Funding & Training Focus - 02 October

Hello!

Our first Autumn edition and we have a great local opportunity to share - Winter Connections is back for another year. If you are looking to apply to this fund I would recommend submitted your application as soon as possible, it is always oversubscribed and funds are awarded on a rolling basis. 

The Robertson Trust have also announced the opening of two of their revamped grants programmes, with more information on their other funding opportunities to follow soon. 

• Winter Connections 
• Cancer Care 
• Christian Charities 
• Churches 
• Community Trees 
• Criminal Justice – Women and Girls 
• Film 
• Homelessness 
• Museums 
• Veterans, and their families 
• The Robertson Trust – Wee Grants and Transport Grant 

Events/Training

• Cost of Living Event -  08 October
• Get Safe Online - 09 October
• GWT Intergenerational Training Session - 17 October
• THRE - Funding and Fundraising with Human Rights and Equalities (Engage Members) - 05 November

Winter Connections

Community groups and voluntary organisations are being encouraged to apply for grant funding from Renfrewshire Council to enable them to put on activities for local people from October to March next year. Winter Connections is a network of local places and spaces across Renfrewshire where people can connect with others in their community during winter.  

The £75,000 fund is open to local groups and organisations who can offer a community venue, run an activity, or would like to open up their existing activities as part of Winter Connections. Groups and organisations can apply for up to £2,000 to cover costs such as activities, materials, energy, providing food, staffing or cleaning.  

Projects applying to the fund should be:  

• open, free and easy to access  
• inclusive, welcoming, respectful and safe  
• able to offer warm drinks/snacks/food along with activities, where possible  
• able or willing to provide connections to other services and supports.  

The fund is not open to groups arranging one-off activities or events, or projects that charge people for taking part.  

Applicants must also have a written constitution, bank account and be able to demonstrate an understanding of what their local community currently needs.  

Awards will be made from October, and the fund will remain open until all available funding has been used. Anyone considering applying for funding should make sure they read the guidance for the funding and is encouraged to get their applications in as quickly as possible. Any grant received from the fund must be spent by the end of March 2025.  

Please see  www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/winter-connections for more information and an application form 

Pink Ribbon Foundation Grants
The Pink Ribbon Foundation is offering grants of up to £6,000 to UK charities and not-for-profit organisations working on practical projects and initiatives aimed at improving the physical and mental health of individuals with or recovering from breast cancer. Grants above £6,000.00 may be granted at the discretion of the Foundation. The deadline for applications is 30 May 2025. Find out more here  

Childs Charitable Trust 
The Childs Charitable Trust offers grants to registered and excepted Christian charities based in the UK and operating in countries worldwide. Projects that fall into the following categories will be considered: Working in schools and with vulnerable and disengaged young people in the UK: All aspects of Christian outreach: Society, i.e., social action and justice: All areas of Christian education. No minimum or maximum grant level is published, and awards are made according to the values of the Trust, which are based on the Christian faith. The primary focus for grants allocated is on those organisations that actively share the Christian gospel in their work. Applications received in September, October and November will be considered at the February trustees’ meeting. Find out more here 

Grants for Churches for the Conservation of Decorative Features and Monuments
Grants of between £500 and £5,000 are available to churches, chapels and other places of worship built before 1896 to carry out small programmes of conservation work to decorative features and monuments. Eligible work includes, but is not limited to, stained glass windows, sculpture, furniture, internal monuments, tombs, and wall paintings. All work funded must be directed by a professional architect or established conservator and completed according to the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) principles. The funding is being made available through the William and Jane Morris Fund. Applications can be submitted at any time until 31 March 2025. Find out more here 

Funding for Community-Led Tree Planting Projects
Schools, community groups, and other not-for-profit organisations in the UK can apply for grants through the International Tree Foundation’s UK Community Tree Planting Programme. This funding supports community-led projects that enhance biodiversity, increase tree cover, and engage communities in conservation. There are two funding streams: Community Woodlands/Hedging for planting 100-25,000 trees per year with funding up to £1.95 per tree plus maintenance grants, and Community Orchards for planting up to 30 trees per year. Eligible uses include purchasing trees and materials, organising events, and educational activities. There is a two-stage application process, with final applications due by 12 pm on 13 December 2024. Find out more here 

Grants of up to £80,000 Available to Work with Young Women & Girls at the Edge of the Criminal Justice System
Funding is available to registered charities, not-for-profit social enterprises, and community interest companies working with vulnerable young women and girls across the UK who are at a high risk of entering the criminal justice system. The Triangle Trust 1949 Fund offers grants of up to £80,000 over two years (£40,000 per year) for projects to reduce the number of those who receive a first conviction. Applicants must demonstrate approaches that are age, gender, trauma, and culturally responsive, focusing on projects providing peer support from women with lived experience and co-designed by young women and girls. Organisations must demonstrate that at least 80% of their beneficiaries are women and girls. The closing date for applications is 30 October 2024. Find out more here 

Grants of up to £70,000 Available for Film Festivals
New and existing organisations based in Scotland that are producing film festivals and/or curated screening programmes can apply for a grant of between £10,000 and £40,000. Activities supported by the fund should increase the reach, impact and diversity of film screenings and events for communities that reflect the diversity of Scottish audiences. The grant is provided by Screen Scotland’s The National Lottery Film Festival and Screening Programme Fund. Organisations looking for less than £10,000, please consider the funding opportunities Film Hub Scotland offers. The next closing date for applications is 13 January 2025. Find more here 

Grants of up to £5,000 Available for Projects that Help the Homeless
Small Homeless charities can apply for capital grants of up to £5,000 for projects that aim to help homeless people return to the community and enable them to rebuild their lives.  Typically, such organisations operate residential or training facilities to assist homeless people. To be eligible to apply, the charity must have an annual turnover of under £500,000, with ‘unrestricted reserves’ of under six months.  Previously funded projects include the Booth Centre, an advice and activity centre for homeless people in Manchester, which received a grant of £1,500 to transform the centre with new lighting, a new water heater and new decoration and a grant of £3,000 to the Amber Foundation to enable the Foundation to buy new bedroom furniture for their residential centre in Devon, where every year over 60 unemployed, homeless young people are able to rebuild their lives and gain the motivation, confidence, self-esteem and skills for independent living.  The closing date for applications is 15 December 2024. Find out more here 

Funding for Mental Health Engagement Projects in Museums
Grants of up to £25,000 are available for accredited and non-accredited museums in Scotland to support partnership projects with charities and local authorities that encourage people with mental health issues to engage with cultural activities. The funding, provided by Museums Galleries Scotland in partnership with the Baring Foundation, will support museums and mental health organisations in creating engagement opportunities related to the museum and its collection. Eligible costs include materials, events, exhibitions, training, marketing, salaries, and travel expenses. The Creative Minds Fund will open for applications in early November, with the closing date for expressions of interest set for 20 December 2024. Find out more here 

Funding to Support Families Caring for Wounded, Sick or Injured Serving Personnel & Veterans
Grants between £50,000 and £100,000 are available for projects supporting family members who care for wounded, injured or sick serving personnel and Veterans. The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust's Family Focus Programme provides funding for projects lasting up to eighteen months, aimed at enhancing the quality of life for these families. This includes improving access to support, providing targeted assistance that addresses their evolving needs over time, and building resilience for those with a caring role. Applications from UK-registered charities, Community Interest Companies, local authorities and other statutory organisations will be accepted until 12pm on 18 December 2024. Find out more here 
 

Funding to Support Veterans Negatively Affected by Military Service
The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust has launched a new funding programme to improve the quality of life for veterans negatively impacted by issues related to their military service and which has created a barrier to, or compromised, their ability to have a fulfilling life after Service. The Fulfilling Futures programme offers grants of between £50,000 and £100,000 for projects lasting 12 to 18 months, and up to £300,000 for projects lasting three to four years. Projects should aim to achieve one or more of the following outcomes: acknowledge and understand veterans' experiences to aid their recovery; reduce veterans' isolation and improve their quality of life by providing effective support; and help veterans build positive connections with the wider Armed Forces community. Applications are open to UK-registered charities, community interest companies, local authorities, and other statutory organisations until 12pm on 04 December 2024. Find out more here 

The Robertson Trust 

• New-look Transport Grants offer increased funding for charities of between £5K-20K per year for 1-3 years. By supporting the costs of a vehicle, or transport costs more broadly, the fund aims to help charities deliver their services and remove barriers for people and places affected by poverty and trauma. This is in recognition that a lack of access to affordable, reliable transport can impact the ability to participate in society and thrive. 
    

• Wee Grants offer funding of up to £5,000 for constituted community groups and charities in Scotland with an annual income of less than £30,000. Through these grants, we want to support organisations who are focused on building strong communities in places which have higher rates of poverty and trauma, or who are working with certain groups of people who are at a higher risk of experiencing poverty and trauma. 

You can read more here. 

Events

Cost of Living Event - Tuesday 08 October
On Tuesday 08 October between 10am and 1pm, Southend Action Centre (57 Stock Street, Paisley, PA2 6NL) will be hosting a Cost-of-Living event as part of Challenge Poverty Week. A range of organisations will be in attendance for you to chat to and seek advice including:

• Social Security Scotland
• Renfrewshire Affordable Credit Alliance
• Invest in Renfrewshire
• Renfrewshire Carers Centre
• Energy Management Unit
• Adult and Family Learning Services
• Free Period Products Team
• And many more!

This event is open to all. Pop along, have a cuppa and find out what support is available in Renfrewshire.

Get Safe Online - 09 October
On 09 October, at 7pm UK time, Get Safe Online will be hosting an international keynote webinar – entitled ‘Get AI-Safe Online’ – which will examine the rapid advance in AI, highlight the ways it can be used for good but also raise awareness of the threats it can bring.
The hour-long educational webinar will focus on four main presentations from experts in their respective fields. Representatives include Get Safe Online, The Cyber Helpline, UNICRI (United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute) and Catch the Catfish. 
For further information and to register visit: https://www.getsafeonline.org/getaisafeonline/


GWT Intergenerational Training Session for Greater Renfrewshire and Inverclyde
This training will take place as follows;
Thursday 17th October 2024,
10:00am - 4:00pm with lunch provided
The Cabin at Broomhill Community HUB, 46 Mearns St, Greenock PA15 4QD                 
Book here
You will be able to design a project idea and look at how you will plan and evaluate it.


THRE - Funding and Fundraising with Human Rights and Equalities (Engage Members)
Tuesday 05 November 1pm to 3pm 
Our workshop will introduce you to THRE's Human Rights and Equalities First Approach and provide practical steps to start or continue your human rights and equalities journey. In this session we unpack concepts relating to human rights and equalities to give you the tools to speak about your organisation's work through a human rights and equalities framework. This session is for Engage Renfrewshire members only. This session will be hosted online, we will send you the Zoom link to join 2 days before the event. Book here