Funding and Grants for Village and Community Projects

There are many funding and grants schemes set up for villages and/or communities to apply for and make use of.

Welland Community Grant Pot

Community and voluntary organisations who are wishing to develop new community facilities or activities should contact the Grant officer at Community Lincs to discuss their project idea.
The funding is to help communities work towards creating a healthy, safe and diverse society through establishing new services and facilities that will promote community cohesion and build the capacity of the Voluntary and Community Sector(VCS) through training and skills development. The funds must be applied for by March 2009 but may be allocated before then, so we need to act quickly.

What’s Available?
Grants of up to £5000 are available to cover 50% of the total cost of your project. Suitable projects might include:

• setting up a community internet cafe
• development of innovative recreational facilities
• setting up of a community IT facility
• development of a community shop
• starting a parent and toddler group or community crèche
• Community recycling project
• New services / facilities within community centres

Grant funding is available for Capital Expenditure only (i.e. purchase of equipment).

For more information contact: Janet Clark, Welland Community Grants Officer, Community Lincs, The Old Mart, Church Lane, Sleaford, NG34 7DF or Tel: 01529 302466 or E-mail: janet.clark@communitylincs.com.To apply go to: http://www.communitylincs.com/index.php?pgx and click on the document button at the top of the page to download a pre application form or the full application form, plus information and guidance notes.

Voluntary Action Leicester

A total of £1.24m will be available to community groups in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland between 2008 and 2011. The Parish Plan Group is eligible. The programme objectives are flexible and groups will be able to apply to ‘meet locally identified needs’ and build their own capacity. The maximum award will be £5,000.

Application forms, guidance notes and Frequently Asked Questions are available at www.voluntaryactionleicester.org.uk

If you have any queries regarding this programme please contact:
Simon Jenner
Development Officer
Active Communities Team
Voluntary Action Leicester
0116 257 5009
simon@voluntaryactionleicester.org.uk

Vibrant Villages Project – new Grants to rural Businesses and Community Spaces - FUNDING possibilities from Leicestershire County Council

These grants apply only to Leicestershire VILLAGES which have fewer than 7,000 residents and priority will be given to the smaller settlements with few or no services available to them. The following can apply for help:

• village post offices
• village shops
• petrol outlets with a retail element
• newsagents
• bakeries
• farm shops
• butchers / bakers / green-grocers / fishmongers
• mobile facilities/van deliveries (providing any of the above listed services)
• Village Pubs wishing to develop a service / services for the local community.

Grants are available between £750 - £5,000 and applicants must contribute a minimum of 50% of the total eligible project costs.

Other grants are also available for developments to community spaces such as village halls, village Churches, other places of worship and even public houses with community rooms, to improve services to local residents
For further information about both types of grant, please contact: Fiona Walker on ruralgrants@leics.gov.uk or ring 0116 305 5673.
All funding criteria and on online application form can be downloaded from: www.oakleaves.org.uk
This is a new scheme and will run for the next TWO YEARS.