Another fund closes, plus more funding news & opportunities
Melanie May | 25 October 2024 | News
Valencia Communities Fund has announced its closure, while a funders forum for South Cheshire has opened to help simplify the funding process for organisations in this area. More on these stories, plus some funding opportunities below.
Valencia Communities Fund to close
Valencia Communities Fund is closing after 23 years. It funded community, heritage and biodiversity projects across the UK, and has given £160 million during that time.
The closure follows a strategic review by the landfill operator Valencia Waste Management Ltd. As a result, funding through the Landfill Communities Fund will no longer be available from Valencia Communities Fund (VCF). Valencia Waste Management was the sole provider of funding to VCF and, as a consequence, VCF is no longer accepting new applications for projects. Projects that have already received an offer of funding will continue to be funded by VCF until all monies pledged have been drawn down.
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In confirming the closure of VCF, Chairman Peter Renshaw said:
“The decision taken by Valencia Waste Management brings to an end over 23 years of community support in which some £160mn of funding has been distributed to worthy projects, firstly by Viridor Credits Environmental Company and latterly by Valencia Communities Fund. We know that this level of support has been much appreciated by the communities we have served, and we are proud of what has been achieved. The closure will take several months to complete as existing projects work towards their completion and we are grateful to our fantastic team in ensuring that this is done in an orderly manner.”
More information here.
Launch of South Cheshire Funders’ Forum announced
A South Cheshire Funders’ Forum has launched to help to streamline the funding process for small charities in the South Cheshire area, and make it easier to apply for financial support.
The Forum includes Cheshire Community Foundation, which hosts and provides administrative support, The Julia Rausing Trust, and The Steve Morgan Foundation.
The initiative is in response to feedback from charities and funders and means charities no longer need to complete numerous applications as the new system connects them with several local funders, including those listed above and Cheshire East Council.
Simon Fourmy, Director of the Trust, said:
“At a time of increased demand on services and reduced funding opportunities, it is important for funders to collaborate, ensuring scarce resources are effectively mobilised in support of charities. We are pleased to have been involved in establishing this new funder forum and delighted to be working with partners including the Cheshire Community Foundation. We hope this new initiative will make it easier for charities in South Cheshire to access grant funding and continue to deliver their vital work.”
Melanie Sproston, CEO of Cheshire Community Foundation, commented:
“The South Cheshire Funders’ Forum is a game-changer for small charities. By streamlining the application process, we’re allowing them to focus on delivering vital services while helping funders collaborate for more impactful decisions.”
Grants available for great ideas to make Camden a better place
The We Make Camden Kit is a partnership between Camden Citizens, Camden Council, Camden Giving, and Camden businesses. It funds and supports great ideas that will make Camden a better place.
Grants of up to £2,000 are available for citizens, small organisations and schools with great ideas. The goal is to help achieve Camden’s Core Missions by 2030; everyone eats well every day, young people have great opportunities, there’s diversity amongst people in power and we’re living in sustainable neighbourhoods.
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Decisions on who receives funding and support are made by a panel of Camden residents from across the borough, who have diverse experiences of Camden, with the panel of Camden residents supported by a partnership between Camden Council and Camden Giving.
Camden Giving’s fund We Make Camden Kit recently provided a £2,000 grant to the “Greening West Hampstead Fire Station Forecourt” project to transform the forecourt into a welcoming and vibrant space for the community with the introduction of flowering plants and shrubs.
More information here.
Support for core or direct project costs
Comic Relief and Groundwork are offering grants of up to £5,000 through the Comic Relief Community Fund (England), to support with core organisational and/or direct project costs. Around 140 grants are expected to be made.
Voluntary or community organisations including registered charities and not for profit companies with an income under £250,000 are eligible to apply, and the deadline is 5pm on Friday 8 November.
An example of core funding could be a contribution to organisation’s annual budget to continue its work, funding to expand the work, or to add something new that amplifies results. It could also be allocated for expenses that are harder to fund, such as salaries of senior management or administration, or ongoing costs not covered by other grants. This has to be used for an agreed purpose, and in an agreed time period, by the end of September 2025.
Examples of direct project costs could include:
- Counselling and support services
- Paying staff or volunteer expenses
- Costs for equipment or materials
- Core, ongoing running costs, such as, rent, utilities, and other general running costs.
- Training for staff and volunteer
More information here.
The HELP Appeal donates £300,000 to Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance’s Operation Airbase appeal
The HELP Appeal has granted £300,000 towards the relocation of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance airbase and charity headquarters to a site near Southampton Airport.
The HELP Appeal is the only charity in the country dedicated to funding hospital helipads and air ambulance base helipads. The charity has previously funded helipads at Southampton General Hospital and St. Mary’s Hospital, Isle of Wight, and one of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance emergency road vehicles.
The local air ambulance charity is now one step closer to its target of £3.6 million with a current total of £800,000 and is on track to move into its purpose-built home by 2026. The charity will utilise its reserves to acquire the building but needs a further £2.8 million to convert and equip the site into a purpose-built hangar and office, including the addition of a helipad and hangar doors.
More information here.
About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.