News

This is where we’ll post third sector news and important updates that are useful for your organisation.

BBC One Lifeline Appeal

If you would like to apply for a BBC Radio 4 or BBC One Lifeline Appeal, please email the BBC Charity Appeals Unit telling us:

  • Name of your charity
  • Your Charity Registration number (you must be registered with the UK Charity Commission to be eligible)
  • Name of charity contact (email + phone no.) i.e. the person who is going to fill out the application form

These applications are assessed by external assessor and by the BBC’s Appeals Advisory Committee. It takes around a year to complete the process of having a broadcast appeal.

Deadlines for submitting an application

Application Deadline Transmission Dates
5 December 2022 by 23.59 5 Nov 2023 – 28 Jan 2024
6 March 2023 by 23.59 4 Feb 2024 – 28 Apr 2024
15 May 2023 by 23.59 5 May 2024 – 28 July 2024
4 September 2023 by 23.59 4 Aug 2024 – 27 Oct 2024

The Appeals Advisory Committee meets quarterly to discuss and approve applications. You should be informed of their decision approximately 3 months after the application deadline. Please note you must meet the criteria in order to be eligible for an appeal.

Do you meet the criteria?

  • You are a UK charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales, Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) or the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland
  • 3 years have passed since you had a BBC broadcast appeal
  • Your work has UK-wide or international scope and/or significance
  • You can provide two sets of audited or independently examined accounts
  • You have up to date management accounts within a 3 month period
  • You have waited 2 years since your last unsuccessful application

Following on from the decision by the Charity Commission to change the threshold for charities needing audited accounts from £500,000 to £1 million, we have reviewed and changed the criteria so charities with independently examined accounts are now eligible.

As of 22 September 2015, all applications for BBC broadcast appeals are required to submit a completed 18 month cashflow. A template and example cashflow documents can be downloaded below:

A BBC appeal cannot support

  • Animal Welfare
  • Restoration or repair of buildings, new building or extension work
  • Religious organisations that are seeking to proselytise or whose beneficiaries are of a particular faith
  • Fund or charities which exist to maintain or establish physical memorials
  • Benefits provided by trade or professional organisations’ benevolent fund which are unavailable to the general public
  • Activities where donations would replace funding or services normally provided by central government and local authorities
  • Local charities that operate within limited geographical areas
  • Charities that are members of the Disasters Emergency Committee

Can the BBC donate merchandise or prizes for a charity auction?

The BBC receives many requests for raffle and auction prizes from a range of good causes. Unfortunately we are unable to help as it would be difficult for us to favour one charitable cause over another and would bring into question fair trading.

Author: Alliance Admin
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Categories: News

Identifying and Responding to Fuel Poverty

With increased domestic fuel costs and unprecedented volatility in the energy market, people on low incomes, including pensioners, people with disabilities and families, face profound challenges keeping their homes warm, dry and conducive to health.

As a frontline worker, you may feel powerless to respond. Still, the need to respond is greater than ever, especially because, as more people move into “fuel poverty”, the number of those who are most profoundly fuel-poor also increases. Government policy and individual action should, in the face of overwhelming need, respond to those worst affected.

Nudging the people you help, towards making changes in how they use energy, engaging in opportunities to improve the energy efficiency of their homes AND making sure they can access the high-quality, intensive energy advice the Citizens Advice service in Essex offers are all ways of responding to these needs.

Our services seek to tackle some of the underlying causes of fuel poverty – not just “hard to heat” homes but also low incomes, issues with benefits and debt.

In this FREE, 90 minute course, delivered by Citizens Advice energy experts, you’ll learn:

What is fuel poverty

What are the causes and effects

Who is most vulnerable

Practical steps your service user can take

Grants and schemes available to improve energy efficiency

The vital role income maximisation plays and how we help including a run down of government support measures

Other ways Citizens Advice can help and how to refer

The role of emerging voluntary and public sector responses such as “Warm Spaces.”

Delivered online using Teams

Author: Alliance Admin
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Categories: News

Essex charities hit by cost-of-living crisis urged to apply for lifeline grants

CHARITIES in north and mid Essex are being encouraged to apply for a lifeline grant which could see them secure essential funding.

The Saffron Building Society has officially launched its Saffron Community Fund in partnership with the Essex Community Foundation.

The initiative is designed to help small non-profit organisations in the county survive the cost-of-living crisis, which is resulting in less donations to charities.

Successful applicants could receive hundreds, or even thousands, of pounds from the building society, which has branches in Colchester and Halstead.

The grants are accessible to charities, community projects and volunteer groups, with each application being considered individually to ensure funding is fairly distributed.

Claire Hunnable, community business partner, said: “Our fund is an essential source of funding for the smaller charities and community groups around our branches.

“Every year we are amazed by the diversity of the applications and are always delighted to be introduced to groups we may never normally have been aware of.

“I also have the pleasure of meeting the people behind the projects and to see the amazing work that is happening all around our communities.

“We are pleased to say applications are officially open, but you must be quick as the deadline for the first entries for 2023 close on December 9.”

To find out more information visit saffronbs.co.uk.

Author: Alliance Admin
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Diversity Inclusion Project – Mind in West Essex

Diversity Inclusion Project

Thank you for your interest in this project. If you are reading this information sheet it means you have been invited to participate in the joint Mind in West Essex and Essex Partnership University Trust diversity inclusion project targeting 18-25 year olds. Before you decide whether to take part, please read the following information carefully. You may email the researchers if you have any questions or would like more information, contact details are provided at the end of this document.

Purpose of the research

Everyone should have an equal opportunity at accessing mental health services when needed, yet many people continue to face significant barriers with accessing support. By engaging with diverse and marginalised groups in West Essex and understanding their personal experiences, it is hoped that this survey will inform, educate and bring awareness about the barriers people face when accessing mental health services.

Can I take part? 

To take part in this survey you need to

  • Be aged between 18-25,

  • Live in the West Essex area,

  • Have an experience or understanding of mental health difficulties,

  • Self- identify as part of a marginalised group (this might be related to ethnicity, gender, sexuality)

Do I have to take part?

Participation is voluntary so it is up to you to decide if you would like to complete the survey. If you agree to participate, we will then ask you to sign a consent form. If you later decide that you no longer wish to participate, you may withdraw at any time without giving a reason and with no consequences.

Read more here about taking part in the project. 

Author: Alliance Admin
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Categories: News

Saffron Housing Trust – Community Grant

These grants are aimed at local groups and not-for-profit organisations who share our vision for place shaping and creating positive futures.

We will support schemes which develop new ways to reach and include Saffron Tenants and the wider community.

We are looking for schemes and projects which will:

  • encourage community engagement and cohesion
  • promote and enable training and education-based activity
  • reduce social isolation in all age groups
  • promote Saffron community rooms
  • increase engagement in activities with underrepresented groups

We will prioritise schemes and projects which

  • make the most of existing provision
  • include those who are hard to reach
  • encourager new participants and address social isolation
  • address gaps in local provision
  • make the best use of other local services, partnerships and networks
  • enhance life chances

If you have any suggestions or projects for the Foundation, our Grant Window for 2022 is now open and we can begin to consider application from our communities. The deadline for applications to reach us is the 31st August 2022. You can email the below application form back to us at communityfoundation@saffronhousing.co.uk

Author: Alliance Admin
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Categories: News

An exciting new fund for charities building fairer communities of the future

We are hosting a webinar from 10am – 11am on Wednesday 23 November for voluntary organisations that want to find out more about unrestricted funding available soon from our new Future Communities Fund.

This is the first fund we’ll launch from our new strategy, Building communities of the future together. This strategy outlines our plan to pioneer a more co-operative way of funding organisations to help create future, fair communities.

Read on to find out more about what we’ll fund, and our eligibility criteria. A link to sign up to our webinar is at the bottom of this page.

Let’s build communities of the future together.

Future Communities Fund

We believe co-operation is at the heart of strong communities and this makes us a different kind of funder.

Our Future Communities Fund will focus on supporting voluntary organisations passionate about helping us achieve our Future Communities Vision, created by young people. This, in turn, will help us deliver on Co-op’s vision of ‘Co-operating for a Fairer World’.

In this first round of funding we’ll look to support organisations building communities that are:

  • Diverse, equitable and inclusive, and
  • Prioritising youth activism, shared power and transparent governance

Our fund will offer unrestricted grants of up to £30,000 per year for up to five years.

Are you eligible?

Eligible charitable organisations will:

  • Have an annual turnover of £250k or less
  • Have young people’s voices from all backgrounds and abilities at the core of their delivery
  • Advocate for diversity and inclusion in all areas of society
  • Actively engage with young people from diverse communities in a meaningful and inclusive way
  • Have experience of removing barriers and providing opportunities to young people
  • Have experience of delivering meaningful youth social action that supports young people into leadership roles
  • Are able to demonstrate they have experience of co-operation/collaboration.

Join our webinar

We’re running a webinar from 10am on Wednesday 23 November where we’ll share more information on our new fund and how to apply. You’ll get to ask questions, too.

Sign up for our webinar. 

If you’re not eligible but know someone who is, please forward on this blog so they can find out more.

Louise Snelders, our Head of Funding and Partnerships, said:

“This new fund comes at an exciting time for us, just after the launch of our new five-year strategy, ‘Building communities of the future together’. As a funder, we want to empower those with the knowledge and skills to create future, fairer communities. Through sharing power and funding flexibly, we hope to make a real impact on their local communities. We encourage everyone eligible and to join our webinar and find out more about the Future Communities Fund.”

We’ll open first round applications for our new fund on Friday 25 November. This will close at 12pm (midday) on Friday 23 December.

Author: Alliance Admin
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Categories: News

Essex County Council Community Challenge Fund

Application Form
Information
Sometimes it only takes a small amount of money to bring a good idea to life in your community. The Community Challenge Fund is the simplest way to access a small amount of money and make a difference, with awards of between £300 and £5,000.

The Community Challenge Fund forms part of the Council’s commitment to reducing the inequalities between different areas of our County, and Levelling Up Essex.

For more information on the Challenge Fund Criteria, please visit our website: Essex Partnership (essexfuture.org.uk)

Community Challenge Fund criteria


1. All applications must demonstrate how they support one or more of the following themes :-

  1. Giving everybody a chance to get involved in where they live
  2. Increasing and spreading opportunities
  3. Creating places or spaces where people are happy to spend time
  4. Helping people who experience difficulties in accessing services and/or economic opportunities*
  5. Providing support in rural areas experiencing disadvantage *


*Themes 4 and 5 only apply to applications being made from rural areas of Braintree and replace themes 1-3 

2. Funding must be for a new, not for profit, scheme/group/initiative or idea, and applications must show how their initiative will have long term benefits and longevity.

3. Applications to the Community Challenge Fund can only be made by people who live or work with communities in the areas on the following page (any awards must be used in the same area).

4. Applications that support one or more of the following groups will be looked on positively :-

  1. Children and adults with SEND, learning disabilities, or mental health conditions (taking an all-age approach)
  2. Children on free school meals
  3. Working families
  4. Young adults (16-25) who have not been in education, training or employment for around 6-12 months

Who can apply:
You can apply as :-

  • You (applying as an individual)
  • You and other individuals you are working with (applying as a group)
  • A non-constituted group (small scale voluntary groups who do not have any employees and who do not pay trustees or staff)
  • A Registered Charity, Community Interest Company (CIC) or Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) (where this is a new proposal and not a part of your core business) 


Apply here. 

Author: Alliance Admin
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Categories: News

Comic Relief Community Fund

The Comic Relief Community Fund is supporting community led organisations with an income of less than £250,000 to deliver projects within four strategic themes.

We are pleased to be managing this new fund on behalf of Comic Relief in England. It will provide grants of up to £10,000, supporting project delivery and organisational capacity building, helping organisations flourish.

The funding is split as follows:

  • Up to £1,000 for capacity building
  • Up to £9,000 for project delivery

We will fund applications from grass roots, community led organisations that can demonstrate how people with lived experience of the issues being tackled are involved in the organisation and the project.

Applications must sit within one of the four key themes:

A Safe Place To Be: Supporting people to rebuild their lives because of homelessness or forced migration.

We want to support projects that help people to recover from homelessness or those who have been forced from their homes to have access to the help they need to start a new life, free from conflict persecution or trafficking.

Children Survive & Thrive: Every child has the right to the best start in life.

We want to support projects aimed for children up to the age of 11 that break the cycle of inequity and inequality. This includes, projects that boost a child’s development, improve access to quality relevant, non-formal education and training, as well as initiatives that protect children from violence, exploitation and abuse and build confidence and belief in their ability to improve their opportunities in life.

Fighting Gender Justice: Supporting safety and equality for women and girls.

We are looking for projects that support people who identify as women and girls to be safe, healthy, educated and independent. This includes initiatives that help women and girls take control over their lives, reduce gender based violence while shifting public attitudes and improving understanding about the influence of gender norms on choices and life outcomes.

Mental Health Matters: Supporting better mental health in your community.

We want to support projects that improve and increase access to mental health support especially for those from marginalised groups. We hope to support alternative, community based approaches. We welcome projects that contribute to change, help shift attitudes and tackle stigma and discrimination.

Author: Alliance Admin
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Categories: News

Invitation to Demystifying EOL Care in Hospital

You are warmly invited to the latest Compassionate Communities in Tendring network event Demystifying EOL Care in Hospital, which is taking place on Wednesday 23rd November at Clacton Town Hall, from 10am-12noon.

This is part of a series of Compassionate Communities in Tendring events aimed at improving end of life care for everybody through sharing, learning and collaboration. The event is suitable for anyone who has a personal or professional interest in the care provided for people at the end of life and will include presentations and open discussion relating to community led support and acute services, delivered in collaboration with ESNEFT.

Please email compassionatecommunities@sthelena.org.uk to confirm your attendance or accept the calendar invitation you may have already received. And please do also share this opportunity to support a Compassionate Community approach in Tendring with colleagues, friends, family. Refreshments included.

Schedule

  • 09.30 – 10.00: Arrival and refreshments
  • 10.00 – 10.10: Scene setting
  • 10.10 – 10.50: Hospital Community care at EOL
  • 10.50 – 11.20: Hospital Acute care at EOL
  • 11.20 – 11.30: Butterfly Volunteer Service
  • 11.30 – 11.40: Chaplaincy and spiritual care
  • 11.40 – 12.00: What next?
  • 12.00 – Close and refreshments

Future dates

Please do pencil the following dates for future Compassionate Communities in Tendring events:

  • Jan 25 2023, 10-12
  • Feb 22 2023, 10-12
  • Mar 22, 2023, 10-12
  • May 24 2023, 10-12
  • Jun 21 2023, 10-12
  • July 19 2023, 10-12

Author: Alliance Admin
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Categories: News

Mid and South Essex ICS Micro Grants Fund Communications Toolkit

Background

 

The Mid and South Essex Integrated Care System (ICS) is a new partnership between the organisations that meet health and care needs across mid and south Essex. They are a partnership of NHS, social care, wider local authority and voluntary services. They plan and deliver joined-up services to improve access and quality and to reduce health inequalities.

 

The Micro Grants Offer

The Strategy and Partnership Directorate is supporting the four NHS Alliances, working in mid Essex, Brentwood and Basildon, Thurrock and south east Essex, by providing funding to support a wide range of projects and programmes that will tackle health inequalities and the wider determinants of health.

As part of this, there is a desire to offer micro grants between £500 and £1500 to small-scale voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise sector organisations who wish to undertake projects or initiatives, which address health inequalities and the wider determinants of health.

Micro grants will be made available up to 31 March 2023, and the funds may be spent between November 2022 and October 2023.

 

Key Messages

 

  • Micro grants available to support projects to address health inequalities in mid and south Essex
  • The micro grants can be used to make a difference to those who face poor health outcomes

 

Sample Website/Newsletter Copy

 

Mid and South Essex ICS

Health Inequalities Micro Grants Fund Now Open

 

Grants available from £500-£1500

 

To recognise the incredible contribution by small voluntary and community groups in responding to health inequalities in Essex, the health and care system in mid and south Essex would like to help these types of projects further. 

The Mid and South Essex Integrated Care System is delighted to announce a new microgrant programme, which will support projects or initiatives that address health inequalities and the wider determinants of health within your local area. 

Health inequalities refers to differences and outcomes in the care that people receive and the opportunities that they have to lead healthy lives. 

Health inequalities grants could therefore be focused on reducing differences in:

  • Health status, for example, life expectancy
  • Access to care, for example, availability of given services
  • Quality and experience of care, for example, levels of patient satisfaction
  • Behavioural risks to health, for example, smoking rates
  • Wider determinants of health, for example, quality of housing, employment, environment, training and education 
  • Groups that may experience poorer health outcomes due to:
    • socio-economic factors, for example, income, level of deprivation,
    • geography, for example, region or whether urban or rural,
    • specific characteristics including those protected in law, such as sex, ethnicity, or disability,
    • being socially excluded groups, for example, people experiencing homelessness.

 

Finer Details:

Grant amount 

£500 – £1,500

Who can apply?

Any small-scale voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise sector organisations who come together to support tackling health inequalities within the communities across Basildon, Braintree, Brentwood Castlepoint and Rochford, Chelmsford, Maldon, Wickford, Southend and Thurrock.

Annual income must be under £100k per year.

Timeframe?

Applications open on 7th November 2022 and will be offered on a rolling basis until 31 March 2023 or until all funds are spent. The panel will aim to meet on a regular basis to make decisions on applications and, therefore, you are encouraged to get your applications in as soon as possible.

Spend?

All grant spend must take place between November 2022 and October 2023 

How to Apply

funding@community360.org.uk to request an application form.

Your application will then be reviewed at a panel which takes place once a month, if successful you will be notified and the grant awarded.

Monitoring required 3 months after project start and on completion of project to share outcomes and impact of the project.

If you would like to access support to complete your application, please contact:

Funding@community360.org.uk

 

Social media posts

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn

Tag; 

Twitter: @MSEssex_ICS | Facebook: MSEICS | Instagram: @MSEssex_ICS

 

Post 1

Exciting Funding Announcement!

Are you a small charity or voluntary organisation in #Essex with an interest in health?

We are delighted to announce a new micro grant programme to support projects or initiatives which address health inequalities and the wider determinants of health within mid and south Essex.

Apply here: https://forms.office.com/r/uhNHngL4SY

Post 2

Are you a small charity or voluntary organisation in #Essex with an interest in improving the health of local residents?

 

Have you applied yet for the health inequalities micro grant?

Your project could earn you up to £1500 of funding 

 

Apply now: https://forms.office.com/r/uhNHngL4SY

 

 

Social media asset attached

 

Distribution Channels:

Please cascade via any:

Organisation E-Newsletters

Social Media Channels

Website

Email to Organisations Funding Networks Groups

Partner Newsletters

Local Media Contacts

 

*Community360 will cascade via the MSE Communications Group

 

For any queries contact:

Sonia Shelcott

soniashelcott@community360.org.uk

 

Author: Alliance Admin
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