Funding & Training Focus - 27 September

Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund
The Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund has a strong focus on prevention and early intervention and aims to support grass roots community groups in tackling mental health inequalities and address priority issues of social isolation and loneliness, suicide prevention and tackling poverty and inequality. There will be a continued emphasis in Year 3 on responding to the cost of living crisis and on those facing socio-economic disadvantage.
 
The overarching aim of the Fund is to:
Support community based initiatives that promote and develop good mental health and wellbeing and/or mitigate and protect against the impact of distress and mental ill health within the adult population (aged 16 or over), with a particular focus on prevention and early intervention.
 
In line with Scottish Government’s long term outcomes for mental health in communities, this Fund intends to provide investment for:

• Develop a culture of mental wellbeing and prevention within local communities with improved awareness of how we can all stay well and help ourselves and others.
• Fostering a strategic and preventative approach to improving community mental health
• Supporting the resilience of communities and investing in their capacity to develop their own solutions, including through strong local partnerships
• Tackling the social determinants of mental health by targeting resources and collaborating with other initiatives to tackle poverty and inequality.

The range of organisations that can apply are:

• Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisations (SCIO)
• Unincorporated Associations
• Companies Limited by Guarantee
• Trusts
• Not-for-profit company or asset locked company or Community Interest Companies (CIC)
• Cooperative and Community Benefit Societies
• Community councils
• Parent councils (see full guidance)

The fund will open for applications THIS Friday – 29 September – and will close at 5pm on Friday 24 November
 
Full guidance document will be shared on the website and in Friday’s newsletter.
 

Renfrewshire Council’s Winter Connections
Renfrewshire Council’s Winter Connections programme encourages people to come together this winter to take part in activities that will improve health and wellbeing, reduce isolation and provide people with advice and support if they need it.
There is £85,000 of funding available for the Winter Connections programme. The Fund opens on Friday 22 September 2023 and Local community and voluntary organisations based in Renfrewshire can apply for a grant of up to £2,000 to run or expand a free activity. (This could be increased if you are co-ordinating several events in partnership with a range of local groups).
Renfrewshire Council wants Winter Connections activities to be available in every neighbourhood in Renfrewshire, available at different times and for residents of all ages. Applications that will run activities during the festive period are also welcomed.
You can apply online for the Winter Connections Fund and all details about the fund, the guidance on what types of activities are eligible, how decisions on funding will be made and much more is here https://www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/article/12902/Apply-for-the-Winter-Connections-Fund
Any queries about the fund or applying should go to Andrena Faulkner at andrena.faulkner@renfrewshire.gov.uk
                            

FCC Scottish Action Fund
The FCC Scottish Action Fund offers funding to projects through the Scottish Landfill Communities Fund. The objectives are to fund environmentally-friendly projects which meet a proven community need, offer value for money and are sustainable. Next deadline: 6th December 2023. Find out more


Young Offender Grants 2022
Registered charities, not-for-profit social enterprises, and community interest companies in the UK can apply for funding for projects that support young people on the edge of the criminal justice system (aged 11-25).
The Triangle Trust 1949 Fund will award grants of up to £80,000 over two years (£40,000 per year) for projects that use a Sport 4 Development approach to work with young people (11-25) who are already in contact with the police and who are at risk of being, or who have been, arrested for a crime. The aim of the funding is to help them avoid a future conviction by supporting them to change their offending behaviour.
Sport 4 Development interventions have proved to be effective in engaging with hard to reach and vulnerable young people and helping them to achieve specific social development objectives. These projects differ from those that play sport for fun as learning is built into the project activity.
Priority will be given to proposals supporting young people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities, young women and girls, and young people who have been looked after.
The deadline for applications is 29 October 2023.
Young Offender Grants 2022  


Grants for Good
The Matthew Good Foundation has opened the next round of its Grants for Good Fund. The aim is to support small charities, not-for-profit groups and social entrepreneurs who are passionate about making a difference to people, their community or the environment.
The Fund will share £15,000 between five shortlisted projects every three months, which will be voted for by John Good Group employees. The project that receives the most votes will receive a grant of £5,000, second place £3,500, third place £2,500 with fourth and fifth place both receiving £2,000.
As well as established projects and charities, the Foundation wants to hear from people with innovative ideas that need some funding to get their projects up and running.
To be eligible, applicants will have to have had an income of less than £50,000 in the last 12 months.
Funding is awarded every three months and the deadline for the next funding round is 15 December 2023. 
Grants for Good


£1 Million Available to Protect & Restore Local Nature
Aviva, in partnership with the RSPB and WWF, is making £1 million available to support community groups and schools in deprived areas of the UK to protect and restore nature in their local area.
The Save Our Wild Isles Community Fund is a crowdfunding initiative that will give £2 for every £1 raised by each project. Community groups can apply for an initial £500 to kick-start their project and up to £15,000 in match funding.
A wide range of nature projects can be supported, from creating community gardens and replanting wildlife meadows, to protecting wildlife and promoting community connection to nature.
Applications can be made at any time until all funding has been allocated. 
Find out more


Grants to Support Children with Additional Needs
Grants are available to support the core costs of registered charities and other not-for-profit organisations delivering projects and activities that support children with additional needs across Scotland.
The funding is made available by the charity Trefoil through their Organisational Grants programme, which supports organisations delivering projects that maximise the independence and capabilities of young people under the age of 25 who have special needs. This can include physical disability, caring obligations, other disadvantage or learning and psycho-social needs.
Trefoil will not normally consider applications from organisations with a turnover of £500,000 or more, or from agencies (or for purposes) which should be supported by statutory funding.
The deadline for applications is 09 February 2023.
Find out more 


Funding to Help Entrepreneurs Take First Steps Towards Start-Up
Grants of up to £100,000 are available to organisations providing support for people in Scotland who are thinking about taking the first steps towards creating a start-up company.
The funding is made available by the Scottish Government through the Pathways Pre-Start Fund, which aims to bring more people into entrepreneurship by offering pre-start business support, mentoring and advice services.
The fund will focus on bridging the gender gap and broadening participation in entrepreneurship from under-represented groups.
The deadline for applications is 28 September 2023. 
Find out more


Grants for Community Recycling, Biodiversity & Public Amenity Projects
Not-for-profit organisations such as registered charities, community councils, community groups and local authorities can apply for grants of between £2,000 and £40,000 to fund community recycling and biodiversity projects as well as improvements to public amenities, parks and historic buildings.
To be eligible most projects must be within 10 miles of an eligible licensed landfill site or transfer station.
The funding is being made available through the FCC Scottish Action Fund.
The deadline for applications is 5pm on 06 December 2023.
Find out more


Grants to Provide Solutions for People in Housing Need
Funding is available for community and voluntary organisations working to provide solutions for people in housing need in Scotland.
The Lintel Trust awards small grants of either £500 or £1,000 for community led projects that help people to maintain their tenancies, improve their lives and engage and participate fully in community life.
This round of funding will support projects that:

• tackle social isolation in housing communities;
• promote digital participation;
• that enable older people to remain independent and in their own home.

The funding is available to organisations with a close connection to a housing association, housing cooperative or other social housing provider such as a local authority.
There are four application deadlines during this year and the next closing date is 18 October 2023. 
Find out more


Essentia Foundation - Opening Soon
The Essentia Foundation is looking to provide financial support to charities and community groups that will help achieve the following objectives: - Improved health and social welfare of children and young people up to the age of 25 years old. - Increased opportunities for training, enhancing learning, upskilling, and developing career opportunities, and supporting young people up to the age of 25 years old to move towards employment This round of funding is aimed at supporting grassroots community organisations across Scotland. Grants are to be spent over a period of three years. The fund is looking for projects that: - Support the participation in mainstream society for individuals with learning disabilities or long-term life limiting health conditions - Support young people who face long-term challenges living in poverty and inequality. - Support those who have been excluded from school to access or return to education or training opportunities - Provide skills and training to those who are furthest from the labour market - Aim to improve the health and welfare of children and young people (being those under 25)
Find out more