>> Reading Voluntary Action (RVA)

Funding news July 2007

LloydsTSB Foundation- South East
One of Foundation's priorities in the South East this year is to fund work, supporting people returning to the community. This could include:

· A physical return to the community, such as from prison for ex-prisoners or from the care system in the case of looked-after young people; it could also include those escaping domestic violence.
· An “emotional” return to the community from substance misuse, mental ill health, and homelessness etc

Grants are available for 1-3 years and range from £3,000 to around £70,000. This programme is open to South East based charities working in the above fields with an annual income of under £1 million. It's only open to charities not currently in receipt of a community grant from Lloyds TSB Foundation.

Applications would have to show how work is supporting people to return to and play a bigger part in the community.

Closing date for applications for this year is 14 September 2007. If charities are interested in applying, they can contact me in the first instance on the number below. For further information please contact:
Linsay McCulloch
Regional Manager, South East
LloydsTSB Foundation for England & Wales
4 West Street
Havant, PO9 1PE
Tel: 023 9248 0774
Email: linsay.mcculloch@lloydstsbfoundations.org.uk
Web: www.lloydstsbfoundations.org.uk <http://www.lloydstsbfoundations.org.uk/>


Young people's Fund: Grant for individuals
Application closing date: 1 November 2007
Minimum grant: £250
Maximum grant: £5,000
The 'Grants to Individuals' strand of the Young People's Fund will fund young people's ideas for projects that will make a difference in their community. Grants of between £250 and £5,000 will be allocated to help individuals and small groups of young people run a project in their area. We want to ensure that a wide range of young people aged between 11 and 25 apply for money to transform their ideas into projects.
What can the projects be about?
The projects should help young people to contribute to their community or help them to set up small businesses that also improve the economic prosperity of their communities. It is essential that young people are involved in planning and carrying out projects, particularly if they involve disadvantaged young people.
Interested in applying?
Visit the Big Boost website, www.thebigboost.org.uk, or call 0845 4 10 20 30.


Research programme
For areas: UK
Total available: up to £25 million
The Big Lottery Fund will provide up to £25 million in the UK over 2007-2009 to fund social and medical research grants in the UK.

The aim of the Research Programme will be to influence local and national policy and practice by funding the Third Sector to produce and disseminate evidence based knowledge. In the longer term the programme, through producing sound evidence, will aim to help develop better services and interventions for beneficiaries.

Integral to meeting the aim of the programme will be the following five outcomes:
1. Improved understanding of issues relating to the Big Lottery Fund's UK themes and country outcomes
2. Improved Third Sector participation and knowledge in developing, doing and using research
3. Improved dissemination of Third Sector led research
4. Increased participation of beneficiaries and users in a range of research roles
5. Improved partnerships between the Third Sector and the research community.

The programme will be demand-led. It will fund medical and social research on issues identified, and considered important, by the charitable and voluntary and community sector; and support the use and dissemination of this research activity. Key will be that beneficiaries and users are involved, in setting the agenda, conducting, managing and disseminating the research.

Only organisations from the voluntary and community sector will be eligible to apply for funding. The voluntary and community sector will be encouraged to link up with universities and the wider research community, but universities themselves will be ineligible to apply for funding.

This programme is going to be delivered for the Big Lottery Fund by Momenta. Momenta works for the public sector to turn policy into practice by offering a range of programme management services, including research management, knowledge transfer, best practice, fund management and behaviour change programmes.

Help will be available to organisations that wish to do research, so that they have the skills and expertise to lead an application. This support is to be delivered by Third Sector First. Third Sector First is a collaboration of specialists in research and social policy, working primarily in the public and 'third' sectors. It is linked through past or current membership to several of the UK's leading university research centres and has conducted project evaluations in many subject areas, including health, social care, community safety, childcare and addictions.

The programme will be open for applications October 2007.

Victims Fund: Supporting Victims of Hate Crime
Outline:
The Government has placed £250,000 into the Victims Fund to develop support for victims of hate crime for the 2007/08 financial year. The grant scheme is open to any organisation in England and Wales with experience and expertise in working with victims of hate crime. This includes organisations in the voluntary sector and statutory bodies such as community safety partnerships. Hate crime is any incident, which constitutes a criminal offence, perceived by the victim or any other person as being motivated by prejudice or hate. Projects are welcomed that tackle hate crime motivated by race, religion, homophobia, transphobia and disability. For further information please visit the following link.
http://www.governmentfunding.org.uk/VCSSearch.aspx?WCI=htmSchemeView&WCU=DSCODE=DSCLIVEGF,SCHEMEID=12-S98,SEARCH=DS=DSCLIVEGF

Next Application Deadline: 10/07/2007

Victims Fund: Supporting Victims of Homicide
The Government has placed £250,000 into the Victims Fund to develop support for victims of hate crime for the 2007/08 financial year. The grant scheme is open to any organisation in England and Wales with experience and expertise in working with families and friends of homicide victims. This includes organisations in the voluntary sector and statutory bodies such as community safety partnerships. For further information please visit the following link.

http://www.governmentfunding.org.uk/VCSSearch.aspx?WCI=htmSchemeView&WCU=DSCODE=DSCLIVEGF,SCHEMEID=12-S99,SEARCH=DS=DSCLIVEGF

Next Application Deadline: 10/07/2007


Steps to Employment Grants

The Berkshire Community Foundation is please to announce the “Steps to Employment” Grants Scheme.

Applications are invited from voluntary or community groups, or new social enterprises, which are providing opportunities for people to develop their skills, confidence and knowledge to improve their prospects for employment.

Grants are available of up to £2,000

Closing Date: 1st October 2007

The scheme is open to previous Global Grant Applicants

For further details and an application pack please contact:
Rachel Hughes
Berkshire Community Foundation
Arlington Business Park
Theale
Reading
RG7 4S

Tel: 0118 930 3021
Email:esfadmin.bcf@patrol.i-way.co.uk