This fund will enable the development of projects that complement and are integral to the Essex wide carers offer, and that of partner organisations’ services supporting carers of all ages. The aim is to build more community based local provision to support carers within the communities which they live.
Applications open today and close on 30 January 2024. They will be reviewed by local panels in each of the Alliance Partnership areas. Please circulate to anyone you think might be interested and for any enquiries contact essex.carers@essex.gov.uk
Registered charities, not-for-profit organisations, and schools/PTAs can apply for grants of up to £3,000 for projects that are of benefit to their local community.
The funding is made available by the Ford Britain Trust to support a range of projects focusing education, environment, children, the disabled, youth activities and projects that provide clear benefits to the local communities.
Applications will be considered from all UK locations. However, organisations based in Essex (including East London), Bridgend )including South Wales), Southampton, Daventry, Manchester and Liverpool – areas close to Ford locations – will be given priority.
Funding will support capital projects such as refurbishments, or expenditure on items such as furniture, equipment or computers.
There are two types of grants to apply for:
Small grants for amounts up to £250. The small grants programme is currently closed.
Large grants for amounts over £250 and up to a maximum of £3000. The deadline for applications to the large grants programme is the 31st January 2024.
New funding scheme to help voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations in England improve their energy efficiency.
The £25.5m VCSE Energy Efficiency Scheme is now open to help voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations in England improve their energy efficiency.
It is part of the package of over £100 million of support being delivered by the government to help frontline delivery organisations with the increased cost of living.
The scheme will be delivered by a consortium of partners, led by Groundwork UK and supported by Energy Saving Trust, Centre for Sustainable Energy, Locality and Social Investment Business.
The VCSE Energy Efficiency Scheme will have 2 elements:
Eligible organisations can apply for the cost and delivery of an independent energy assessment. This will help identify how to reduce bills through measures such as improving or installing new energy features in the building, or changing how energy is used. These assessments will be useful to organisations whether or not they apply for the second element. This part of the scheme is now open for applications, and will remain open until August 2024.
Organisations with an energy assessment may then be eligible to apply for a capital grant to install the recommended energy efficiency measures in their premises. This part of the scheme will open to applications in January 2024 and grant rounds will also run until August 2024.
To apply for an independent energy assessment, organisations must:
be based and operating in England
be a VCSE organisation, with charitable, benevolent or philanthropic purposes
be delivering frontline services or operating a hub that delivers multiple frontline services
be able to evidence the need for energy efficiency support
be able to evidence that they are financially sustainable
not be suitable for blended finance or loan support through other energy focused schemes
Additional eligibility criteria will apply to the capital grants. These criteria will focus on the organisation’s relationship to their building and the evidence and impact of the requested energy measures.
Priority will be given to organisations:
for whom energy is the biggest concern
directly supporting individuals and communities with critical needs, particularly those related to the rising cost of living
with a turnover of less than £1m a year
Practical support will be available to help organisations manage capital installation projects. All measures will need to be installed and paid for by March 2025.
The Strengthening Communities grant programme aims to support small, grass roots organisations who are embedded in the community, working within the most deprived areas of the UK. Through this grant programme we want to make sure that our funding reaches organisations that provide services which are widely accessible to the whole community and respond to, and address the needs of the people living in it.
We fund established organisations with a track record of delivering services directly to beneficiaries and want to fund work that enables:
People from across the community to participate in activities which improve connectedness, opportunities and wellbeing
People who are excluded, vulnerable or facing other forms of hardship to have access to community-based services that support positive lasting change
A stronger, active, more engaged community
Key grant details
Grant size:
£20k – £70k per year (see FAQs for how much to apply for)
Length:
1-3 years (most grants are for 3 years)
Decision timescale:
Within 6 months
Deadlines:
none
Qualifying criteria
Please only apply for this grant if you meet the following criteria:
Organisation size:
£20k – £500k
Location of work:
UK only, both physically based and working within or immediately next to an area within the 10% most deprived areas in England and Scotland and within or immediately next to an area within the 15% most deprived areas in Northern Ireland and Wales
Funding covers:
Running costs
Organisation type:
Community-led charities and not for profit organisations
Grants of up to £2,000 are available to charities, housing associations, schools and social services providing support for individuals and families across the UK who are in financial need.
The Cosaraf Charitable Foundation’s Hardship Grants will support individuals and families who have exhausted all other sources of funding and are struggling with everyday costs, such as basic living expenses, household items and utilities, work- or education-related expenses, or rent arrears.
Priority will be given to:
the most financially excluded people
families over individuals
those with caring responsibilities
items that will make the most difference to the individual/family’s long-term future
Other than in exceptional cases, Hardship Grants will only be made available for:
Household items (white goods and occasionally other items i.e. sofas, wardrobes etc.)
Basic Living Expenses (Utilities or food)
Work- or education-related expenses (interview clothes, school uniforms, laptops)
Rent arrears and Council tax arrears, but only where there is a clear and obvious risk of homelessness (for rent arrears involving a social landlord please outline what support has already been offered to your tenant)
Contribution to immigration-related costs, where the current immigration status directly causes financial hardship to the applicant
Applications can be made at any time and are assessed every six weeks.
Cabinet Member for Health, Adult Social Care and ICS Integration, Councillor John Spence said: “Our new carers’ strategy for Essex is aimed at ensuring high-quality information guidance and advice, that carers know their rights and that they feel well supported.
“Grants from this fund will particularly help the last of these, as local organisations and charities will be able to identify those projects which will best enhance the lives of the carers in their part of Essex.”
The re-launch brings about new features and an improved user experience, meaning it has never been easier to find activities, groups and services in your area. The Essex Map is a real asset for organisations within the Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise sector, as well as the statutory and local government. It provides the opportunity to put a voice out there for services and activities that support the needs of the local community and helps them to thrive. If you feel something is missing that supports the wider Essex community, please add it on to the Essex Map.
New features of the Essex Map include:
A Franchise Option – if your organisation covers multiple locations, you can now set up a ‘franchise’. This is an option for when you set up a new listing or edit an old one. Please contact us if you need help with this.
Set Up a List – within your account, you can now set up a list. Simply click on a listing you like, on the top right hand side there is a blue button that says “save to list”. You can choose if you’d like your list to be public or private.
Verified Tick – to receive a verified tick, you will need to claim your own listing. Please contact us if you need help with this.
Last Updated – you can now see when the listing you are viewing was ‘last updated’ at the bottom right hand side of the page.
‘New’ Badge – if the listing is new, it will have a ‘new’ button show up for a few days.
If you need support with any of these new features, or help navigating the new Essex Map, we will be hosting drop in sessions online with a member of the Map team who will be able to answer any questions and help you with your query.
The tender for the Third Sector Training across West Essex is now live on the MyTenders portal.
Harlow Council (on behalf of the three West Essex Councils) is seeking to commission a suitably qualified and experienced training provider to deliver a series of training for people working in the Third Sector located in the West Essex area. The aim of the commission is to provide a programme of training and support that improve the knowledge, skills and competencies of the people who work and volunteer in the Third Sector locally which will as a result building the capacity of the Third Sector and support the sector to become more sustainable.
This commission is to be funded from the Councils’ UK Shared Prosperity Funding (UKSPF) and is to be delivered between April 24 and February 25.
Interested parties should go to www.mytenders.org to obtain details of the tender.
They will need to register as a Supplier which is free of charge and will only take a couple of minutes.
In case of any difficulty, they should contact the MyTenders Helpdesk on 0800 222 9006
The deadline for this tender is 15th December 23.
As this is a live tender opportunity all questions must be directed trough the MyTender portal.
This new programme focuses on supporting projects that contribute to the environment, countryside, social inclusion, health and wellbeing, education, heritage and conservation.
Small grants
The Fund awards small grants of up to £5,000 per year to approximately 100 community based organisations each year.
Applications will next open in January 2024.
Eligibility criteria
To apply for a small grant, your organisation must:
Be a UK registered non-profit organisation
Have an annual income of less than £1 million
Have completed two years of activity
Have less than 6 months free reserves
If seeking funding for a project, the total cost of the project should not exceed £200,000
Delamere Dairy Ltd has been instrumental in the concept and thinking behind the Delamere Dairy Foundation and is proud of the association and the support it can provide. Delamere Dairy’s sustainable approach to business, its ethics, values and vision inspired the concept of the Corporate Foundation, driven by a desire to ‘do the right thing’, now and in the long term, by giving back to the communities in which it operates.
Though financially supported by Delamere Dairy Ltd and affiliated by name, the Delamere Dairy Foundation, established in October 2020, is a self-governing, independent registered charity with a clear purpose of giving back to local and wider communities through the provision of discretionary grants and other financial assistance.
The Foundation is run by independent trustees and grant panel members who consider applications for funding in line with the Foundation’s objects as set out in its Constitution and with the charitable support of Delamere Dairy. Applications are welcome from charities and organisations whose purpose fits with the objects of the Delamere Dairy Foundation for the benefit of the public, namely
The advancement of agriculture and of environmental protection
The advancement in life of young people by developing their capabilities so that they may mature as contributory members of society
The relief of financial hardship
The advancement of education
The relief of sickness
Who can apply?
Applications for grants and financial support will be considered from charities and other organisations based in England, Scotland and Wales whose work benefits local communities, and whose purpose aligns with the Foundation’s objects (see list above). Information on the Delamere Dairy Foundation can be found on the Charity Commission register by searching charity number 1191627, or clicking here.
How much can you apply for?
A minimum of £250 up to £5000. Charities and organisations may apply once per calendar year.
Deadline for applications
The closing date for the Spring 2024 round of applications is Thursday 29th February 2024. All applications must be made by completing this form. Decisions will be made in April, and funding granted in May, so please ensure that your projects don’t start until after these dates because we cannot offer grants retrospectively.