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Funding Round-up – Social Inclusion (part 1), September/October 2021

Here is a collection of funding rounds from local and national organisations focusing on social inclusion themes aimed at helping charities continue their work in light of the Coronavirus outbreak.

Due to the varying nature and progress of the pandemic, MVA do advise that some of the information below may have changed since the time of its issue, and ask that readers please check each organisation’s website for the latest information.

The Henry Smith Charity
The Henry Smith Charity (HSC) say they work to bring about lasting change to people's lives by funding organisations working with people to reduce social and economic disadvantage
The Charity has refined its grants programme to help people and communities at a time of need and to bring about positive change:
  • Improving Lives Fund - Grants of up to £60,000 to charitable organisations that help people when other sources of support have failed, are inappropriate or are simply not available
  • Strengthening Communities Fund - Grants of up to £60,000 to support small charitable organisations working at grassroots level in the most disadvantaged areas of the UK
  • Christian Projects - Grants for projects that promote the Christian faith in the UK
  • County Grants - Grants of up to £20,000 for smaller organisations working with disadvantaged people and communities in one of eight English counties, including Kent
  • Holiday Grants (new) - Grants towards recreational trips and holidays for groups of children aged 13 and under who are disabled or disadvantaged.
At the time of writing, these are all Continuous Rolling Programmes, which means there is no deadline and applications can be submitted at any time
For more details and how to apply, visit the charity’s website.

Vulnerable Adults Theme funding from KCF
Kent Community Foundation (KCF) continues to provide funding for projects that help vulnerable adults stay well and independent, with a focus on early intervention projects to tackle disadvantage, deprivation and social exclusion.
Grants of up to £5,000 are available for projects that are working to give vulnerable people the opportunity to socialise with others; provide life skills and work experience for adults with learning difficulties, physical disabilities, or mental health issues; protect and support victims of abuse
The deadline for this season is 20th November 2021, with further dates to be announced later this year.
For more information and how to apply, visit the KCF website.

Austin and Hope Pilkington Trust
Committed to awarding grants to those most in need, the Trust is offering grants of up to £5,000 are available to registered charities for projects that address specific categories set out by the Trust each year.
For 2021, the priorities for the Austin and Hope Pilkington Trust are Homelessness (Grant Rounds 1 and 2) and Refugees and Asylum Seekers (Grant Rounds 3 and 4).
Specifying grants of up to £1,000 in Rounds 1 and 3 and grants of up to £5,000 available in Rounds 2 and 4, the Trust also says in light of the growing awareness that these communities are being heavily affected by the COVID-19 crisis, they will continue to prioritise charities that work in BAME communities.
The deadline for Round 4 is 30th September 2021 with dates for further rounds to be re-announced in later seasons.
For more information, visit the Trust’s website.

Help The Homeless
Grants of up to £5,000 are available from Help The Homeless for small and medium-sized charitable organisations to fund the capital costs of projects with the aim of helping homeless people return to the community and to resume a normal life.
The deadline for applications is 15th December2021.
For more details and how to apply, visit their website.

Grassroots Carers Respite Fund (Individuals)
Grants of up to £600 are available for adults caring for one or more individuals over the age of 18, who are seeking a break from their long term caring responsibilities.
Administered by Kent Community Foundation (KCF), the Fund will consider requests for various forms of respite including; short holidays, weekend breaks, pamper days and day trips.
This is a Continuous Rolling Programme, which means there is no deadline and applications can be submitted at any time.
More details and how to apply can be found at the KCF website.

Volant Charitable Trust - COVID-19 Response Fund
The Volant Charitable Trust recently re-opened a new round of funding of their Covid-19 Response Fund.
Grants are available to UK charities that have a focus on alleviating social deprivation and helping vulnerable groups who have been particularly impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic; applications for medical equipment and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) will also be considered.
The Trust says to receive a decision by April 2022; applications must be submitted by 31st December 2021.
More details are available at The Volant Charitable Trust website.

Elderly & Isolated Adults Themed Funding from KCF
Kent Community Foundation (KCF) continues to provide funding for local projects that address the challenges faced by elderly adults and support people to stay well, healthy and independent and, most importantly, combat social isolation.
Grants of up to £5,000 are available for projects that are working to support those most at risk of missing out, such as older carers, people affected by dementia, those living alone in isolated areas and those with very little financial support.
The deadline for this season is 30st November2021, with further dates to be announced later this year.
For more information and how to apply, visit the KCF website.

Exclusive! Support Target Groups in England - Government Launches Loneliness Engagement Fund, October 2021
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is providing grants of up to £50,000 for communications and engagement activity that will help reduce feelings of stigma and encourage people to help themselves and others.
In support of the Government’s loneliness objectives, DCMS say charitable, benevolent and philanthropic organisations can apply as long as they have a proven track record of engaging with one or more of the following target groups:
  • Young people aged 16-24
  • People with diagnosed mental health conditions
  • People living alone
  • People from lower income households
  • Unemployed people
  • Disabled people
DCMS say the funding can be used for various activities; this can include the developing & testing of content and resources to engage specific target audiences, research into target audiences to support future activity, and training community leaders or ‘ambassadors’ to deliver messages within their networks.
DCMS advise that funded activities must take place by the end of March 2022, and that the value of the grant requested must not represent more than 50% of the applicant’s annual income.
The deadline for applications is midday on 13th October 2021.
Further information, details and how to apply can be found on the Government website. You can also contact DCMS’s Tackling Loneliness Team on 020 7211 6000, or by email at loneliness@dcms.gov.uk.

If you would like to see coverage of specific funding or grant rounds to help your charity, your project, your community group or enterprise, you can get In touch by email at info@mva.org.uk, you can also contact MVA via the website.