The National Grid estimate that up to 65 percent of electricity generation can be produced locally by 2050. Supporting the development of clean renewable energy generation at community level is beneficial to both the community and the wider environment. Income from renewable projects can provide benefits to the community, including the creation of jobs and the promotion of social cohesion. Considering the above, Community Energy has a significant role to play. It is vital rural communities are enabled to act and are not left behind during the energy transition.

Five Energy Hubs, funded by BEIS (Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) have been set up across England to develop Low Carbon and Renewable Energy Projects. These projects can be delivered at scale to assist in the decarbonisation targets of their respective regions as detailed in the LEP (Local Enterprise Partnerships) Energy Strategies. Part of the responsibility of the Hubs is to deliver the £10 million Rural Community Energy Fund (RCEF) that has been provided to enable rural communities to take ownership of the energy challenges facing them. The fund provides grants to support communities in rural locations to develop their energy projects and is split into two stages.

• Stage 1 feasibility grants < £40,000

• Stage 2 grants < £100,000 for business development and planning of feasible schemes

The fund covers the high-risk costs of projects, facilitating the development of feasible projects giving local communities the confidence to finance and deliver beneficial renewable and low-carbon energy projects. Principally the Rural Community Energy Fund aims to:

· Support rural communities – by helping them to maximise the income generating potential of renewable energy and putting this to work locally;
· Increase the uptake of community and locally owned renewable energy, to support the Government’s targets for renewable energy and carbon reduction; and
· Promote rural growth, job creation and volunteering opportunities – to enable communities to access the economic benefits associated with renewable energy schemes.

The initial designing of a scheme, understanding the technical feasibility and upfront costs associated with gaining planning permission are considered challenges for the development of community scale projects. The Rural Community Energy Fund will achieve its aims by removing these barriers to investment which are not readily available in the commercial market by providing funding to community organisations establishing the feasibility and development of the business plan for a renewable energy facility.

Community Energy has a critical role to play in the evolution to a decarbonised environment and rural communities in particular must not be left behind. It is important that rural communities are empowered to make decisions about their future energy needs and enabled to make decisions on the provision of their local energy supply. With shrinking public funds, there is also an opportunity for rural communities to use their savings and generated revenue from local energy projects, to keep valuable community assets and services funded.

To contact your local Energy Hub to find out more please go to: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/rural-community-energy-fund

How to apply
RCEF is being run by 5 regional Local Energy Hubs. If you would like to register your interest for the scheme, or would like further information, please contact the relevant hub for your area.

Local Energy Hubs
The hubs are split by Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) regions. Use the following list to see which hubs cover you LEP regions.

South East
· Cambridgeshire and Peterborough
· New Anglia
· Hertfordshire
· Buckinghamshire Thames Valley
· Oxfordshire
· SEMLEP (South East Midlands)
· Coast to Capital
· South East
· Enterprise M3
· Thames Valley Berkshire
· London
Contact: info@energyhub.org.uk

YUoR Community Champions is a new student volunteer scheme, which matches student volunteers to local community organisations in Berkshire. Student volunteers will remotely support community organisations with their technical, digital or admin needs. For example, volunteers can assist with online meeting platforms such as Skype and Zoom; write blogs and marketing material; help with video and creative content; support the use of social media and messaging systems such as WhatsApp; translate key documents and/or help with admin tasks.

For further information please click here.

With thanks to Berkshire CVS’s – Wokingham & Bracknell Involve, West Berkshire Volunteer Centre, Slough CVS and Reading Voluntary Action for information. Please check this article regularly as it will be updated with information throughout the month of June.

Variety, the Childrens Charity – Youth Club Grants Grants of £250 to £600 are available to youth organisations that are affiliated to either Ambition, UK Youth or the or National Association of Boys and Girls Clubs. The grants can be used to buy equipment to provide challenging activities that engage young people aged 8-18 and help keep them off the streets. Apply anytime. For details see https://www.variety.org.uk/what-we-do/youth-clubs-grants. Community Tree Planting funds Schools and community groups proposing to undertake well-planned tree and hedge planting projects this winter (November 2020 – March 2021), and ideally in National Tree Week, can apply for funds from £300 to £1500. Apply from now onward. See https://treecouncil.org.uk/take-action/grants-for-trees/ Co-op Foundation latest round of its #iwill Fund They are offering grants of up to £10,000 to help young people support each other during bereavement. They expect to make about five grants to successful applicants from across the UK. Funding is for one year and successful organisations will be able to apply for additional grants in year two and three of this fund.  Deadline:  31 July 2020. For details and to apply see https://www.coopfoundation.org.uk/funding_support/iwill-fund-bereavement/ Lush Charity Pot Grants up to £10,000 (average grant £4,000) are available for: small, grassroots charities and campaign groups working in animal protection, the environment, and human rights. Priority is given to causes that are less popular with funders, and projects that push for long-term change, including those that use non-violent direct action as a campaigning tactic. For details, and the application form see https://uk.lush.com/article/charity-pot-funding-guidelines Woodward Charitable Trust   Small grants up to £3000 for core costs for small UK registered charities working with isolated or at risk children and youth, disadvantaged women, families, prisoners and ex-offenders or community cohesion. Deadline for current round 31 July 2020. See http://woodwardcharitabletrust.org.uk/general_applications/ Yapp Foundation Small grants for for running costs for small established registered charities working with the elderly, the young people, those with disabilities or educationally disadvantaged.  Applications reviewed 3 times per year. See https://yappcharitabletrust.org.uk/what-we-fund/ Tesco community grant Bags of Help is Tesco’s on-going local community grant scheme where Three community projects in each local area will be voted on by customers in Tesco stores throughout the UK, with projects changing every other month. The projects must meet the criteria of bringing benefits to the community. Grants of up to £2,000 are available. See https://www.groundwork.org.uk/national-grants/grants_tesco-community-grants/   DM Thomas Foundation for Young People Registered charities and CICs working in education or health to transform the lives of, or make a real difference to: Children and young people with disabilities Children and young people who are sick in hospital Children and young people who are life limited (requiring palliative care) Mental health of children and young people Can apply for funding from £1000 to £30,000k per year for activities and projects. Quarterly awards, next deadline 22 July 2020.  See https://dmthomasfoundation.org/what-we-do/grants/ for eligibility, pervious awards. Government Grants for Front-Line Food Aid Charities  Front-line food aid charities can apply for a grant of up to £100,000 to help provide food to the vulnerable.You can apply for funding as a group of charities to meet the criteria for applications. Deadline 6th July.  To register on the eSourcing portal and for details https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-apply-for-the-food-charities-grant-fund Government £200 million Coronavirus Community Support Fund  The Government’s new £200 million Coronavirus Community Support Fund has opened for applications. The fund which is being administered through the National Lottery Community Fund has two key objectives. To increase community support to vulnerable people affected by the COVID-19 crisis; and to reduce temporary closures of essential charities and social enterprises, ensuring services for vulnerable people impacted by COVID-19 have the financial resources to operate, and so reduce the burden on public services. Charities and not for profit organisations will be able to apply for grants of between £300 and £10,000 or for grants above £10,000. Decisions on funding will be made within weeks. Applications can be submitted at any time. See   https://www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/funding/covid-19/learn-about-applying-for-emergency-funding-in-ai Berkshire Community Fund – Vital for Berkshire – Coronavirus Fund  Grants of up to £10,000 available to help organisations:  Respond to immediate needs, for instance, as a result of restrictions to normal activity. With stabilisation i.e. short term core cost funds to keep organisations supporting those in need afloat. Charities and Nor for Profit organisations can apply.as well as organisations who have applied in the last 6 months can re-apply for funding    see https://www.berkshirecf.org/available-funding/coronavirus-fund/ The Stop Loan Sharks Community Fund The fund is open for bids up to £5,000 from charities, voluntary organisations and community groups involved in activities that have a positive impact on their communities. Each group will have to demonstrate how their project contributes to delivering the fund’s priorities which include raising awareness of the dangers of loan sharks; promoting the work of the organisation in communities, and encourage reporting of loan sharks. Read more Children in Need: COVID-19 Next Steps Grant Grants between £5,000 – £80,000 to deliver support for children and young people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. These grants are designed to fund sustained responses to the COVID-19 situation. The projects can last up to 18 months, beginning September 2020. The fund will help organisations with more complex service adaption, including additional staffing requirements. It is designed to be as flexible as possible, covering a wide range of activities. Deadline: 1 July 2020 Read more Edge Foundation – Edge Post COVID-19 Revival Fund One-off grants of £10,000 – £50,000 for institutions and not-for-profit organisations working in the educational sector for projects that address the educational challenges arising from the aftermath of the coronavirus/COVID-19 crisis. A total of £250,000 is available. Deadline: 9 July 2020 Read more  Co-op Local Community Fund Grants are available for small, locally based voluntary and community groups to support projects which benefit local communities around Co-op food stores and funeral homes across the UK. Grants are typically around £2,000. Deadline: 28 June 2020  Read more  20-20-20 Slough – Artist brief Slough Museum wish to contract up to five emerging Slough based artists to deliver participatory activity with residents as part of our Arts Council England and Slough Borough Council supported project. Deadline for applications: 5pm Friday 3 July Interviews via Zoom: Monday 13 July Read more Local Authority Discretionary Grants Fund The deadline to apply for Local Authority Discretionary Grants Fund (LADGF) to assist businesses facing financial hardship due to COVID-19 pandemic, has been extended to 21 June. Read more  Historic England – COVID-19 Emergency Heritage at Risk Response Fund Deadline: 28th June, 2020 Emergency grants to help fund urgent maintenance, repairs and investigations at historic sites and buildings across England due to the impact of the coronavirus/COVID-19 outbreak. #BeInclusive EU Sport Awards Deadline: 30th June, 2020 Awards to recognise organisations that have successfully increased social inclusion for disadvantaged groups through sport. Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) Deadline: 30th June, 2020 This scheme will provide a grant to all UK employers across all sectors (private, public, charitable and non-profit) to keep their workers on, rather than making them redundant during the coronavirus outbreak. Resourcing Racial Justice Fund Deadline: 30th June, 2020 Grants are available for frontline organisations, grassroots groups and community groups across the UK that are working to redress the impact of the coronavirus/COVID-19 and systemic racism on communities of colour. Forces Communities Together Programme Deadline: 30th June, 2020 Grants to support creative and engaging projects, that can be delivered under social restrictions, for people from Armed Forces communities in the UK who are isolated as a result of the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic. National Lottery Heritage Fund – Heritage Emergency Fund Deadline: 30th June, 2020 Grants for heritage organisations that have received NLHF funding in the past and are either a current grantee or still under contract following a previous grant and are most in need during the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis. Ouseley Church Music Trust Deadline: 30th June, 2020 Emergency grants to help fund urgent maintenance, repairs and investigations at historic sites and buildings across England due to the impact of the coronavirus/COVID-19 outbreak. Patagonia International Environmental Grants Deadline: 30th June, 2020 Grants are available to small grassroots activist environmental organisations in the UK and Ireland that are working to protect local habitats and frontline communities through bold, original actions. Urban Tree Challenge Fund (UTCF) Deadline: 30th June, 2020 Funding for public bodies, non-government organisations, community groups, charities, individuals and private companies, to support the planting and establishment of large and small trees in urban and peri-urban areas of England. <!– /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Helvetica; panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536858881 -1073711013 9 0 511 0;} @font-face {font-family:”Cambria Math”; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536869121 1107305727 33554432 0 415 0;} @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-469750017 -1073732485 9 0 511 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:””; margin:0cm; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:”Times New Roman”,serif; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-size:10.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;} @page WordSection1 {size:612.0pt 792.0pt; margin:72.0pt 72.0pt 72.0pt 72.0pt; mso-header-margin:36.0pt; mso-footer-margin:36.0pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} –> BBC Children in Need – COVID-19 Next Step Grants Programme Deadline: 1st July, 2020 Grants to help not-for-profit organisations with more complex service adaption in their work with disadvantaged children and young people in the UK who are disproportionately affected by the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic. Independent Age Grants Fund Deadline: 2nd July, 2020 Grants are available for smaller registered charities across the UK that are working with some of the older people hardest hit by the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis. Heat Networks Investment Project (HNIP) Deadline: 3rd July, 2020 Capital funding through grants and loans for public, private and third sector organisations undertaking activities to boost the uptake of low carbon heating network projects for domestic and public buildings in England and Wales. Ragdoll Foundation Deadline: 3rd July, 2020 Funding is available to support not-for-profit organisations, especially arts organisations, in the UK that are working with children and young people using the arts and creative media. Resource Action Fund (Including COVID-19 Emergency Surplus Food Grant) Deadline: 3rd July, 2020 Grants are available for businesses and not-for-profit organisations in England to support resource efficiency projects, with the goal of diverting, reducing and better managing waste, in the areas of food, plastics, textiles, recycling infrastructure and litter. The Dan Maskell Tennis Trust Deadline: 3rd July, 2020 Grants are available to help disabled people in the UK to play tennis through the purchase of wheelchairs, tennis equipment and grants for coaching. Art Fund Respond and Reimagine Grants Deadline: 6th July, 2020 Grants are available to help UK museums, galleries and cultural organisations respond to immediate challenges connected to the COVID-19 crisis. National Churches Trust – Cornerstone Grants Programme 2019-2023 Deadline: 6th July, 2020 Grants are available to support the conservation and sustainable use of church buildings in the UK, focusing on larger and more complex projects with priority given to urgent structural repairs or the introduction of kitchens and accessible toilets. National Churches Trust/ChurchCare – Wolfson Fabric Repair Grants Deadline: 6th July, 2020 Grants are available to support essential fabric repairs in architecturally or historically significant Christian church buildings in the UK. Edge Foundation – Edge Post COVID-19 Revival Fund Deadline: 9th July, 2020 One-off grants for institutions and not-for-profit organisations working in the educational sector for projects that address the educational challenges arising from the aftermath of the coronavirus/COVID-19 crisis.