Coronavirus: weekly funding updates - 8-12 June
As we receive updates from our research team in Liverpool, we'll post weekly updates to coronavirus funding programmes and more to help you (remember - don't forget to share!)
No time to read 50-page government policy documents? Don’t worry – we’ve done it so you don’t have to. Check out our short summary of the UK Government’s Our Plan to Rebuild policy paper on ending the social lockdown – wherein we summarise the key points, outline current timings, and raise issues for charity staff and trustees to consider (which, let’s face it, you won’t get in the gov.uk version). View our summary here.
Friday 12 June
Fashion and Textile Children’s Trust
The Fashion and Textile Children’s Trust is offering grants to parents and carers who have worked in the UK fashion or textile industry; and whose household income has reduced as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. Grants can be used to fund items for children such as clothing, bedding and essential household items such as white goods or specialist items for children with additional needs. However, grants to pay household bills or food costs, or grants to replace lost income, will not be made.
To apply for a grant, one parent or carer must have worked in the UK fashion and textile industry for at least one year within the last nine years. For more information on eligibility and how to apply, see here. The Trust offers a number of other grants programmes for different circumstances such as rehousing or therapy – further details are also available on the charity’s website.
Thursday 11 June
The Foyle Foundation
The Foyle Foundation has issued an update on its grant-making policies in the light of COVID-19. While its Main Grants Scheme and Foyle School Library Scheme remain suspended for new applications while the trustees monitor the length and impact of the lockdown, the Small Grants Scheme has now reopened, as of 1 June. This is designed to support charities with an annual turnover of less than £150,000, especially those that work at grassroots and local community level, in any field, across a wide range of activities.
The focus will on making one-year grants only to cover core costs or essential equipment, to enable ongoing service provision, homeworking, or delivery of online digital services to charities that can show financial stability. The priority will be to support local charities still active in their communities which are currently delivering services to the young, vulnerable, elderly, disadvantaged or the general community either directly or through online support if possible.
For further details on eligibility and how to apply, see here.
Wednesday 10 June
BBC Children in Need
The BBC Children in Need’s COVID-19 Next Steps Grant programme opens for applications today, 10 June 2020. Next Steps grants are designed to deliver support for children and young people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Eligible organisations can apply for grants of up to £80,000 of flexible funding for projects starting in September 2020 and lasting for up to 18 months. Applicants must be available to discuss and review their proposal with a BBC Children in Need assessor between 13th and 31st July.
The money will be allocated to organisations, whether or not they have existing funding from BBC Children in Need, to assist with more complex service adaptation, including meeting additional staffing requirements. It’s likely that interest in the programme will be extremely high, so it’s well worth checking what Children in Need’s priorities are and who’s eligible to apply here. Applications must be submitted through the charity’s online portal here.
Edge Foundation
The Edge Foundation has launched the Edge Post Covid-19 Revival Fund for institutions and not-for-profit organisations in the education sector. This is a responsive grant programme with a one-off fund of up to £250,000 available. Organisations are invited to apply for grants of between £10,000 and £50,000 to address educational challenges that have arisen from the COVID-19 crisis.
The fund is intended for projects and initiatives that will revive the education sector to help build it back stronger after the Coronavirus pandemic subsides. Applications can be for either medium- or long-term projects and must support at least on of Edge’s strategic priorities. These are:
– A broad, flexible and engaging education
– High quality respected professional and vocational education
– Education connected to employers and community
The fund opened on Monday 8th June and will close to applications at midday on Thursday 9th July 2020. Application forms and further details can be found on their website.
Tuesday 9 June
Duchy of Lancaster Benevolent Fund
The Duchy of Lancaster Benevolent Fund has announced a Fund in Merseyside to support organisations and charitable associations in Merseyside who have had extra demands put on them in light of Covid-19. Foodbanks, organisations providing Domestic Violence Support Services, volunteer organisations helping those with disabilities, and animal welfare activities who have had extra burdens put on them because of the Coronavirus pandemic will have particular attention paid to them. However, this list is not exhaustive and any charity supporting people during Coronavirus should apply.
An application form and sample application layout are available from the website.
Historic England
Historic England has announced a new round of emergency Covid-19 grant funding for the heritage sector. The fund is for urgent maintenance and repairs of local historic buildings and sites so that they are able to reopen as soon as possible once Covid-19 restrictions are adequately lifted.
Organisations responsible for local historic buildings are able to apply for grants of up to £25,000 from the £3 million temporary funding stream. To apply, organisations need to complete an expression of interest survey that is available, organisations with successful expressions of interest will be informed by July 27th, with the deadline for the full application being August 31st. The work funded must start before October 31st.
Monday 8 June
East Brighton Trust
East Brighton Trust is working in alignment with Sussex Community Foundation in delivering its COVID-19 response, responding to local needs as community groups work hard to adjust their services to the lockdown while continuing to meet the needs of the people they support. The Trust considers that providing access to quick emergency funding is the greatest priority at this time – it has reduced the number of its usual grant-making rounds in 2020 to two, and the next deadline is now Friday 11 September. In this round, you can apply for a small grant for up to £1,000 here.
If your organisation is planning immediate projects to support people affected by coronavirus or if the current situation is affecting your charity, you can consider applying for support through the Trust’s Colin Sayers Random Acts of Kindness Fund, which offers emergency grants to projects in immediate need. East Brighton Trust also recommends applying to the Sussex Crisis Fund, administered by Sussex Community Foundation, which provides simple and fast access to funding for emergency and unexpected needs.
The Gibbons Family Trust & The David Gibbons Foundation
These two charitable trusts were established by David and Vera Gibbons to help people in Devon and the Isle of Thanet in Kent. The Trusts are currently prioritising urgent requests for support from organisations affected by increased demand for help in response to the coronavirus pandemic. All non-urgent grant applications are being deferred until further notice. For more details on the charities and to access their new online application process, see the website here.
For previous updates click here
