Funding round-up

See below for a round-up of general funding opportunities.

BRIT Trust funding

The BRIT Trust considers all applications which meet the criteria within its mission statement which is: 'To encourage young people in the exploration and pursuit of educational, cultural or therapeutic benefits emanating from music'. The Trust does not consider individual grants, scholarships or capital grants or grant donations outside the UK. If you have a relevant project that you wish to put forward, complete the form on their website at: www.brittrust.co.uk/main.php?section=funding&subsection=grantapp

The John Ellerman Foundation

Arts is one of five areas of interest which benefits annually from the John Ellerman Foundation. In 2007/08, a total of 42 charities involved with the arts received £1.05 million between them. Currently, the focus of the arts funding is directed towards music and opera, museums and galleries, and theatre and dance. The Foundation is particularly interested in charities which can demonstrate excellence in the field, commitment to attracting new audiences and wider public access, youth participation and motivation, originality and creativity in design, production and/or presentation and lasting impact.

Applications are invited from registered charities with a UK office involved in delivering projects throughout the United Kingdom, and can be made at any time. The Foundation is inclined to support small or medium-sized charities with an annual income of less than £25 million. For further details email barbara@ellerman.org.uk or go to www.ellerman.org.uk/pages/arts.htm.

Funding for Summer Playschemes (UK)

The Hilden Charitable Fund has announced that application forms for its Summer Playscheme Grants Programme, to help community groups run Summer Playschemes for the benefit of children from refugee and ethnic minority families, will be available from February 2010.

Funding of up to £1,000 is available for Summer Playschemes for children aged 5 - 18 years lasting for 2 - 6 weeks with strong volunteer support. The funding is available to voluntary agencies with an income of less than £150,000. During the previous year, the Hilden Charitable Fund allocated £20,000 for a play scheme programme. 21 projects were funded. Applications from organisations working with refugee and immigrant communities were given priority and most projects funded were based in Greater London. In addition to the Summer Playschemes the Hilden Charitable Fund provides grants to community and voluntary organisations for projects and activities which are unlikely to raise funds from public sources, known sometimes as ‘unpopular causes. For further details visit: http://www.hildencharitablefund.org.uk/play.htm

The Big Ideas Grant (UK)

The Department of Health (DH) has launched the Bright Ideas Grant (B.I.G), a £50K fund aimed at helping unlock the potential of those hundreds of small ideas that people have for improving health and social care services. The DH is looking for ideas that help ensure people's experience of health and care services is a good one and that they feel they are able to retain their personal dignity and self respect. Ideas can be big or small. Anyone is eligible to apply for B.I.G whether as an individual or an organisation, just need to have seen something related to dignity in care that wants changing or made better and have an idea for how to do that. Grants will be of up to £10,000. B.I.G is not about mainstreaming, rolling out or continuing existing projects, no matter how innovative they are. B.I.G cannot be used to buy new equipment or activities that have already being used in care service, tried and tested as promoting dignity in some way e.g. a mobility scooter, a computer, a Wii Fit, dance classes etc.

The deadline for submitting ideas is the 18th March 2010. For further details visit: http://www.big.dh.gov.uk/

The Hedley Foundation (UK)

The Hedley Foundation invites registered charities in the UK to apply for up to £5,000 support mainly young people with their education, creation, support, training, health and welfare. The Foundation also support disabled people and the terminally ill with provision of specialist equipment and support for carers. Last year the Foundation received 1,467 applications, of which less than two-thirds were within their funding criteria. The made 348 grants (averaging £3,000). The Trustees meet six times a year. The closing date for a meeting is three weeks beforehand. For more information on the Foundation including application deadline please click: http://www.hedleyfoundation.org.uk/

Improvements To Reaching Communities Programme Process (England)

The Big Lottery Fund has announced that they are going to make at least £100 million available across England through their revamped flagship “Reaching Communities” programme for the next five years. This will include making access to the programme easier. Applicants seeking smaller grants will enjoy a simpler application and assessment process, and for those applying for larger grants will learn sooner whether their project as a chance of receiving funding. Those invited to the second stage, will have a much higher chance of being successful for funding. The main aim of Reaching Communities is to help bring real improvements to communities and to the lives of people most in need. The new funding will be available for Charity, Community Groups, and voluntary organisations from this spring. BIG are also looking at a dedicated capital stream offering funding within Reaching Communities for community buildings. For further details visit: http://www2.biglotteryfund.org.uk/pr_100209_eng_rc_big_steps_to_make_fla...