In 2014, Network Rail Infrastructure Projects committed to a “measurable net positive contribution towards biodiversity in the UK”. The Greater West Programme pledged to be a pilot project to put this principle into practice by compensating for the unavoidable loss of habitats (mainly young semi-natural woodland and some scrub) that has occurred during the electrification programme.

TOE2 is working with Network Rail around the delivery of No Net Loss (NNL) funding in Oxfordshire and Berkshire.  The funding is to be spent on creating or enhancing similar wildlife habitats in the locality, a process known as biodiversity offsetting.  This is a voluntary commitment by Network Rail, not bound to any planning obligations or client requirements.

Trust for Oxfordshire (TOE2) are looking to create new woodland, provide better links between woodlands, and to enhance existing woodland and scrub mosaic, though other habitats could be considered (ancient woodland is not eligible). They believe this is a great opportunity to make a significant difference for wildlife.  They are particularly interested in supporting landscape scale projects and collaborative working where local organisations come together to create larger projects.

Parish councils, local charities and not-for-profit organisations, local authorities and landowners are all eligible to apply. The programme is to be delivered over a four-year period. Stage 1 applications for outline project proposals can be received at any time

If this of interest to you please visit the TOE2 website (www.trustforoxfordshire.org.uk) for more details of how we intend to operate the funding programme. If you would like to register your interest in the programme, please contact Lynn Parker on admin@trustforoxfordshire.org.uk or 01865 407003.

Localgiving’s Grow Your Tenner, will kick off on Tuesday 17th October at 10am and run until the match funding runs out (or midday on Thursday 16th November – whichever comes first).

This is the sixth consecutive year of Grow Your Tenner – the campaign that turns your tenners into twenties.

• Since 2012 Grow Your Tenner has raised over £6 million for local charities and community groups across the UK over the last five years.
• Grow Your Tenner 2016 raised over £1 million for more than 1,300 Localgiving members.

This year they have placed a special emphasis on monthly giving – our aim being to help local groups attract long term supporters. Regular donations are hugely important for small, local charities, helping them to stabilise their finances and plan for the future.
During Grow Your Tenner 2017 donors will be able to support their favourite Localgiving charity or community group in two ways:

• Make a one-time donation and it will be matched up to £10.
• Set up a monthly donation and after your first six donations, the following six donations will be matched up to £10.

https://localgiving.org/what-we-do/campaigns/grow-your-tenner

Courtesy of Slough CVS e-bulletin

The Children’s Health Fund is inviting organisations that want to provide good food as part of holiday learning, play and activity programmes to apply for funding between £1,000 and £5,000. We expect funding applications at the higher end of our scale (£5,000) will be for projects looking to expand their work.

Deadline for submitting your online application is 5pm Friday 6th October 2017.
The Board will meet in November to decide which applications will receive funding. Awards will be announced in December.

Further information here:

http://www.childrenshealthfund.org.uk/grants/http://www.childrenshealthfund.org.uk/grants/

The Connected Communities Innovation Fund will be supporting great innovations that enable a wider group of volunteers to give their time and skills, and will work with selected projects to develop their plans to consider how they will mobilise volunteers including:

• People aged 50+ – we want to back social action innovations that mobilise the time and talents of people aged 50+ in new ways, especially those who may not have previously volunteered.

• People who want to give less intensively – we want to back social action initiatives that offer a variety of opportunities from high commitment to smaller commitment, sharing time and resources in new ways, and enabling a variety of people to give their time and talents.• People who want to connect online – we want to back social action initiatives that make the most of technology to connect with and engage volunteers, and that perhaps even allow them to give their time online.There are two sizes of funding awards available, depending on the maturity of the idea. Both awards are available for innovations in all four priority areas.

• Early stage ideas:  We will provide grants of £50-75k, and significant non-financial support, over 12 – 18 months for innovative social action approaches. Applicants must be able to demonstrate the high potential for impact on public service outcomes in the thematic areas; the innovation must also offer something different and needed in the field. However, you might still need to do some testing or prototyping to evidence impact, or you may need to work on your scaling plans.

• Growing great ideas: We will provide grants of £100-250k, and significant non-financial support, over 2 years for innovations ready to sustainably grow their existing social action project or programme to reach and benefit many more people in new locations.

Further information here: http://www.nesta.org.uk/project/connected-communities-innovation-fund

Courtesy of Slough CVS e-bulletin