Small Grants for Small Charities
The Foyle Small Grants Scheme is designed to support UK charities which are financially stable and which are working at grass roots and local community level, in any field, across a wide range of activities. We make one-year grants only to cover core costs or essential equipment, to enable ongoing service provision, homeworking, or delivery of online digital services to charities that can show financial stability. Small charities with turnover of less than £150,000 can apply for between £1,000 and £10,000. For further details, click here.

Grants For Small Local & Grass Roots Groups
‘Charity Pot’ is funded by Lush hand and body cream support and distribute as grants, to mainly small grass roots groups working in the areas of animal protection, the environment and/or human rights (including social justice, peace, diversity and equality). Charity Pot grants range from £100 to £10,000 per project/application.  The average Charity Pot grant is between £2,000 – £4,000. Priorities include projects that aim to create long-term change, or support for basic life needs and, or that are often overlooked by other funders. 
Lush supports organisations that take on issues that others don’t or that push the boundaries and challenge the mainstream opinion. Click here for more info.

Co-op Local Community Fund
If your project helps people access food, improves mental wellbeing or provides opportunities for young people, apply
for funding and become a co-op cause. As well as providing some funds, the scheme can help you:
~   find people who can help grow your group
~   tell others about the impact you’re having in your community
~   connect with other groups and activities to grow your network
You can use the money to pay staff salaries or running costs for your project, but not your group. For example, to pay a professional to give local children mental health awareness training. For more information and for the application form, click here

Grants For Horticultural & Art History Projects
The Finnis Scott Foundation makes grants for horticultural and art history projects. In general, the Trustees only consider applications for grants up to £10,000. Exceptionally, larger
grants may be considered at the Trustees’ discretion. Preference is given to smaller charities where a grant would have a significant impact. The Foundation funds both capital and revenue projects. Requests for salaries will not be considered, except in the case of educational support (bursaries and apprenticeships). Grants are not given for expenditure which has already been made. Click here for more details.

People’s Health Trust

Their Active Communities programme is open locally. Not for profit organisations with an annual income below £350,000 can a apply for a grant of £5,000 to £40,000, which can be over two years.

Projects need to:

• Be designed and led by local people
• Support their neighbourhood or community to come together to address an issue that is important to them
• Create stronger connections between people by supporting them to meet up regularly (weekly, fortnightly or monthly, for at least one year)
• Be for people who experience greater social and economic disadvantage than people living in other parts of the country

They will support small local projects, or those supporting a community of interest. Deadline for applications is 1pm on 9 June 2021

Read more

The Wakeham Trust

The Wakeham Trust provides grants to help people rebuild their communities. They are particularly interested in neighbourhood projects, community arts projects, projects involving community service by young people, or projects set up by those who are socially excluded.Read more

Grocers’ Charity – Memorial Grants
Deadline: N/A
One-off grants are available to small UK registered charities for work in the specific areas of: relief of youth poverty, the disabled, the elderly, health, military, and the arts and heritage.

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.

Ansvar

We’re asking registered charities – big or small – to tell us about a project they’re either running or hoping to run, which could do with some extra cash. We have £25,000 to give away – the first prize will be £15,000 and the two runners up will both receive £5,000 each. All we’re asking for is 500 words or less about the project, which can be emailed to us at community.campaign@ansvar.co.uk  Entries need to be in by the 30th June and we’ll be letting the lucky winners know they’ve been successful by the 23rd July. Click here for the terms and conditions.

Return to Play: Small Grants

This fund will make awards, using National Lottery and government funding, of between £300 and £10,000 from a total pot of £15 million, to help sport and activity groups, clubs and organisations respond to the immediate challenges of returning to play in a coronavirus-safe way. It seeks to help support sport and physical activity groups, clubs and organisations in responding to the immediate challenges of returning to play in a Covid-safe manner. For more details please click here.

Ocado Foundation Grants Programme

Grants programme for UK charities and community groups, with BizGive offering grants of up to £1,000 to successful applicants, with in-kind goods also available on request and applications for digital volunteering also accepted. For further details please click here.

Funding for Allotment and Garden Projects
Deadline: 1 July 2021
The National Allotment Gardens Trust grant funding to registered Allotment Associations and Committees for the improvement and development of facilities on registered and permanent sites. Non statuary sites may also be granted funding if a long term lease is in place.

Pets at Home Foundation – Pets Through People Grants
Deadline: N/A
Grants are available for charities who provide temporary or ongoing assistance to ensure pets can remain with their owners, and/or change the lives of adults and children through the provision of animal-based activities.

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

National Lottery Community Fund – Partnerships
Deadline: N/A
Grants are available to voluntary and community organisations in England which work together with a shared set of goals and values to help their community thrive.

National Lottery Community Fund – Reaching Communities
Deadline: N/A
Large grants are available to voluntary and community organisations in England for projects that make positive changes in their communities.

National Lottery Grants for Heritage
Deadline: N/A
Grants for organisations working with heritage to adapt and respond to the changing environment they are now operating in due to the coronavirus/COVID-19 crisis.

Emergency Government funding for the Coronavirus Community Support Fund

Government funding is being awarded alongside National Lottery funding, to support organisations to continue to deliver services to people and communities affected by COVID-19. We can also help organisations overcome any acute financial difficulties they face as a result of the pandemic. Those unable to accept lottery funding can specify the application is for Government funds. Read about the types of projects and organisations we’re prioritising

Funding of between £300 and £10,000 is being awarded to cover six months of expenditure.  Applications are ongoing though eligibility will change after 17^th August. See https://www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/funding/programmes/covid-19-funding-under-10k-1#section-1 

Core funding charities supporting for disadvantaged groups 
Charities, social enterprises, and community interest companies can apply for core cost funding of up to £3,000. Priority is given to projects that make good use of volunteers, encourage past and current users to participate, ensure that funds awarded are being well used and fall within the following areas:

• Children and young people who are isolated, at risk of exclusion or involved in anti-social behaviour.
• Disadvantaged families,
• Prisoners and ex-offenders. 

See http://woodwardcharitabletrust.org.uk/general_applications/ for details.  Apply by 30th July 2021

Thank you to Berkshire’s terrific CVS’s for the information contained in the post, namely – Wokingham & Bracknell InVOLve, Reading Voluntary Action, Slough CVS and Volunteer Centre West Berkshire.

Community organising is the work of bringing people together to take action around their common concerns and overcome social injustice. Community organisers reach out and listen, connect and motivate people to build their collective power.

CCB has been working with Community Organisers Ltd for the last 3 years, bringing their training to Berkshire and helping active citizens improve their skills in community engagement, empowering them to bring about positive changes within their communities.

Membership of Community Organisers Ltd is free and brings with it access to an incredible network of like-minded people from across England. See https://www.corganisers.org.uk/membership/join-the-movement/become-a-member/ for details on how to join.

Joining Community Organisers will also connect you with local people working to improve life within Berkshire. Community Organisers Berkshire, a CCB initiative, provides support to anyone needing information and advice with progressing their own community-led project.

Members of Community Organisers can now take advantage of a new benefit: Peer Learning Circles. People often find that the best way to learn new skills is through doing something, and then reflecting on this with others. The Peer Learning Circles will help you apply the skills that you are developing as community organisers, to the work you are involved with on the ground.

Members can sign up to join a Peer Learning Circle and be matched with people either from the local area or members from farther afield but with similar interests or working on similar projects. If you’d like to hear more about Peer Learning Circles or find out about Community Organisers Berkshire, please contact Tim Parry at CCB. tim.parry@ccberks.org.uk

Campaign launched to mark Queen’s Platinum Jubilee

Trees are a vital part of nature. This week celebrated #loveatree day – Berkshire is full of ancient and awe-inspiring trees but it would be great to take advantage of the campaign (also launched this week) to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

The Queen’s Green Canopy (QGC) is a unique tree planting initiative created to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022 which invites people from across the United Kingdom to “Plant a Tree for the Jubilee.” 

Everyone from individuals to Scout and Girlguiding groups, villages, cities, counties, schools and corporates will be encouraged to play their part to enhance our environment by planting trees from October, when the tree planting season begins, through to the end of the Jubilee year in 2022. To read more about please click here.

At CCB we are always working to ensure that we as friendly to the climate as we possible can be so we would encourage people to plant a bare root/root balls plants if possible (not the ones in plastic pots) and ensure they are grown without peat and preferably planted with peat free composts. For further tips on how you can help our climate please click here.

With more people enjoying the outdoors than ever before, Natural England have refreshed the Countryside Code , it has been revised to help people enjoy the countryside in a safe and respectful way. Here’s what you need to know:

Respect 

Please respect those living in, working in and enjoying the countryside. Be sure to be nice, say hello and share the space.

• Make sure you keep to the footpaths to help protect crops and wildlife.
• Leave gates and property as you find them.
• Slow down or stop for horses, walkers and farm animals and give them plenty of room.
• Don’t block gateways, driveways or paths with your vehicle.
• If you’re on your bike, give way to walkers and horse-riders on bridleways.
• Keep away from machinery and farm animals.
• If you’re worried about something, try to alert the farmer.
• Although you might think you are being kind, feeding animals can cause them harm. Please do not feed livestock, horses or wild animals. 

Protect

We all have a responsibility to protect the countryside now and for future generations.

• Litter and leftover food not only spoil the beauty of the countryside but can be dangerous to wildlife and farm animals too. Please take your litter home.
• Fires can be as devastating to wildlife and habitats as they are to people and property. Be careful with naked flames and cigarettes, and make sure they’re extinguished properly.
• Everyone knows how unpleasant dog mess is, but did you know it can be very harmful to farm animals? Be a responsible dog owner – bag it, take it, bin it.  
• Keep your dog on a short lead around farm animals. The only time you should release your dog is if you’re threatened or chased by cattle.
• Take care with BBQs and do not light fires. Only use BBQs where signs state they are allowed, and always make sure they are put out and disposed of responsibly. 

Enjoy

British farmers are proud to enhance the British countryside. We can all do our bit to enjoy the countryside responsibly.

• Plan your adventure in plenty of time by referring to up-to-date maps or guidebooks, and be aware of the weather forecast.
• Make sure you give farm animals plenty of space as they can behave unpredictably.
• Be safe – let a friend or family member know where you’re planning to go.
• Enjoy your visit – have fun and make memories!

Berkshire’s Livestock

Farmer’s livestock is being put at risk by dog walkers not adhering to the Countryside Code, according to rural insurance company NFU Mutual.

Jeremy Plank farms 1,700 ewes across his farm in Hungerford, West Berkshire and has suffered several dog attacks over the years, including two in March 2021.

He feels concerned that the risk is now higher than ever before.

Jeremy said: “It’s incredibly worrying that we’ve had two attacks already this year. We still have the whole season ahead of us. The risk has noticeably grown, with more people choosing to walk on the farm for their daily exercise during lockdown.

“Early in March, we found seven ewes dead after they were chased into a dyke and drowned. Another attack this month saw a dog chase heavily pregnant ewes. Although the owners were there at the time, they could not get the dog to return to them. Many people don’t realise that the stress of the chase can cause sheep to miscarry, so even if you can’t see an injury, that doesn’t mean the dog hasn’t caused harm.”

LeadOn campaign

On Friday 30 April, the National Sheep Association launched #LeadOn, a two-week campaign that aims to encourage dog owners to be responsible and act as an example to others by keeping their pets on leads in the presence of livestock.

Sheep farmers across the UK will be posting their own experiences on Facebook and Twitter about the devastating effect a dog attack on their flocks can have for all parties.

Information in article sourced from Farmers Weekly, Countryside Online and Reading Chronicle