Youth Access

Funding News December 09

15 December, 2009

OTS Hardship Fund
is a £16.7 million grant programme for third sector organisations in England who are delivering front-line services to the most vulnerable and disadvantaged people in society
Grants of between £50,000 and £250,000 are available to organisations with an annual income of at least £200,000 that are in financial hardship as a result of the recession, which is impacting on their ability to deliver services in the following areas:
• health and social care
• housing support
• education and training
• information, advice and guidance.

Organisations must have demonstrable evidence of facing immediate financial hardship due to the recession which is impacting on their ability to deliver front-line services. This financial hardship might be due to loss of income, donations, grants, contracts, savings or interest. However, the Hardship Fund will not give a grant for services previously funded via a contract which the applicant organisation lost in a competitive procurement process to another organisation. In the same way, the Hardship Fund will not pay for services that are not demonstrating stable or increased demand. Please read the guidance notes before applying.

All grants must be spent by 30 September 2010. Because this Fund is to support third sector organisations facing financial hardship application will be assessed in the date and time order received (on a rolling programme) until there are sufficient relevant applications up to the value of the Fund.
For application details and full guidance notes visit the Hardship Fund website.

New Lottery Funding available in 2010 for projects that support young people
The Big Lottery Fund has announced that it will spend at least £30m next year on projects that support young people. The new funding will be given to charities and public sector bodies that assist young carers, young people leaving care and young offender institutions. At least 80 per cent of the funding will be allocated to charities and community groups. The grants would last for up to five years and would be worth between £150,000 and £500,000 in total, it is not yet clear whether it would be made available before or after the general election, which is due to be held by June 2010. The BLF have said that a panel of young people would help to decide which projects would receive funds under the scheme, and funding applications that young people have directly contributed to would be looked upon favourably.
The Big Lottery Fund is inviting charities to provide feedback on how the funds should be allocated by emailing youngpeople@biglotteryfund.org.uk by 15 January 2010.

BIG - Reaching Communities
During 2009 -2010 BIG Lottery Fund’s Reaching Communities programme will remain open to applications. This is designed to act as a 'bridge' between their current funding programmes and their new Open Funding stream which will go live in 2010. An extra £20 million pounds has been added to the Reaching Communities programme as part of the recession package launched at the end of June 2009.
The eligibility criteria for Reaching Communities has also been relaxed which means the programme will now accept applications for projects that target young people or provide advice. Grants of between £10,000 and £500,000 are available for funding which can be spread over 5 years. Reaching Communities funds projects that help people and communities who are most in need, and can really make a difference. Projects can be new or existing activities, or be the core work of your organisation.
You can apply to Reaching Communities if you are:
•    a registered charity
•    a voluntary or community group
•    a statutory body, (including schools)
•    a charitable or not-for-profit company
•    a social enterprise – a business that is chiefly run for social objectives, whose profits are reinvested in the business rather than going to shareholders and owners.
Reaching Communities has proven to be a popular and highly competitive programme please read the guidelines carefully before applying.
For further information visit the Big Lottery Website

Secret Millionaire Fund
launched by the Big Lottery and Channel 4 supports projects that give people better chances in life, build stronger communities, improve rural and urban environments, or promote healthier and more active people and communities. Grants of between £300 and £10,000 are available to organisations across the UK and the same eligibility criteria as the Big Lottery Awards for All Programme applies. You can nominate a community project or organisation you think would benefit from Big funding by visiting the Secret Millionaire website up until 21 December 2009, Big will then contact them to see if they are eligible for the small grants scheme and send out the relevant information. Or you can apply directly if you have an idea for a project that can bring real improvements to the lives of communities.
For further information visit the secret millionaire website

J Paul Getty Jr. Charitable Trust
has launched a new online application process, and all applications must now be submitted using the online form. The Trust awards grants towards both revenue and capital costs. However, the trustees will not normally approve grants to cover more than 20% of a charity's entire annual running costs. Main grants are between £10,000 and £250,000 over a period of 1 to 3 years, and it usually takes between 3 and 6 months for the Trust to reach a decision if your application is taken forward to the final stage. Small grants of up to £5,000 are also available for smaller charities, and these may be awarded in as little as 2 to 3 months.
The Trust’s current priorities include:
Reducing Reoffending: projects aiming to improve the lot of people in prison and smooth the transition for those leaving prison, maximising their chances of successful resettlement
Improving Prospects: projects providing meaningful occupation for young people aged 14-19 to improve their employability and diminish the risk of social exclusion; work to improve the treatment of refugees and asylum seekers
Repairing Lives: projects making a lasting impact on the lives of people with substance misuse problems; projects helping people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness
There are no closing dates, and you should hear within 6 weeks if they are able to take your application forward. Please note that the Trust receives far more applications than it is able to fund, the success rate last year was around 1 in 12
For further information visit the John Paul Getty Jr. Charitable Trust website

Peter Cruddas Foundation
gives priority to programmes designed to help disadvantaged and disengaged young people to pursue their education (including vocational) and more generally develop their potential whether through sport or recreation, voluntary programmes or otherwise. The Foundation supports UK registered charities benefiting people living in the UK and individuals who are supported by these charities.
Priority funding streams for 2009 include:
•    Pathways/support for young disadvantaged or disengaged young people into mainstream education, training or employment
•    Crime diversion schemes
•    Work experience/skills projects for young people
•    Mentoring of young people in London
•    General youth work in London

There is no minimum or maximum amount and projects can be funded for more than one year. However, the Peter Cruddas Foundation will be looking to the applicant to demonstrate that they can manage the amount they have applied for and how they intend to continue (if appropriate) after the funding has been spent. It is strongly recommended that you read the guidance notes before applying. There are no closing dates and you can apply at any time.
For further information and to download the Guidelines and Application form visit the Peter Cruddas Foundation website

The Yapp Charitable Trust
make grants to small registered charities to sustain their existing work. They do not except applications from charities whose annual expenditure is more than £60,000 and organisations must have been operating as a fully constituted charity for at least 3 years, even though they may have registered as a charity more recently.  The Trust’s priorities include work with;
 
•    children and young people aged 5 – 25
•    people with disabilities or mental health problems
•    people trying to overcome life-limiting problems of a social, rather than medical, origin – such as addiction, relationship difficulties, abuse, a history of offending

They also make grants to sustain small registered charities’ existing work in the fields of education and learning (with a particular interest in people who are educationally disadvantaged, whether adults or children)
They give grants for running costs and salaries for up to three years. Grants are normally for a maximum of £3,000 per year. Most grants are for more than one year because they give priority to ongoing needs. Please note that the Trust receives far more applications than it is able to fund, the success rate last year was around 1 in 8.
Please use their online eligibility checker before applying. There are no closing dates and you can apply at any time.
For further details visit the Yapp Charitable Trust website 

Bernard Sunley Charitable Foundation
The Bernard Sunley Charitable Foundation aims to improve the quality of life particularly of those in need. Grants range in size from £250,000 down to less than £1,000, although most grants will be for less than £10,000. For capital projects, endowments, scholarship funds, research programmes and research funding.

Funding is for beneficiaries belong to a wide cross section of the community and include: children and youth, health and social welfare. 

The Foundation publishes very brief guidelines for applicants and no application form. To apply write to the Director giving details of your charity and its objectives, the need and purpose of your project and how much it will cost, the size of grant requested, how much has already been raised and from whom, and how you plan to raise the shortfall. Include annual report and accounts and any other documentation you feel will help to support your appeal.

Applications are considered regularly. The catchment area is England and Wales and only about one in ten application can be funded.

The Bernard Sunley Charitable Foundation, 20 Berkeley Square, London, W13 6LH Tel: 020 7408 2198 Email: office@sunleyfoundation.com 

Speaking Out Small GrantsProgramme
is aimed at voluntary and community organisations working with children and young people (aged 0 – 25) in England, who are part of the NCVYS or Children England networks( Youth Access members are automatically part of the NCVYS network ). Organisations can apply for small grants of up to £1000 to deliver one – off projects or activities in their local communities that aim to raise the voice of the children and young people’s voluntary and community sector. Funding can be used to organise and implement a range of activities including, events festivals, exhibitions, publications, web resources and small research projects. Children and young people must be involved through out the course of the project. Applications must be received by
12 noon on 22 January 2010 .
For further details telephone:
NCVYS on: 02072781041
Children England:  on 02078333319

BT Community Connections
is an award scheme which enables community and charitable organisations to get online. Groups can apply for a laptop and a year’s free broadband connection. Organisations will need to demonstrate how an award will benefit their work and the local community. Any organisation, working in any field of community benefit, located anywhere within the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland can apply. The deadline for postal applications is 5 January 2010 and for online applications is 7 January 2010.

Websites
BT has also teamed up with Recipero to give community groups the chance to create and build a website – free of charge. Simply visit the Communitykit website , click on the 'Build a website' button and follow the easy instructions. You will have a choice of appearance and designs from a range of style options and can add information about your group. Within minutes of the initial site creation you will have your own website address!
For further details of both these schemes visit the BT Community Connections website

CAF Financial Crisis Helpline
The Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) has set up a confidential helpline for charity leaders seriously worried about their financial situation.
Call their freephone Financial Crisis Helpline Tel: 0800 980 2000 to request a one-off confidential discussion with one of their experienced managers.
Or for further information visit the CAF website

Defending Local Grants
is an easy to read guide that shows where you can find the resources you need to defend grant funding locally. The guide is designed to help local groups convince councillors, commissioning officers and procurement professionals that grants should continue to be used to fund local organisations and groups. It allows local groups to quote government guidance which supports use of grants; challenge the myth that grants are no longer possible because of competition law and European regulations; and explain what grants can achieve for local communities that contracts cannot.
Downloaded the guide from the NCVO website