Climate Action Fund: Waste and Consumption

Grants are available for community-led partnerships in the UK to make changes in their community that they believe will have the biggest impact on climate change. This round focuses on supporting medium-scale to large-scale projects addressing waste and consumption.
See https://www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/funding/programmes/climate-action-fund-round-2. Deadline 8 April 2021 for the initial idea. If you get to the next stage, the rest of the application process may take 6+ months

Funding for the elderly to help wellbeing or reduce social isolation and/or loneliness

BringJoy offer small grants to groups whose members are aged 55+ or to projects benefiting people aged over 55. Priority will be given to applications that have a connection a local Home Instead office. Small grass roots organisation you can apply for funding up to £500 and charities can apply for £1500. See https://www.bringjoyfoundation.org/apply-for-a-grant/ for details and to apply.

Free digital devices and data for people with learning disabilities

Digital Lifeline funding is an emergency fund from the government open to those who support people with learning disabilities and want to distribute digital devices to their community.

As well as the devices and data, delivery partners will get a grant of £100 for every person they support; the minimum is 10 people + a grant of £1,000. More than 10 devices/£1,000 may be available to a single delivery partner, depending on demand.

For the click Digital Lifeline Application Description, Guidance and FAQs. FAQ6 explains what support is available to distributing organisations. Apply by 15 March 2021.
Or see website https://www.goodthingsfoundation.org/news-and-blogs/news/funding-open-devices-and-data-people-learning-disabilities.

Funding to support children and young people

Schools, colleges and community groups can apply for funding for projects which will helpteam working skills and future employability of children and young people. BlueSpark values academic, vocational, artistic and sporting endeavour but only provides funding for relatively small-scale projects which might not happen at all or would only happen on a lesser scale without the support of BlueSpark. See http://bluesparkfoundation.org.uk/ . Applications reviewed every 8 weeks.

The Gerald Palmer Eling Trust

Charities with activities in West Berkshire or neighbouring counties can apply for project grants (no amount specified) to support:
• Community or Education facilities and provision of support; or
• Social and Welfare support and therapy
• Medical research and
• The advancement of the Christian religion especial Greek or Russian Orthodox
Apply in writing. For details see https://www.elingestate.co.uk/charitable-works

Ocado Foundation for Good
The programme will support ‘the many rather than the few’ by providing grants 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. Click here for more details.

Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) outreach programme

The RSC is making grants of up to £25,000 available to support the design and implementation of chemistry outreach programmes for school students. This grant scheme is open to all organisations that provide outreach activities to secondary school-aged children. This includes, but is not limited to, universities, not-for-profit organisations and charities.
Organisations must provide an in-kind contribution or match funding. The deadline for applications is 12pm on the 28th June 2021 see https://www.rsc.org/prizes-funding/funding/chemistry-for-all-outreach-grants/

Reading Lions Club – Lion’s Den community grants scheme
Lions Club of Reading
Reading Lions Club is once again reaching out to small local community groups and small local charities to offer financial support. Many local community groups do not have access to grant funding or the resources to invest in significant fundraising and yet they continue to provide a valued service to our community even during these challenging times.

Through our own fundraising events and with support from the ‘Round up for Reading’ campaign, we have set aside £10,000 to give away in small community grants, each of up to £750 to support local community projects. We are inviting local groups to submit a grant application for their local project. Entry opens on 19 February 2021. For further details please click here.

National Lottery Grants for Heritage – focusing on inclusion – rolling deadline
The National Lottery Heritage Fund is accepting applications for grants from £3,000 to £10,000 and £10,000 to £100,000 for projects that are focused on inclusion, led by and/or engaging diverse groups typically under-represented in heritage (for example, young people, minority ethnic and LGBT+ communities, disabled people and people from lower socio-economic backgrounds). This work could include:

• exploring different generations, communities and their history
• mental health and historic environments
• youth-led history focused projects
• LGBT+ heritage

For further details please click here

The Woodroffe Benton Foundation
Grants of £500 – £2,500 for charities or education institutions to support:

• relief of hardship
• care for the elderly
• education & youth development
• environment & conservation
• human physical well-being

Deadline for applications is 31 March 2021
Read more

ESFA Community Training Grants
The ESFA and ESF are co-financing Community Training Grants to offer skills, training and employment opportunities for individuals who are unemployed or out of education. This grant is intended for projects which help to support individuals who are either unemployed, out of education, or economically inactive. The aim is to benefit those who are furthest away from the labour market, and start participants’ progress back to employment. In addition to formal skills training this can also be activities which have softer benefits, such as work readiness, confidence or anger management.
Read more

Grants for Conserving Stained Glass

Our grants are available to ecclesiastic and other public buildings exclusively for the conservation of historic and/or artistically significant stained and architectural glass. The Grants are made by The Glaziers Trust, part of the Company’s charitable foundation, which has two principal objectives:

• The conservation of historic and/or artistically significant stained and architectural glass.
• Promoting the craft by supporting the education and training of craftsmen and women in the fields of stained and painted glass, and by fostering public information and awareness. For further details please click here.

Natural Environment Investment Readiness Fund (NEIRF)
Deadline: 26 March 2021
Grants are available to non-profit environmental groups, local authorities and businesses to stimulate private investment and mechanisms that improve and safeguard England’s domestic natural environment.

Greenham Trust – Community Grants
Deadline: 26 March 2021
Grants are available for charities and not-for-profit organisations undertaking charitable activities that benefit communities in West Berkshire and North Hampshire.

Resilience and Recovery Loan Fund
Deadline: 31 March 2021
Emergency loans are available to support UK-based social enterprises and charities that are experiencing disruption to their normal business model as a result of coronavirus/COVID-19.

Music for All – Community Project Funding Deadline: 1 July 2021 Grants are available to UK-based community groups that aim to bring musical projects to their local 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. Postcode Society Trust – South of England Deadline: N/A Grants are available for smaller charities and good causes in the south of England. National Lottery Awards for All – England Deadline: N/A Grants are available for charities, voluntary groups, schools and local authorities in England to carry out projects that will improve their local community NESTA Cultural Impact Development Fund Deadline: N/A Loan and grant finance package for arts and culture organisations in England working with the people and communities in greatest need.

Thanks goes to Berkshire’s brilliant CVS’s for the content in this news item, namely Wokingham & Bracknell InVOLve, Reading Voluntary Action, Volunteer Centre West Berkshire and Slough CVS

by Phillip Vincent, Action with Communities in Rural England

Follow up to the 2020 Village Halls Survey will focus on what’s changed.

When CCB’s national bocy Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE) conducted a survey of England’s 10,000+ village halls last February, little was known about Coronavirus. And yet, within a month of the research being undertaken, the world had changed. Almost all of the halls surveyed closed their doors for the first time in a century – and many remain closed due to national lockdown restrictions.

One year on, there is a sense of optimism and hope that things can return to normal. But there is an urgent need to understand how the pandemic has impacted halls and the support needed by volunteers to help them reopen these rural community buildings.

There is an urgent need to understand how the pandemic has impacted halls and the support needed by volunteers to help them reopen these rural community buildings
Deborah Clarke, ACRE’s Rural Evidence and Village Halls Manager explained, “We have lots of anecdotal evidence to believe many village halls have shown great resilience in response to Covid-19. By conducting a follow up survey of halls who participated in the 2020 research, we can track changes to their income, services delivered, governance arrangements and support needs.”

The follow up research will be undertaken by researchers from the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research at Sheffield Hallam University.

Over 2,000 halls responded to the 2020 Village Halls Survey, providing an important snapshot in time. These halls will be contacted to answer some follow up questions in the next few weeks.

Evidence captured from the follow-up survey will help ACRE make proposals to government for developing the national village halls support service operated by 38 county-based member charities.

Village halls are valuable buildings that support a diverse range of community activities from exercise classes to coffee mornings and are routinely hired out for private parties and weddings. Some also host community shops and post offices.

Further information

Read more about the original National Village Hall Survey Report 2020 here.

If you completed the survey in 2020 and don’t receive information or a link from ACRE to complete the follow-on survey, please email d.clarke@acre.org.uk

by Phillip Vincent, Action with Communites in Rural England

Village halls in England are being encouraged to sign the online record to mark 100 years of rural community action.

The online record has been set up by national charity, Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE) as part of a week-long celebration of the contribution community and village halls make to rural communities which begins Monday 25 January.

David Emerson CBE, the charity’s Chair said, “We’re delighted to announce details of our Village Halls Domesday Book published today. It is a unique opportunity for village halls up and down the country to help us create a public record of the good things they have been doing, and the difference they make to local people as we celebrate a centenary of rural community action.

We very much hope the Domesday Book will serve as a reminder of how valuable these buildings are at a time when many have been forced to close their doors due to the national lockdown.”

It is a unique opportunity for village halls up and down the country to help us create a public record of the good things they have been doing, and the difference they make to local people as we celebrate a centenary of rural community action

There are over 10,000 village and community halls to be found across England. Many were established in the 1920s when there was a national drive to improve social and educational provision in rural areas.

Today, village halls support a diverse range of community activities from exercise classes to coffee mornings and are routinely hired out for private parties and weddings. Some host community shops and post offices.

The Domesday Book is prefaced by a forward from Lord Gardiner of Kimble, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Rural Affairs who is a long-time supporter of village halls.

ACRE intends to use the record to help make the case for sustained funding and support for village halls as the country recovers from the coronavirus pandemic.

Monday 25 January – Friday 29 January 2021

This year the Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE) Network will be Celebrating 100 Years Together and Village Halls Week 2021 will take place from Monday 25th January through to Friday 29th January 2021. 

ACRE has planned sessions for each day during the week which management committee members can book to join, we are sharing the information below. 

These sessions look really interesting and Kate our Community Buildings Adviser, hopes to see you at some of them, you can register by going to the ACRE website which is https://acre.org.uk/our-work/village-halls-week. 

CCB is not planning to do any specific training sessions for trustees during village halls week but we are running a Wellbeing in 2021 webinar which we will hope will be of benefit to EVERYONE: For further information please click here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/131463126751

If any of your halls would like to organise a virtual meet up be it a chat, quiz or a game of bingo for your community please let Kate or Gemma know and CCB will advertise it for you – admin@ccberks.org.uk

Acres National Village Hall Programme 25 – 29 January 2021
Monday

Listen to opening speeches by Lord Gardiner, ACRE’s Executive Director Richard Quallington and our in-house expert Deborah Clarke celebrating a century of village halls

Tuesday

Learn about the different activities and events hosted by village halls and how they combat loneliness and support the local economy. This will include a spotlight on rural touring activities as promoted by NRTF

Wednesday

Join an online event sponsored by Norris & Fisher to find out how your village hall can recover from Covid-19. Register your place

Thursday

Be a part of a conversation about what the future holds for village halls and join an online event sponsored by Utility Aid to find out how your village halls can contribute to a zero-carbon future. Register your place

Friday

Listen to a podcast by Allied Westminster discussing the history of village halls. Register your interest. And don’t forget to sign our Doomsday Book to send a message to MPs!