Funding & Training Focus - 10 July

Hello,

There is lots to look through this week, so I’ll keep the ‘chat’ brief. 

Some great opportunities for those working in the Arts, Music, and to improve green spaces, tackle climate change and improve biodiversity. The Volant Charitable Trust also has a multi-year funding opportunity for those working with Women and Children.  

As always, please reach out if you think you would benefit from one to one support. Jane – jhamilton@engagerenfrewshire.com 

Funding

• Arts
• Biodiversity and Climate Change 
• Criminal Justice 
• Food Poverty 
• Housing Support 
• Music 
• Older People 
• Social Enterprise 
• Suicide Prevention 
• Women and Children 
• Young People

Training

Mhor Collective Training

Arts

The Golsoncott Foundation
The Foundation supports projects that demonstrate and deliver excellence in the arts, be it in performance, exhibition, artistic craft, or scholarly endeavour.  Next deadline: 31 July 2024. Find out more here 


The Elephant Trust 
The fund is committed to helping artists and art institutions/galleries that depart from the routine and signal new, distinct and imaginative sets of possibilities. Priority is given to artists in the fine arts and small organisations and galleries who should submit well argued, imaginative proposals for making or producing new work or exhibitions. Next deadline: 20 October 2024. Find out more here 


Funding to Make Visual Art Education More Inclusive
Grants of up to £25,000 per year are available for innovative projects that support UK visual art organisations, such as museums, non-commercial galleries, art education organisations, and studio providers, to make art education more inclusive and engaging for young people, regardless of background or ability. The Freelands Foundation’s Inclusive Practices Fund will support projects that create a sense of community and belonging to help young people in primary and secondary school to connect with the arts, with specific attention to representation of minority ethnic artists and the norms of engagement which may impact young people’s experience. The funding is available over one or two years. The closing date for expressions of interest is the 19 July 2024. Find out more

Biodiversity and Climate Change

Central Scotland Green Network 
Growing Food Together Fund Grants up to £5,000 are available for community groups and voluntary organisations aiming to foster community engagement in growing and learning about food, promoting healthy eating and outdoor exercise. Applicants should demonstrate fit with the Good Food Nation policy. Apply before 19 July. Find out more here.  

Growing Food Together Fund Greenspace Scotland
Parks4Life Community Fund Grants up to £1,500 are available for community groups and voluntary organisations for a variety of projects aiming to improve, promote or develop community use of a park or greenspace. First come, first served. Apply before 30 August. Community Fund – Find out more here  


Idlewild Trust
Idlewild Trust is an independent grant-making trust that supports registered charities. It runs two grants programmes supporting specific areas within conservation and the arts. Next deadline: 05 September 2024. Find out more here 


Local Energy Scotland
Supports eligible community organisations and groups of householders to help develop their ideas for locally-generated, low and zero carbon heat project ideas. Successful applicants will receive technical support.  Next deadline: 31 July 2024. Find out more here 
 

Funding to Support the Historic Environment Sector
Third sector organisations across Scotland can apply for multi-year funding to support projects and activities that have a nationwide impact on Scotland’s historic environment sector. The funding, which is made available through Historic Environment Scotland’s Partnership Fund, will support the costs of delivering up to three different areas of activity for up to three years. Activities could include professional or volunteer training programmes addressing recognised historic environment skills gaps at a national level; developmental, advocacy or capacity-building activities; and outreach activities or learning programmes delivering high-impact outcomes for audiences across Scotland. The fund is open to expressions of interest until 16 August 2024. Those successful at this stage will be invited to submit a full application by the 13 September 2024. Find out more

Grants to Improve Parks & Greenspaces
Community and Friends groups can apply for grants of between £500 and £1,500 to improve and revitalise parks and greenspaces across Scotland. The Parks4Life Community Fund, delivered in partnership with greenspace Scotland and MyParkScotland, will support groups who work to improve, promote and develop a park or greenspace, particularly in deprived areas. Funding could be used to deliver an event to attract visitors to the park, training for volunteers, a park clean or a small planting scheme. The fund can also help groups improve their sustainability by purchasing tools and equipment or running initiatives to attract new members. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and will be allocated every two weeks until the 30 August 2024, or until all funds are exhausted.  Find out more

Criminal Justice

Funding to Support Disadvantaged Young People and Offenders 
Registered charities, charitable incorporated organisations, and in exceptional circumstances Community Interest Companies can apply for grants for projects that support offenders and ex-offenders as well as into work and helping specific less popular groups within the criminal justice sector. The funding is being made available through the Weavers' Company who are looking specifically to support projects helping offenders find work as well as projects that support marginalised groups. A secondary priority is given to projects aiding disadvantaged young people, including immigrants, in realising their potential and engaging in society. The Weavers' Company has two funding streams: a Small Grants Programme offering up to £5,000, and a Main Grants Programme with no maximum limit. Funding covers both project and core costs. Applicants must demonstrate efforts to secure other funding and future sustainability. The next application deadline is 14 November 2024. Find out more

Food Poverty

Funding to Support Disadvantaged Young People and Offenders 
Registered charities, charitable incorporated organisations, and in exceptional circumstances Community Interest Companies can apply for grants for projects that support offenders and ex-offenders as well as into work and helping specific less popular groups within the criminal justice sector. The funding is being made available through the Weavers' Company who are looking specifically to support projects helping offenders find work as well as projects that support marginalised groups. A secondary priority is given to projects aiding disadvantaged young people, including immigrants, in realising their potential and engaging in society. The Weavers' Company has two funding streams: a Small Grants Programme offering up to £5,000, and a Main Grants Programme with no maximum limit. Funding covers both project and core costs. Applicants must demonstrate efforts to secure other funding and future sustainability. The next application deadline is 14 November 2024. Find out more

Housing Support

B&Q Foundation
Funding is available for registered charities who are creating or improving spaces so that more people have a place to feel at home. They focus on charities that support people who are most in need because of homelessness, financial hardship, sickness, disability or other disadvantage. Previous projects supported have included improvements such as decorating, fixing roofs, refurbishment of garden space, upgrading key fixtures and fittings, and creating new buildings or rooms. Next deadline: 09 August 2024. Find out more

Music

Funding to Support Young Creatives to Launch a Project, Idea or Business 
The next closing date for applications to the Youth Music NextGen Fund is 15 of November 2024. The NextGen 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.  Find out more
 

Funding Opportunities for Musicians 
Grants of up to £500 are available to support UK musicians at pivotal stages in their careers. The Help Musicians Fast Track Awards programme aims to help musicians grow or sustain their income or participate in something that could take their careers to the next level. The funding can be used for anything from courses, networking opportunities, and equipment to recording, releasing, and performing costs. To be eligible, applicants must be 18 and over, have no more than £10,000 in savings or access to other capital, and have a track record of making 40% of their income from music over the last two or more years. The closing date for applications is 19 July 2024. Find out more

Older People

Funding to Support Young Creatives to Launch a Project, Idea or Business 
The next closing date for applications to the Youth Music NextGen Fund is 15 of November 2024. The NextGen 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.  Find out more
 

Funding Opportunities for Musicians 
Grants of up to £500 are available to support UK musicians at pivotal stages in their careers. The Help Musicians Fast Track Awards programme aims to help musicians grow or sustain their income or participate in something that could take their careers to the next level. The funding can be used for anything from courses, networking opportunities, and equipment to recording, releasing, and performing costs. To be eligible, applicants must be 18 and over, have no more than £10,000 in savings or access to other capital, and have a track record of making 40% of their income from music over the last two or more years. The closing date for applications is 19 July 2024. Find out more

Social Enterprise

Grants of up to £18,000 available to Social Entrepreneurs
Grants of up to £18,000 plus business support are available to social entrepreneurs looking to start or grow an existing social venture. The funding is being made available through the UnLtd, the leading provider of support to social entrepreneurs in and around the UK. UnLtd is committed to providing 50% of its awards to Black, Asian and minority ethnic and/or disabled social entrepreneurs. To be eligible, applicants need to be aged 16 or over, live in the UK, and be looking to fulfil a clear social need and demand. The closing date for this funding round is 30 September 2024. Find out more


The Fore
The Fore offers development funding and strategic support to early-stage charities and social enterprises. It makes unrestricted grants which have the potential to have a transformational impact on an organisation. For example enabling your organisation to take a step forward in its development or giving you the chance to do something you couldn’t before. It will also match successful applicants with friendly professional support including ongoing mentoring, strategic advice, governance support or other assistance.  Next deadline: 31 July 2024. Find out more here 

Community-led action research into suicide prevention 

Suicide Prevention Scotland are working with Scottish Community Development Centre (SCDC) to deliver a test-of-change programme of community-led action research with 4 communities – 2 communities of place, and 2 communities of interest. 

A small pot of funding will be available to support successful applicants to participate in the programme. 

Programme details including selection criteria  

The community-led action research programme will support 4 community organisations to conduct an inquiry into suicide prevention.  

Whilst the focus of research will be chosen by the groups who take part, within the broad area of suicide prevention, the research should consider: 

•  The quality and availability of support for people affected by suicide or who are at risk of suicide 

• Awareness within communities of suicide and the inequalities that affect suicidal behaviour and ways to address these 

• Understanding of whether the current learning resources meet the needs of communities and if not, how their learning needs may be better met 

For more information or for any questions, please email Kate.McHendry@scdc.org.uk or Isobel.Murray@penumbra.org.uk 

To apply to be part of the programme please email details of how you meet the selection criteria above to: Isobel.Murray@penumbra.org.uk by Friday 12 July 2024. 

The selection panel will review all applications and successful applicants will be notified by Friday 19 July. 

Women and Children

Funding to Alleviate Social Deprivation
The Volant Charitable Trust’s Grants programme has re-opened for applications. The fund aims to support Scottish charities and projects that help alleviate social deprivation, particularly among women, children and young people at risk. Registered charities, community interest companies, community organisations and social enterprises can apply for grants of up to £15,000 per year for up to three years to support work that will make a lasting difference for women and children affected by hardship or disadvantage. Funding is administered by Foundation Scotland and can be used for project and core costs. There is a two-stage application process.  The deadline for submitting a stage 1 application is 01 October 2024.   Find out more

Grants Available for Children’s Summer Holiday Activities
Sports or holiday clubs across the UK can apply for a share of £150,000 to provide activities for children under 18 during the summer holidays. The Tesco Stronger Starts Fund – Activity for All campaign, delivered in partnership with the Sun Newspaper, aims to improve children’s access to physical activity by funding better equipment, resources and healthy food and snacks for those who need it most. 150 grants of £1,000 are available to support a wide range of sports and physical activities to promote children’s health and wellbeing, particularly those who are unable to access their usual provision or where cost is a barrier. The closing date for applications is 05 August 2024. Find out more

Young People

The 7stars foundation
The foundation support organisations who help enable young people to have the best start in life.  Next deadline: 31 August 2024. Find out more here 


Funding to Support Core Costs of Small Charities
UK charities and social enterprises supporting children and young people, disadvantaged families, prisoners, and ex-offenders can apply for funding to help cover their core costs. Small grants of up to £3,000 and large grants of over £3,000 are available. However, only a few large grants are awarded. The funding will support small-scale, local initiatives that make good use of volunteers, encourage past and current users to participate, and ensure that funds awarded will promote community cohesion and the development of skills that will change the outlook and outcomes for their users. Preference is given to small to medium-sized charities where small grants can have more impact. The funding is being made available through the Woodward Charitable Trust which will accept applications until 12pm on 26 July 2024.  Find out more

Training

Mhor Collective

Circuit Training
Cost: Free
What: This is a series of sessions we’re running. The first round is about Safety and Security for young people. Learning Outcomes are mentioned here, but this link is just for info – you don’t need to sign up on this form.
Funded by: The Circuit project
Who: This is available to anyone who works with young people who have care experience. However, we think the content is really easy to tweak for others such as youth workers who don’t solely work with young people with care experience.
When: We have some future dates planned but can set another date if you have people interested. We can do daytimes or evenings.
How long: 2 hours
Format: Online (Zoom/Teams) or face to face
Additional info: As mentioned, this is the first round of training so we will be setting new topics as we go on. The resources sheet for this course is attached for info.
 
Shared Advocacy group
Cost: Free
What: This is a bi-monthly call where we gather anyone working in the nexus between care experience and the digital world. We talk about shared needs or opportunities and seek to work collectively to advocate for change.
Funded by: The Circuit project
Who: This is available to anyone who works with young people who have care experience.
When: Next call TBC
How long: 1 hour approx
Format: Online (we have used Zoom in the past)
Additional info: We can add you or your team to the mailing list for this.
 
Danger of Missing Out (DOMO)
Cost: Free
What: This is a quarterly online meeting where (usually 2) guest speakers share their wisdom and experience about working on digital inclusion for young people with care experience – challenges, successes, lessons learned.
Funded by: We think of it as part of the Circuit project, but we self-fund it
Who: This is available to anyone who works with young people who have care experience.
When: Next call TBC
How long: 1 hour approx
Format: Online (we have used Zoom in the past)
Additional info: We can add you or your team to the mailing list for this.
 
Digital Champions training
Cost: Free
What: These sessions are aimed at getting people the confidence to support others who are new to the digital world. You can read more about the sessions here.
Funded by: SCVO / Connecting Scotland
Who: This is available to anyone.
When: These are rolling sessions, usually run during the day but can be evenings on request.
How long: 2 to 2.5 hours approx
Format: Online or face to face
Additional info: The “Core” session includes information on affordable broadband, and there are supplementary sessions available for people working in the areas of Housing, Harm Reduction or Mental Health.
Booking can be done on the Connecting Scotland web page or we can run a closed session for your team.
 
Be The Media
Cost: Free
What: Aimed at digital beginners, these sessions combine common smartphone features (photos, videos and sound recording) with key digital skills (sharing, sending, security) and light-touch media literacy (“who decides and frames the content we see?”)
Funded by: We self-fund this work
Who: Open to anyone but works best with a group of relative beginners who know each other, such as an existing community group.
When: On request.
How long: 4 sessions of 2 hours each
Format: Face to face
 
Powerful Places
Cost: Free
What: Create a community map in real-time, via conversations about the places that are important to us in our neighbourhood. Attendees will leave with all the skills needed to make maps of their own.
Funded by: We self-fund this work
Who: Works in a local neighbourhood context, though people don’t necessarily need to know each other.
When: On request
How long: 2 hours approx
Format: Face to face

Mhor Collective are one of Renfrewshire Councils partners on the Circuit Project. https://circuitscotland.com/aboutus/ and information on Mhor Collective: https://www.mhorcollective.com/. 

Should you require further information please contact Dave at dave@mhorcollective.com