to 15.00
The local Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) is having a Christmas tree sale on Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 December.
The trees are sourced from Wildmoor Heath and surrounding nature reserves. The Christmas trees – Scots pines – are sustainably grown, freshly cut the weekend of the sale and drop-resistant. Felling the trees on the nature reserves helps with the heathland management and restoration.
Mistletoe, holly, Wildlife Trust cards and calendars will also be on sale.
Come on down to Edgbarrow Woods Car Park, Wildmoor Heath the weekend of Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 December to buy your Christmas tree and other goodies.
All proceeds go to the Wildlife Trust – Berks, Bucks & Oxon (BBOWT).
For further details visit http://www.bbowt.org.uk/whats-on
Vinspired Cashpoint
Create and run your own social action project. Get up to £500 to make it happen. Create and run your own social action project. Get up to £500 to make it happen.
Criteria
- The project is run by a 14-25 year old volunteer in the UK
- The project has a clear community benefit
- The main aim of the project is not to fundraise
- The project is either completely new or something you’ve done before but would like to do differently
- At least two 14-25 year old volunteers can help you out
- The project costs £500 or less and vInspired cashpoint is the only funder
For further information please visit: https://vinspired.com/cashpoint/about-vinspired-cashpoint
Source: Slough CVS e-bulletin
Connecting Communities in Berkshire 