Funding News

Launching Friday 1st December 2023, WRCC’s Winter Warm Hubs grants scheme, available under the Warm Hubs project supported by Cadent, closed in late October 2023. Due to demand, they are launching a second phase of Winter Warm Hubs grants thanks to new funding from Warwickshire County Council.

Winter Warm Hubs grants of up to £500 each are now available for non profit organisations in Warwickshire who wish either to start a new community event or to provide new/extended activity at an existing community hub, to support residents affected by social isolation and costs of living including energy costs. Such community activity is to be carried out during the winter period prior to April 2024.

Closing date for applications: 5.00pm, Wednesday 20th December 2023.

• As part of this grant, applicants will sign up to free online short training courses to help support their volunteers running Winter Warm Hubs. There are seven courses to choose from (see below) and further information is available here: Free online volunteer training courses 2023-24
• Please read the Organiser’s Checklist as part of your application for Winter Warm Hub funding: Winter Warm Hubs 2023-24 Organiser’s Checklist
• WRCC is keen to support a wide geographical range of hubs and more applications from North Warwickshire and Rugby Borough in particular are encouraged.

Please complete the online application form here: Winter Warm Hubs Phase 2 Grant Application

Applicants may also be interested in reading this short report on findings from last winter’s initiative:

Winter Warm Hubs project findings 2022-23

Updated list of free online training courses as at 5th December 2023

• COMMUNITY ENERGY CHAMPIONS (compulsory). Thursday 11th January, 10.00am – 11.30am or Monday 22^nd January, 6.00pm – 7.30pm
• SAFEGUARDING: AN INTRODUCTION. Thursday 7th December, 10.30am – 12.00noon or January date TBC
• RISK MANAGEMENT. Tuesday 5th December, 7.00pm – 8.30pm or January date TBC
• INTRODUCTION TO BID WRITING. Friday 15^th December, 10.00am – 11.30am or January date TBC
• PROMOTING YOUR HUB. Wednesday 13^th December, 10.00am – 11.30am or Tuesday 16th January, 6.00pm – 7.30pm
• VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT AND TRAINING. Wednesday 10^th January, 10.00am – 11.30am or later January date TBC
• INTRODUCTION TO FIRST AID. Monday 22nd January, 10.00am – 12.00pm or later January date TBC

Book here to reserve your Winter Warm Hubs volunteer training places – we’ll be confirming any remaining dates and booking information for January 2024 later this month.

The Warwickshire Kind Communities-Kind Food grant aims to support local projects across the county that empower communities to make more affordable, healthy, and sustainable food choices. 

The Kind Communities - Kind Food Grant will provide a total of £25,000 funding to support food projects across the county and will be open for applications from 9am on Monday 27 November.

In the last call for projects which closed at the end of July, Stratford-on-Avon District Council had a shortfall of applications for the Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF).

There is an opportunity for limited capital spend between now and the end of March 2024 for the Rural England Prosperity Fund. Stratford-on-Avon District Council would welcome some applications where monies can be spend quickly to reduce underspend before the end of the year.

Heart of England Community Energy  (HECE) has monies available to be deployed in South Warwickshire and nearby areas* to fund community purposes and carbon reduction.

They would like to receive applications for funding from Charities, or asset locked organisations such as CIC’s and Community Benefit Societies. Three classes of application will be considered as follows:

Warwick District Council is urging local not for profit groups to access funding made available for community initiatives to help vulnerable households and individuals who are struggling with the effects of the cost-of-living crisis.

Applications are now open for a ‘Cost of Living Fund’ with grants of up to £3000 available to support projects and activities in the community, which are targeted at those who are experiencing financial hardship or need help with day-to-day functions from getting a hot meal to finding children’s activities.

The National Lottery Heritage Fund funds projects that connect people and communities to the national, regional and local heritage of the UK.

Grants of between £250 and £2,000 are available to registered Allotment Associations and committees across the UK for the improvement and development of facilities on registered and permitted sites. The funding is being made available by the National Allotment Gardens Trust which aims to advance and improve the Allotments/Gardens movement through education, training and workshops.

A quick way to apply for smaller amounts of funding between £300 and £10,000.

With the COVID-19 pandemic still with us, the fund willcontinue to support people and communities most adversely impacted by COVID-19 by helping groups to:

Homes and businesses in rural areas of the UK may be eligible for funding towards the cost of installing gigabit-capable broadband when part of a group scheme. Rural premises with broadband speeds of less than 100Mbps can use vouchers worth £1,500 per home and up to £3,500 for each small to medium-sized business (SME) to support the cost of installing new fast and reliable connections.

This scheme offers a cash award and security products to community projects. Since Covid-19, the scheme has changed its terms to focus purely on providing free security kit to communities who require extra security and have limited funds to meet these needs.

Biffa Award gives grants to projects that benefit communities living near landfill sites. Current themes are: rebuilding biodiversity, recreation and community buildings.

Eligibility for local authorities is limited; download the OVERVIEW OF LANDFILL COMMUNITY FUND (LCF) for guidance.

The Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF) is a registered charity, working since 1976 to promote the conservation and sustainable re-use of historic buildings for the benefit of communities across the UK, particularly in economically disadvantaged areas.

Parish and town councils are eligible to apply for grants.

War Memorials Trust grants support repair and conservation works undertaken following best conservation practice. Almost all war memorials are eligible for support and custodians/owners can find information about eligibility and processes on their website.

Get Grants offers a range of fundraising training courses to help you with successful bid writing, corporate fundraising and using data effectively to increase fundraising success.

Grants of up to £5,000 are available for projects that help people in need and relate to the repair, maintenance, improvement or construction of homes, community facilities and other buildings.

The Janet & Bryan Moore Charitable Trust has been established to support projects which unite local communities within the counties of Warwickshire, Oxfordshire and Northamptonshire.

To be eligible for a potential grant  please complete the 'Application Form' setting out the details of your project and why you think supporting your project will result in uniting your local community.

The Serco Foundation - Serco’s independent charitable trust supporting vulnerable citizens internationally - is acting to support those communities and groups which are responding in positive ways to the Covid crisis, many of whom are also facing financial challenges.

Salix are accepting applications from Parish, Town and Community Councils at any time and have interest-free funding available.  For street lighting projects, Salix have project compliance criteria that projects must be repaid to Salix in a maximum 5 years and a maximum cost of £191 per tonne of carbon dioxide saved.