Funding

Grants to Improve the Lives of Children (UK)

The DM Thomas Foundation for Young People supports registered charities that work to improve the lives of disabled and sick children and young people by awarding grants for equipment, training, and support.

Through the Foundation's Central Grants scheme, awards of a few hundred pounds and up to £30,000 can be made, although the majority of grants will be under £10,000.

Examples of grants awarded in 2016 include:
• £30,000 to Disability Challengers for a sensory room.
• £21,033 to Drove Road Residential Centre for a new playground.
• £2,932 to Ichthyosis Support Group ISG for residential activity camps for children affected by the condition.

Awards are made on a quarterly basis and the next deadline for applications is 25th July 2017.
https://dmthomasfoundation.org/what-we-do/grants/ 

People’s Postcode Trust Small Projects Grants- Next round open (England, Scotland & Wales)

People's Postcode Trust (PPT) aims to help people by ensuring they have the skills, opportunities and rights to improve their lives.

PPT invites applications for projects that focus on the prevention of poverty, promotion of human rights, equal rights and conflict resolution for some of society's most vulnerable groups. Registered charities in England, Scotland & Wales can apply from £500 - £20,000 (£10,000 in Wales); other organisations may apply for up to £2,000. It's a two-stage application process with an Expression of Interest at Stage One followed by a Full Application Form for those projects invited to apply.

Previous projects funded include:
Magic Me based in Tower hamlets (London) who received £16,575 to provide creative intergenerational programmes in care homes.
Emmaus (Merseyside), £15,661 toward the cost of setting up a new social enterprise upcycling furniture to support homeless people.

The closing date will be the 28th August 2017.
http://www.postcodetrust.org.uk/ 

Children’s Mental Health Projects Now Eligible for Grants (England)

For the first time, groups offering mental health support to children and young people in England are eligible for government top-up grants. They will be able to bid for a share of next year's Voluntary and Community Sector Grants.
Voluntary and community sector organisations, social enterprises and other not-for-profit organisations can apply for funding up to £750,000 from the £25m fund. Groups offering services in six other priority areas can also apply:
• Early education and childcare
• Special educational needs and disability
• Child protection
• Children in care and care leavers
• Adoption
• Family advice and support.
The grants are designed to bolster the work of organisations that make a difference to children and their families.
The deadline for applications is 21st November 2014.
http://www.youngminds.org.uk/news/blog/2282_childrens_mental_health_projects_now_eligible_for_grants

Tech Partnership's Training Fund (England)

Following a successful bid into the government's Employer Ownership of Skills Pilot, the Tech Partnership has launched the Tech Partnership Training Fund.
The Tech Partnership Training Fund has been introduced to help stimulate increased investment in training from employers to support business growth and competitiveness in the digital economy. Funding is available to support Enhanced Apprenticeships, for additional training for IT apprentices over and above their standard programme. It is also available for short courses, for training in strategically important skills such as cyber security, big data, mobile, cloud and e-commerce. Employers can apply for up to 50% of the cost of training with limits of £1000 for enhanced apprenticeships or £500 for strategic skills short courses.
http://www.thetechpartnership.com/news-tech-partnership-training-fund.html

Equipment Grants for Mentally & Physically Disadvantaged Children (UK)

Schools and not for profit organisations have the opportunity to apply for funding through the Wooden Spoon Society's Capital Grants programme. Wooden Spoon the British and Irish Rugby charity which supports mentally, physically disadvantaged children.
Through the programme funding is available for:
• Buildings and extensions
• Equipment & activity aids
• Sensory rooms and gardens
• Playgrounds and sports areas
• Transport
• Soft playrooms.
Since being founded in 1983, Wooden Spoon has made grants of over £20 million to more than 500 projects in the British Isles.
Projects funded in the past have included:
Ashmount School in Leicestershire, which received a grant of £13,500 towards a sensory room.
Enfield Heights Academy in London which received a grant of £23,000 to improve its play areas.
The Colehill &Wimborne Youth & Community Centre which received a grant of £8,000 towards a wheelchair lift.
Applications can be made at any time and applicants should contact their regional volunteer group. For more information on how to apply, please click on the link below.
Applications can be made at any time.
http://www.woodenspoon.com/projects/apply_for_funds.php

Breaks for Kids

The Youth Hostel Association has announced that its "Breaks for Kids" fund is open for applications.
This is a discretionary fund in support of disadvantaged young people. These are young people under the age of 18 who receive either free school meals, or whose family receive housing benefit or income support. Funding may be available for schools/groups who have a provisional booking with a Youth Hostel in England or Wales and who have yet to pay the balance on their stay.

Applications must be received at least eight weeks in advance of your arrival date and grants are deducted from the final bill. See - http://www.yha.org.uk/school-trips/breaks-for-kids

Funding for Projects that Address Urban and Rural Deprivation

The Trusthouse Charitable Foundation has announced that capital and revenue funding is available to support the work of local and national charities and not-for-profit organisations that address rural and urban deprivation.
Within these two main headings, the Trust is interested in helping established projects which work in the fields of:

• Community Support
• Arts, Education & Heritage
• Disability & Health Care.

The type of projects the Trust are interested in funding include projects providing transport for the elderly, disabled or disadvantaged; contact networks for the young disabled; projects which encourage a sense of community such as community centres and village halls; employment training schemes especially those promoting local, traditional crafts; projects addressing issues such as drug/alcohol misuse or homelessness.

There are three grants schemes. These are:
• The Large Grant Scheme, with grants of between £10,000 and £30,000 to cover capital costs
• The Small Grant Scheme, grants of between £5,001 and £9,999 to cover capital and revenue costs;
• The Fast Track Scheme with grants of up to £5,000 to cover capital and revenue costs. In addition,

The Foundation also provides funding to support capital projects at hospices throughout the UK; and on local projects providing support for mothers and babies in the first two years of life.
The Grants Committee meets quarterly to consider applications at the beginning of February, May, September and November. The deadlines for submitting applications are generally 2 months before the date of a meeting.
http://www.trusthousecharitablefoundation.org.uk/

Percy Bilton Charity

Grants are made to organisations and individuals in need throughout the U.K to help with basic household furnishings; building or refurbishment costs; clothes and essential household equipment.

The fund is appropriate for charities assisting - disadvantaged youth; people with disabilities; people with mental health problems and older people; Social workers; community psychiatric nurses; and occupational therapists within local authorities or NHS Trusts on the behalf of individuals in financial need who have a disability or severe mental health problem, or who are over 65 on low income.

For details of how to apply, see the Percy Bilton Charity website.

Big Potential Opens for Applications

The Big Lottery Fund has announced that Voluntary & Community groups and Social Enterprises (VCSEs) can now start their application process for its new £10 million "Big Potential" programme.

The "Big Potential Fund" which will be managed by the Social Investment Bureau will provide grants of £25,000 - £75,000 to help VCSEs carry out investment readiness work with a small group of approved providers. Big Potential will be targeting not for profit organisations that are both at an early stage of their investment readiness journey and those that are further along that journey, who are seeking to raise up to £500,000 in external investment.

The programme is designed to complement a range of other initiatives including the Cabinet Office's Investment and Contract Readiness Fund. Eligible organisations can include:

Before charities apply to the fund they will be able to access support from Charity Bank, Social Enterprise UK or Locality before submitting an application. They will then be expected to approach an approved provider, and the charity and provider will make a joint bid to the fund.

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis.

More information here.