Engage Funding & Training Update - 21 December

Grants of up to £1,500 Available for the Professional Development of Musicians
Emerging and professional musicians of all genres and disciplines can apply for grants of up to £1,500 to help them access opportunities that will allow them to focus on developing their artistic and professional development at a crucial point in their career. Support could include short courses, workshops, training and time limited periods of coaching with an expert in the artists chosen field. Eligible artists may be solo instrumentalists, composers, vocalists, singer songwriters or multidisciplinary artists. Bands or ensembles with 6 members or less can also apply. The funding is being made available through the Help Musicians UK Skills and Professional Development and applications can be submitted at any time. Find out more here.

Transformational Grants for Small Charities and Not for Profit Organisations
From 10am on 12 December 2022, small organisations working with marginalised groups will be able to apply for grants of up to £30,000 for projects and activities that have the potential to have a transformational impact on their organisation. Transformational impact includes helping an organisations become more sustainable, more efficient, to grow significantly or enabling an organisation to take a major step forward of some kind. The funding is being made available through The Fore, a seed funder for the non-profit sector. The funding is available to any registered charity, CIC, CIO or Community Benefit Society with a turnover of under £500,000 in the last financial year. To apply for funding, organisations must first register some basic contact details at the start of each funding round. The number of registrations accepted for each round is capped and registrations are run on a first-come, first-served basis. Once the cap is reached, the round is closed, so please register early. Find out more here.

Funding for Black, Asian & Global Majority Artists to Perform at Edinburgh Festival Fringe 
Funding is available to help UK-based Black, Asian and Global Majority artists bring work to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2023. The Pleasance Theatre Trust Generate Fund provides financing, mentorship, and programming opportunities to help artists overcome barriers due to their race or ethnicity that would otherwise prevent them from performing. A total of £10,000 in funding is available in this round, with theatre or children’s productions receiving an investment of up to £5,000. For productions to be considered for funding, at least 50% of the lead creators must identify as Black, Asian or Global Majority Artists, and at least 50% of the cast must identify as Global Majority Artists. The deadline for applications is 10am on 16 January 2023. Find out more here.

Recovery Change Fund

In response to a key recommendation from Renfrewshire's Alcohol and Drugs Commission, the Recovery Change Fund supports the development of local groups and organisations which provide social connection and support recovery for people affected by drugs and alcohol in Renfrewshire. It supports initiatives that will make a positive impact on individuals, families, and communities affected by alcohol and/or drug use.

It also provides opportunities to support piloting new ideas and projects related to mental health, recovery, stigma, and social isolation. These ideas and projects could inform future service design in Renfrewshire. Future sustainability is a particular focus for the fund.

Who can apply

Any community or voluntary organisations with a constitution and bank account can apply.

Any consortium of community and/or voluntary groups working together can also apply. If you apply as a group, the lead organisation must complete the application, including providing constitution and bank account details.

How much you could get

You can apply for grants up to £10,000. We will only consider applications for grants over £10,000 in exceptional circumstances. As we aim to fund as many projects as we can, please only apply for the funds you need for your project.

What the funding can and can't be used for

The funding could support creating new or developing existing activities, including project costs, training, volunteer expenses, staffing costs for new projects, equipment, expansion costs, and research or consultation exercises, among other things.

For example, you could use the funding for:

• expanding existing activities to support alcohol and drug recovery to a different area in Renfrewshire
• piloting a new project relating to mental health, stigma, recovery, or social isolation
• providing new activities such as group work sessions or costs for purposeful activities, such as art classes, fishing trips, teen-only drop-ins, etc.
• courses or training sessions on practical topics such as food safety, or paying for someone to teach groups about mindfulness or safety and harm reduction tactics
• promotion and marketing for your activities, or research and consultation exercises to find out what people in your area need or want activities to look like.
• The funding can't be used for day-to-day running costs for existing projects or groups, individual grants for one person, or major capital works.

We will work with successful applicants to monitor the outcomes delivered by projects and initiatives supported through the fund.

Before you apply

Before you apply online, make sure you read the assessment criteria.

Applications are assessed on the following criteria:

• Impact: the extent to which activities will make a positive impact on the lives of those affected by alcohol and/or drugs, and how this can be evidenced.
• Social connection: the extent to which the initiative provides opportunities to reduce social isolation and loneliness for individuals and families impacted by alcohol and drug use.
• Sustainability: how you could sustain the level of support you would be offering beyond the funding period.
• Innovation: how new and innovative the project is, particularly for applicants piloting new ideas.
• Experience and track record: the extent to which your organisation has past experience of providing support to individuals, families, and communities
• Partnership working: the extent to which projects work in partnership with others, including the wider recovery network.

The geographic spread of applications will be assessed too.

How and when you can apply

You can apply for the Recovery Change Fund online until 20 January 2023

More info: Recovery Change Fund - Renfrewshire Website

Funding for Projects that Combat Abuse and Violation of Human Rights
UK-registered charities that work towards combating abuse and violations of human rights can apply for grants of up to £20,000. Applications are particularly welcomed from charities working to support migrants, refugees and asylum seekers; criminal justice and penal reform; and human rights, particularly access to justice. The funding is being made available through the A B Charitable Trust. The Trust generally makes one-off grants to charities registered and working in the UK with annual incomes of between £150,000 and £1.5m that do not have substantial investments or surpluses. The next closing date for applications is 29 January 2023. Find out more here.

Grants of up to £5,000 Available to Not-For-Profit Theatres to Carry Out Essential Works
The Theatres Trust has re-opened its small grants programme for not-for-profit theatres across the UK to carry out essential works. The Small Grants Programme, supported by The Linbury Trust, will provide grants of up to £5,000 to support small projects that make a big impact to a theatre's resilience, sustainability or accessibility. Eligible projects include small capital works, the installation of key plant and machinery and works that make theatre buildings digital-ready. Applications are also welcome for projects that help theatres reopen as Covid-secure. The deadline for applications in this round is 12pm on 13 January 2023. Find out more here.

Grants to Improve the Quality of Life for Disadvantaged & Vulnerable People
Small-to-mid-size registered charities helping to improve the quality of life of people in the UK, particularly those who are disadvantaged and vulnerable can apply for grants of up to £5,000. The funding is being made available through the Hedley Foundation. Each year the Foundation makes around 250 grants for initiatives which benefit the lives of young people, disabled people, elderly people, the terminally ill and otherwise disadvantaged people and their carers. Occasional larger sums are given to charities where high impact can be achieved. Applications should be received at least 6 weeks before the next review meeting on 26 April 2023. Find out more here.

Funding to Support Young Creatives to Launch a Project, Idea or Business
Youth Music has announced that their NextGen fund has re-opened for applications. The fund supports emerging musicians and behind the scenes creatives aged 18-25 (and under-30s who identify as d/Deaf or Disabled) from across the UK to launch a creative project, idea or business. Grants of up to £2,500 could help people including singers, songwriters, producers, djs, managers and agents who do not have the financial means to invest in themselves, to start a record label, launch a single, or provide a platform that supports underrepresented voices. Funding can also cover costs linked to career development, audience development or marketing, equipment and software, and business development. The closing date for applications is 5pm on 16 January 2023. Find out more here.