Deadline is Tuesday 16th February, 5pm.

Grants of £500 to £1000 available to small grassroots community groups in Sussex for local projects.

Apply through Sussex Community Foundation.

The full criteria for this funding can be found on the Sussex Community Foundation website but broadly –

The aims of the grant are:

To support work where there is clear evidence of a beneficial impact on people’s lives who are excluded or disadvantaged through low income, rural or social isolation, age, disabilities, race, sexuality or gender.

To support community groups undertaking work that helps people of all ages feel more included in their community, builds their skills and increases their sense of achievement.

Who can apply?

They are particularly keen to ensure we reach groups of people who often miss out. As such they accept applications from:

• constituted voluntary and community groups
• charities
• social enterprises
• co-operatives
• community interest companies

Tesco’s new grant scheme Bags of Help allows communities to bid for up to £12,000 in community funds, to be used towards environmental improvement projects. This project is being administered by Groundworks together with Tesco.

The grant will fund capital projects that provide community benefit and where there is no charge to access. Projects that would typically receive funding include:

.               Parks, pocket parks and urban green spaces

.               Green corridors – river and canals, cycle ways

.               Formal and informal play areas

.               Open access sports facilities within public parks and recreation grounds

.               Informal outdoor recreation facilities; e.g. gym equipment, woodland walks

.               Nature reserves, community woodland, ponds and village greens

.               Churchyards

.               Seafront improvements

.               Community allotments, community gardens, orchards and city farms

.               Spaces in the grounds of hospices and day centres

.               Allotments

.               School grounds

.               Community spaces on housing estates or residential areas

There’s no match funding requirement to access this grant, but the grant should be the majority of the funding required for the project, which could be a stand-alone project or a discrete, self-contained part of a larger project or part of a phased project and will need to be delivered within twelve months of receipt of the grant.  Landowner’s permission is essential and some projects might also need planning permission.

Once all the bids are in and have been shortlisted by Groundwork and Tesco to the final three projects in each area, Tesco customers will get the chance to vote in local stores for which of the three finalists will receive either £12,000, £10,000 or £8,000. So projects in the final three are guaranteed some money! You can read more about the grant programme on Groundwork’s website http://www.groundwork.org.uk/Sites/tescocommunityscheme

The next funding round will open for applications in April! If you have any questions or want further advice on developing project ideas, contact Ben the Community Enabler for Sussex and Surrey.

Mob: 07736132698

Email: Ben.Smitton@groundwork.org.uk

www.south.groundwork.org.uk