Karen Dent, Community and Health Engagement Coordinator for South Hams and West Devon Outreach has provided an update on community project funding as follows:
Below are some funding opportunities that may be relevant for projects your communities are seeking support with. Please feel free to share widely, ensuring your residents have the chance to access these resources for the benefit of local people.
BlueSpark Foundation
A registered charity which supports the education and development of children and young people by providing grants for educational, cultural, sporting and other projects.
https://bluesparkfoundation.org.uk/
Under-26 Fund
Charities can apply for funding for projects that focus on creating educational and/or access opportunities for children and young people facing challenging circumstances. This encompasses those in circumstances, groups or locations that face economic challenges, social marginalisation or poor outcomes in later life.
All sorts of work could be funded through this programme, as long as the beneficiaries are in the UK and are wholly, or mainly, under the age of 26.
Grants are available to registered charities with an income of at least £50,000. You can apply for between £10,000 and £25,000. The funding is for specific projects but this could include revenue or capital costs as part of the project.
Focus of fund/fund aims:
Registered charities can apply for grants to support children and young people under 26 in challenging circumstances
Application deadline:
The first deadline is 15 January 2025 followed by 15 April, 15 July and 15 October 2025.
https://www.devon.gov.uk/fundingnews/fund/steel-charitable-trust-uk-under-26-fund/
DWF Foundation
One-off grants up to £5,000 to support work in the areas of:
- homelessness
- health and wellbeing
- employability
- education
- environment and sustainability
In particular, the foundation is looking for projects that develop and improve local communities by:
- tackling a specific community issue
- helping voluntary and community groups become more effective and efficient
- encouraging the involvement in the community of those too often excluded
- enabling young people to develop skills for the benefit of the community
DWF Foundation grants are for projects only – general running costs cannot be funded.
Focus of fund/fund aims:
- small grants for registered charities
Application deadline:
The next deadlines are 25 February 2025, 30 June 2025 and 30 September 2025
https://www.devon.gov.uk/fundingnews/fund/dwf-foundation-2/
Central Social & Recreational Trust
The CSRT aims to improve the conditions of boys and girls in England under the age of 21 and of all other persons by reasons of their poverty who would otherwise be unable to obtain facilities for recreational or other leisure time occupations.
To provide facilities for recreational or other leisure in the interests of social welfare and in particular but without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing to provide equipment and maintain gymnasiums or buildings to be used for recreational or other leisure time occupations in London or other towns.
To provide instruction or supervision for such boys and any other persons as aforesaid in such recreational or other leisure time occupations.
To organise any activity for the purposes of providing facilities for such recreational or other leisure time occupation for such boys and other persons as aforesaid.
Claire Milne Trust
The Trust’s focus is to support people of all ages with a disability who live in Devon or Cornwall, to help them to live a full and active life.
The Trust does this by making grants to registered charities and not-for-profit organisations which work directly with people with disabilities who live in Devon or Cornwall. The Trust focuses its grant giving on charities and not-for-profit organisations that are well run, with effective governance and good volunteer support
Grass Pitch Improvement Fund
The Grass Pitch Improvement Fund (GPIF) aims to tackle inequalities by providing improved access to good quality, safe playing facilities for targeted groups. The Sport England Lottery Fund will provide funding for projects in England with projects in Wales supported by the England and Wales Cricket Trust.
Priority will be given to applications which support cricket for the following groups:
- women’s and girls’ cricket
- cricket in diverse communities
- disability cricket
- low socio-economic groups (LSEG)
- investment will be targeted into three main areas:
- improving the quality of squares and outfields (for grass pitches rated ‘unsuitable’ or ‘basic’ to improve to at least ‘good’)
- creating sustainable management of sites (through irrigation and machinery improvements)
- installing hybrid pitches to increase playing capacity
https://www.ecb.co.uk/play/club-support/club-funding/grass-pitch-improvement-fund
Screwfix Foundation
The Screwfix Foundation provides grants up to £5,000 for projects that relate to the repair, maintenance, improvement or construction of homes, community buildings and other buildings. The aim is to help those in need: this could be by reason of financial hardship, sickness, distress or other disadvantages.
The funding can be used for projects that improve a building – or land attached to it – that is used by people in need. This could include installing a new kitchen, energy efficient lighting and heating, general painting and decorating or improving safety and security.
Applications are accepted from registered charities and not-for-profit organisations that are registered as a not-for-profit company at Companies House or on the FCA mutuals register.
Focus of fund/fund aims:
- small grants for projects that improve, repair and maintain homes and community facilities used by those in need
Application deadline:
There are four deadlines each year: 10 February; 10 May; 10 August; and 10 November.
https://www.devon.gov.uk/fundingnews/fund/screwfix-foundation/
DWF Foundation
Registered charities can apply to the DWF Foundation for one-off grants up to £5,000 to support work in the areas of:
- homelessness
- health and wellbeing
- employability
- education
- environment and sustainability
In particular, the foundation is looking for projects that develop and improve local communities by:
- tackling a specific community issue
- helping voluntary and community groups become more effective and efficient
- encouraging the involvement in the community of those too often excluded
- enabling young people to develop skills for the benefit of the community
- DWF Foundation grants are for projects only – general running costs cannot be funded.
Application deadline:
The next deadlines are 25 February 2025, 30 June 2025 and 30 September 2025
https://www.devon.gov.uk/fundingnews/fund/dwf-foundation-2/