CCB will be partnering with the Collaborative Housing Hub to deliver a training event for communities interested in addressing the chronic shortage of affordable homes in Berkshire. This event, taking place in June, will enable communities to explore the many options they have to take control of the whole process, from understanding local need to owning and managing their own homes.
The term community-led housing means homes built by a community with their own needs at heart. It means the community play a leading role in deciding where homes are built, who they are built for and how they will be managed. Community-led housing is genuinely affordable, meets the need of people with a demonstrable connection to the community and will remain in community ownership in perpetuity, meaning it can’t be sold on for a profit. The West Berkshire Vision 2036 includes ambitions for “a housing mix with something for everyone”. It recognises that the population is ageing rapidly, that local children are being priced out of the areas where they grow up and recognises a need for more affordable housing. Community-led solutions will be critical to addressing these issues and achieving the ambitions in the Vision.
CCB’s Rural Housing Enabler project led to three community-led housing schemes being built in West Berkshire: Chaddleworth, Hungerford and Woolhampton. In these examples, homes were built for local people and will only ever be available to people with a local connection. These rural exception site developments were made possible by the community demonstrating a need for homes for local people, and finding a plot of land which wouldn’t normally be available for housing, meaning that it could be purchased at a very low price. The homes are managed by Registered Providers and are let at affordable rates.
Community-led housing is more than just rural exception site developments. Community Land Trusts, cooperative housing, co-housing, community self-build and tenancy self-management are typical examples of community-led housing. All these models will be explored at this training event, helping attendees to develop a broader awareness of the options they have to increase the availability of genuinely affordable homes for people in Berkshire. For more information, please contact Tim Parry at tim.parry@ccberks.org.uk
Support existing or emerging specialist services. Focus is on the most vulnerable who may struggle to access support elsewhere, such as counselling or similar therapeutic services which could be delivered in-person, online, or by phone.
Enable Christian organisations to train, equip, and resource churches and Christian charities to provide:
Enhanced mental health awareness and/or mental health first aid.
Appropriate mental health and wellbeing support groups and services.
Support personal mental health and wellbeing of clergy and other church leaders/workers who may be suffering, particularly post-pandemic.
Grants of up to £2,500 to not-for-profit organisations and community groups to deliver projects that support Card Factory colleagues and communities where Card Factory stores operate.
Proposed projects and activities must meet one or more of the following priorities:
Provide support, financial or otherwise, towards hardship caused by life-changing events.
Provide support, financial or otherwise, to projects that improve lives.
Community projects that take place for Card Factory colleagues and/or communities where Card Factory stores operate.
Funding is for costs that are directly related to and essential for carrying out project activities.
BCF have reopened two funding strands: • Vital For Berkshire Fund We invite applications from charities, community groups and projects that support vital needs in Berkshire, such as (but not limited to): physical and mental health, supporting young and vulnerable people or groups, combating isolation, tackling poverty and disadvantage, offering equal opportunities for all, and more. • Funds For Older People BCF manages a number of funds which aim to support projects tackling issues affecting older people, such as isolation, disability or disadvantage. Beneficiaries must be aged 65 and over. Grants will be awarded to groups, projects and programmes that: • Improve health and wellbeing • Improve access to facilities, advice and training • Overcome problems such as illness, injury, disability, bereavement or financial difficulty Grants of to a maximum of £5,000 will be considered for both funding streams.
Deadline: Applications are now open from 21st March 2022 till 14th April 2022.
Newly Re-opened: Arnold Clark Community Fund
The Arnold Clark Community Fund is open to all UK-registered charities and local community groups who fall into our eligibility criteria. The fund is also open to community interest companies, charitable incorporated organisations and social enterprises.
Applications to The Arnold Clark Community Fund are only eligible if people and communities in the UK are the primary focus of investment and if they’re made by organisations that are incorporated in the UK. The funding must also provide immediate relief for the organisation as we cannot commit to providing funding for a future date. We can accept applications from: • UK-registered charities • Local community groups • Social enterprises • Community interest companies • Groups of organisations that are community or voluntary led • Charitable incorporated organisations Successful applicants will receive up to £1,000 in financial aid.
Magic Little Grants 2022 has now launched, with applications taking just 10 minutes to fill out and submit! This year we will be funding more organisations than we ever have before and we will still be spreading this funding out far and wide across the country. Last year we expanded our eligibility criteria which will remain this year. In previous years, funding had to go towards projects that were delivering sports or physical activities. But this year funding can go towards any of the following projects: • Improving mental wellbeing • Enabling community participation in the arts • Preventing or reducing the impact of poverty • Supporting marginalised groups and promoting equality • Improving biodiversity and green spaces • Enabling participation in physical activity • Responding to the climate emergency and promoting sustainability • Increasing community access to outdoor space If your organisation is carrying out a project within these themes, make sure to get your application in once the programme launches on 16th March 2022. The application process is short and simple, taking ten minutes to complete. Each organisation may only apply once in 2022.
Organisations must either be in their first year of operation or have an annual income under £250,000. Funding can be used to launch new projects, support existing ones, or cover core costs associated with ongoing work. Magic Little Grants | Localgiving
Deadline: Rolling
Newly Opened: Let’s Move Together Fund
The Together Fund has been set up to: • Help reduce the long-term impact and aid recovery from COVID-19. • The widening of the inequalities in sport and physical activity. • This fund will support specific activities to increase availability of exercise opportunities in local communities. The Together Fund will continue to evolve in line with our approach to date, building on ways in which we can continue to narrow the gap for communities that need our support. When we started out on this journey, COVID-19 was in its relative infancy, we were all coming to terms with what it meant and trying to understand how we could best support community sport and physical activity.
We knew it was having a significant impact on communities and there was a need for an immediate response. We are finding out more as we go and starting to move from an immediate critical response to one looking at recovery, the long-term impacts of COVID-19 and emergence from, rather than reaction to. We particularly welcome applications from organisations who support people with long-term health conditions, people from lower socio-economic groups, culturally diverse communities and disabled people to get physically active.
Grants between £1,000 and £5,000 are being offered as part of the fund. Additional funding may be available above the £5,000 but you will need to discuss this with a member of the Versus Arthritis team before submitting the application.
Deadline: We expect all funds to be awarded by 30th September 2022.
Re-opening Tomorrow: Postcode Society Trust
Funding priorities remain: • 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. We have been listening to feedback from previous applicants and to the need in the third sector as the pandemic continues. We are delighted to offer an increase in the value of grants this year. The higher level of grant available (£25,000) is now open to Community Interest Companies and community benefit societies for the first time. The amount available to other types of non profit organisations has also grown to £2,500. Organisations now have a longer period in which to deliver activities – 18 months from payment of the grant. In order to better serve good causes we are also challenging ourselves to deliver funding within two months of an application. Finally, 2022 is the year in which we venture into unrestricted funding for smaller charities and good causes. Organisations that undertake activities that we do not fund (Funding Guide) are still able to apply for project-based funding. Apply for a grant | Postcode Society Trust
Nationwide Building Society Community Grants
Grants of £10,000 – £50,000 for housing-focused charities, community land trusts and housing co-operatives to find local solutions to tackle the housing crisis.
Projects should meet one of three social priorities:
Preventing people from losing their home – helping those who are at risk of losing their home.
Helping people into a home – helping those who are homeless to find accommodation, or those in temporary or inappropriate accommodation to find a place to call home.
Supporting people to thrive within the home environment – helping those who were previously homeless or at risk of losing their homes to take the next steps towards rebuilding their lives. These projects often offer holistic support to end the cycle of homelessness. We are particularly interested in projects with a focus on households impacted by the fuel / cost of living crisis.
Deadline for applications is 27 May 2022, but applications are assessed regionally, and they may decide to close earlier if a lot of bids are in, so check the website.
Grants up to £5,000 for groups to raise awareness of illegal money lending.
Local residents’ groups, charities, private companies, social enterprises, community and voluntary groups, schools and statutory agencies can now apply for grants from a £160,000 funding pot which has come from the proceeds of crime taken from convicted illegal money lenders.
Projects should:
Contribute to raising awareness of the dangers of using loan sharks.
Prevent crime and disorder and makes a difference in local communities.
Promote the work of the Illegal Money Lending Team (IMLT) in communities.
Encourage reporting of loan sharks and signposts victims to the team.
IMLT actively encourages projects and initiatives that are different from the rest and will leave a legacy in the communities in which they are delivered.
Historic England – Everyday Heritage Grants: Celebrating Working Class Heritage Deadline: 23 May 2022 Grants are available to community and heritage organisations in England for projects which improve understanding and awareness of overlooked historic places and celebrate working class histories.
Homes for Ukraine Scheme Deadline: N/A Monthly payments are available for individuals, charities, faith groups, local community groups and businesses in the UK to volunteer accommodation to Ukrainians and their family members who are escaping their homeland due to the Russian invasion.
Sport England – Storm Relief Funding Deadline: N/A Grants are available to local not-for-profit organisations and public bodies to repair any damage to community sport facilities incurred during the recent storms in England.
Sovereign Thriving Communities (with Crowdfunding) Deadline: N/A Grants are available for not-for-profit organisations and community groups who can raise their initial funding through a crowdfunding campaign to support projects that benefit Sovereign communities and residents.
Sport England (with Crowdfunding) – Return to Play: Active Together Deadline: N/A Grants are available for new or existing community businesses in England who can raise their initial funding through a crowdfunding campaign to deliver a wide range of community-led projects, in particular supporting marginalised communities, less affluent areas, projects led by younger people, climate crisis and digital transformation.
Barclays Community Football Fund Deadline: N/A Grants are available to community groups in the UK to a make playing football more accessible at the grassroots level, and in particular encourage girls and young people from lower socio-economic and under-represented groups, including culturally diverse communities, young people with disabilities, and young people from the LGBTQ+ community to take part.
Sport England – Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Activity Fund Deadline: N/A Grants are available to local not-for-profit groups across England in celebration of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee for projects which bring communities together and provide opportunities for people who may be less physically active.
KFC Foundation Community Grants Programme Deadline: N/A Grants are available to support grassroots organisations providing safe social spaces, mentoring, work, or social skills for young people aged 11 to 25 years old in the UK.
England Woodland Creation Partnerships (WCP) Grants Deadline: N/A Grants, incentives and other support are available for woodland creation by farmers, landowners/managers and community groups, as part of the England Woodland Creation Partnerships.
Green Heat Network Fund (GHNF) Deadline: N/A Public, private and third sector organisations in England can access capital funding to help new and existing heat networks move to low and zero carbon technologies, such as heat pumps, solar and geothermal energy.
Shanly Foundation COVID Deadline: N/A Registered charities, sports and social clubs and community organisations that help individuals and benefit the local community, including support for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, the homeless, those with mental health issues and people with physical disabilities, injury or life limiting illness in Bucks, Herts, Surrey and Berks.
National Heritage Memorial Fund Deadline: N/A Funding for charities, not-for-profit organisations and public bodies to help with the cost of acquiring historic land, buildings, works of fine and decorative art and other objects of interest which are important to national heritage.
Visit Britain – Domestic Support Fund Deadline: N/A Grants are available for UK not-for-profit organisations, including associations and charities, to hold business events and to showcase that the UK has adapted to new ways of meeting in a COVID-19 secure environment.
Let’s Get Active Fund Deadline: N/A A fund to improve access to physical activities in West Berkshire is now open to applications as part of the district’s recovery from COVID-19. West Berkshire Council have partnered with Greenham Trust to offer the Let’s Get Active Fund (LGAF). The £33,660.00 LGAF pot is available to community groups, organisations, social enterprises, charities, profit-with-purpose businesses and schools in West Berkshire.
Poundland Foundation Deadline: N/A Grants are available for local charities and organisations across the UK working to make a difference in their communities.
The Prince’s Countryside Fund – Barclays 100x100UK Covid-19 Community Relief Fund Deadline: N/A Funding for farming and rural communities to cope with the impact of Covid-19, to expand on new services that have emerged to support the local community during this time and to build future resilience.
Matthew Good Foundation – Grants for Good Fund Deadline: N/A Grants are available for local community groups, charities, voluntary groups and social enterprises in the UK for projects that have a positive impact on communities, people, or the environment.
The Gerald Palmer Eling Trust Company The Trustees meet three times a year to consider applications for donations to charities. Applications are generally considered where they meet all of the following criteria: ~ The grant should relate to activities in West Berkshire or neighbouring counties ~ Grants for projects rather than general running costs are favoured ~ Grants should fit into one or more of the following categories: ~ The advancement of Christianity, particularly the Greek/Russian Orthodox ~ Medical Research or Facilities ~ Community or Education Facilities ~ Social & Welfare Support & Therapy Applications should be made in writing, including the latest charity accounts, to: The Gerald Palmer Eling Trust, Eling Estate Office, Wellhouse Lane, Hermitage, Newbury, Berkshire, RG18 9UF.
Thank you to our fantastic CVS’s for the information contained in this article – Wokingham & Bracknell InVOLve, West Berkshire Volunteer Centre & Slough CVS.
Here at CCB we know that village halls play a key role at the centre of their community providing a safe space to bring everyone together. Many have community resilience plans and are familiar with offering a support centre and very temporary living accommodation for localised crises such as flooding. In addition, COVID-19 has demonstrated that halls have been valued as centres for vaccination and food distribution.
Our national body ACRE (Action with Communities in Rural England) believes that village halls are well placed to welcome and support Ukrainian refugees that are being hosted in the local community; the role fulfils the charitable purposes of hall charities.
Refugees can be invited to take part in social activities e.g., those already taking place, and some arranged specifically for them, be offered training where the hall provides appropriate courses, given access to digital facilities, and any other activities that will provide support and aid integration. The hall can provide space for refugee families to get together and feel less isolated from each other. We would not expect village halls to provide living accommodation. When considering actively supporting activities for refugees the committee must: • involve the whole community, • make sure that appropriate vetting and safeguarding practices and procedures are in place, • engage with local district and borough councils with the aim of creating a co-ordinated approach and avoiding duplication of services that are being offered elsewhere, • make themselves aware of local charities, organisations, and support groups such as NACCOM so that the best possible support can be provided for the refugees and the hall committee, • refer to guidance from the Charity Commission .
Concern voiced about the growing number of rural households struggling to make ends meet because of the fuel crisis
New data released shows that 6.3 million households in England will wake up in fuel poverty at the beginning of next month, up from 4.1 million in the same period last year.
Whilst urban areas in Wolverhampton, Leeds and Birmingham top the unwelcome table of households unable to afford to heat their homes to an adequate temperature, rural areas are also being hit hard.
Our national body Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE) has highlighted that parts of rural West Norfolk, North East Lincolnshire, Herefordshire and Shropshire about a third of households will experience fuel poverty, as well as in the Chancellor’s own back yard of Richmondshire, Yorkshire.
Responding to the latest revelations, Paul Dixon, Rural Evidence Manager at ACRE said, “Those on lower incomes in the countryside are some of the most vulnerable to the growing fuel crisis. Rural residents have some of the hardest to heat homes. We are particularly concerned for the one million households who depend on heating oil. Members of the ACRE Network that run community oil buying schemes report extreme volatility in the price of this commodity which is estimated to have risen threefold over the past 12 months. People are facing difficult choices between filling up their heating system with oil or putting fuel in their car to get to work. Government must recognise and address the particular vulnerabilities of people in this situation.”
Here at CCB we run our own small oil club in Berkshire, to help members come together to order oil resulting in lower pence per litre prices as well as working to reduce the number of oil tankers on the road. We were alarmed to see the huge increase that those heating their home via oil were forced to endure last month and though prices have gone down a little recently they remain at a record high with no sign of them significantly decreasing anytime soon.
Recent rices in the price of crude oil
Our Oil Club administrator from OFPS Marion said; “The price of crude oil has risen dramatically over the last month. In February it was $92 and by mid-March that had raised to $124. This has an immediate knock-on effect on what rural households have to pay for heating oil. These are difficult times and I will continue to do whatever I can for our Oil Club members.”
Elsewhere at CCB our Project Co-ordinator Helen is providing telephone support to low-income families from across the county, in both rural and urban settings. Helen has also been able to run as very well received training sessions to front-line workers that support and have relationships with these families. Through our Family Fuel & Water Poverty Project we can provide families in need of support with appropriate advice and guidance on reducing the bills and the funds and grants that are available to them.
Out national body ACRE is a member of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition which released the updated fuel poverty statistics. Simon Francis who co-ordinates the coalition said, “Many people across rural England will wake up on 1 April in fuel poverty for the first time. Rural properties have long been the forgotten victims of rising energy costs and poorly insulated properties. It has got to the stage now, that it is only by concerted effort by the Government that we will be able to see the immediate support for struggling households combined with support for energy efficiency improvements.”
Local BBC Radio across England wants to award great neighbours, key workers, volunteers and more in Make A Difference Awards
Community heroes who make a difference where they live will be recognised in a new award scheme being run by every local BBC radio station in England. But they need your help to identify people who should be honoured.
It’s part of the BBC’s ‘Make A Difference’ awards to recognise remarkable people; marking their achievements and contributions to lives in their communities.
‘Make A Difference’ was first set up at the start of the first pandemic lockdown and is a virtual notice board for those offering help and those needing support. To date over 8 Million people have interacted across all 39 local BBC radio stations.
Categories cover the unsung heroes of every community from great neighbours, inspirational teachers, awesome volunteers or even outstanding key workers.
There are eight award categories (listed below), nominations are now open and will close on the 29th of April 2022 at 11:00pm.
The winners will be announced at our Make a Difference awards hosted by BBC Radio Berkshire at a ceremony in September.
Chris Burns, Head of Audio and Digital for BBC England said: “The last two years have been challenging for everyone. Listeners have contacted us to share the stories of how people have helped each other and we wanted to find a way of celebrating those unsung heroes and telling those amazing stories.”
For a full list of categories – and details of how to nominate someone – go to bbc.co.uk/makeadifference, where you can also see full Terms and our Privacy Notice.
Nominations are now open and will close on the 29th of April 2022 at 11:00pm.
Connecting Communities in Berkshire 