Small voluntary and neighbourhood groups in Hillingdon are able to apply for grants between £250 to £5000 from this new Grassroots Grants programme.

The scheme is part of a £130M national drive by Government to support thousands of groups and projects working to improve their local communities.

Just over £291,000 has been ringfenced for Hillingdon over the next 3 years, and a local Panel will make the funding decisions.

The scheme will only be open to Groups with an average annual income below £20,000 per annum.
Full details and application forms are available on the website via the link below, or tel. 0208 424 116 http://www.nwlcommunityfoundation.org.uk/

The firstst closing date is 5/12.

Does your organisation have an average turnover of less than £20,000 and been in existence for more than 1 year? If so you might be able to apply for GrassRoots funding of upto £5000.

Details are being finaliased for Hillingdon and we will updatwe once the information is known.

Latest Statistics and Updates

Updated regional statistics for London are now available online on the helper agency section of the website. Log in to view all the latest updates on application and success rates in the capital.

New users can register for access by emailing helperagencies@biglotteryfund.org.uk.

Other recent changes to the website include:

Changes to the training resources page
New full cost recovery session guide and presentation

HMRC’s GIA funding programme for 2009/10
The Voluntary and Community Sector Team in HMRC has launched it’s 2009/10 Grant in Aid funding programme. The initial bidding process will close on 12 November 2008.

Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, (HMRC) has around £1 million available for 2009/10.

As a guide only and not as criteria for eligibility, they expect bids to fall in the following three funding brackets: up to £15,000 – for short term projects from locally based organisations with a duration of up to one year; up to £80,000 – significant projects lasting for 1 year or slightly more and no more than 2 years, involving work on a national scale; up to £250,000 per annum – a major programme of work on a National scale lasting up to 3 years.

Your activities must meet the key strategic outcomes that HMRC want to achieve in 2009-10, which are:

To deliver holistic customer education, awareness and support for vulnerable groups resulting in increased take up of HMRC products. This includes innovative projects that deliver increased take up of Working Tax Credits and Child Tax Credits, or approaches based upon life events which seek to educate customers at an early stage about their entitlements and tax responsibilities e.g. having a child, students moving into work, pre-pensioners retiring and people becoming disabled including those with mental health issues. It also includes supporting small business.

To deliver holistic customer education, awareness and support to vulnerable groups that improve customer understanding and engagement with their financial responsibilities resulting in a reduction in their debt, including access to benefits.

Building the capacity of the wider third sector to deliver long term and ambitious work programmes resulting in more advisors able to offer enhanced advice on HMRC products and wider financial issues. This can include joint and collaborative bids that help advisors to reach out to vulnerable groups and communities and projects that help train those in the community who support vulnerable people to claim entitlements and reduce debt, e.g. carers and midwifes.

Grants can cover the full cost of projects, including a contribution toward overheads.

They will be operating a two stage application process. The first stage will involve the completion of a pre bid application The timetable for allocation of funds for 2009/2010 will be: pre Bid process ending on 12 November 2008 to complete a pre bid application; assessment of bids by HMRC – they are hoping to assess bids and make notifications in January 2009. At the end of that period they will notify bidders as to whether they have been successful or not with their bids.

To qualify for funding from HMRCs grant in aid programme you need to satisfy them that your organisation is a voluntary organisation i.e. a body whose activities are carried out otherwise than for profit, not including any public or local authority (see guidance downloadable from website).

The pre bid application and guidance will be found on their website or requested from Hazel Kilpatrick Tel: 0191 2247416 or by webmail from the website. Website: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/vcs/funding-streams.htm

London Borough of Hillingdon.

Awards for All (AfA) is an easy to access Lottery grants programme set up to help small groups in local communities. It is supported by Arts Council England, Big Lottery Fund, Heritage Lottery Fund and Sport England. We can fund projects that enable people to take part in art, sport, heritage and community activities, as well as projects that promote education, the environment, and health in the local community.

Running since 1998, the programme was recently relaunched with a widening of the range of funding available to community groups so that applicants can now apply for grants from £300 up to £10,000.

We are holding this seminar to raise awareness of the programme to new and existing groups and to encourage new applications.

The event is being held with support HAVS and will give you the chance to find out more about what funding is available and how it could benefit your local community. There will be a chance to talk to successful applicants and to staff involved in the programme.

The event will take place in Hillingdon on 16 October, from 2pm - 4pm.

If you would like to find out more or register to attend the event, please email events.lon@biglotteryfund.org.uk, with 'Hillingdon AfA' in the subject line. Please note that places are limited so booking is essential.

Laura Smith
London Policy and Partnerships Officer
Big Lottery Fund
www.awardsforall.org.uk

We would like to invite you to a seminar on funding opportunities in the London Borough of Hillingdon.

Awards for All (AfA) is an easy to access Lottery grants programme set up to help small groups in local communities. It is supported by Arts Council England, Big Lottery Fund, Heritage Lottery Fund and Sport England. We can fund projects that enable people to take part in art, sport, heritage and community activities, as well as projects that promote education, the environment, and health in the local community.

Running since 1998, the programme was recently relaunched with a widening of the range of funding available to community groups so that applicants can now apply for grants from £300 up to £10,000.

We are holding this seminar to raise awareness of the programme to new and existing groups and to encourage new applications.

The event is being held with support HAVS and will give you the chance to find out more about what funding is available and how it could benefit your local community. There will be a chance to talk to successful applicants and to staff involved in the programme.

The event will take place in Hillingdon on 16 October, from 2pm - 4pm.

If you would like to find out more or register to attend the event, please contact:
Laura Smith
London Policy and Partnerships Officer
Big Lottery Fund
www.awardsforall.org.uk

The City Bridge Trust currently funds small organisations across Greater London with an income of under £50,000 per year for working with older people. A grant of up to £20,000 over two years is available, which can be used for either capital, revenue or a mixture of both, along with capacity building support in the form of a specialist consultant who will work with the grant holder to help develop their services.
The City Bridge Trust is now undertaking a review of this scheme and has announced a deadline for applications of midday on 1st October 2008. Full guidelines and an application form can be downloaded from our website here: http://www.bridgehousetrust.org.uk/CityBridgeTrust/Grants/SmallGrantsScheme/

Unity Trust Bank (Unity) has launched a new fund to the sector needing short term funding while waiting to receive grant funding.

Unity provides banking services to trade unions, charities, credit unions etc and is owned by the trade union/Co-op Financial Services.

For more information on the fund or the other facilities offered by Unity please contact: Joanna Goodman 0208959 9370 joanna.goodman@trinity .co.uk

The 2008 Budget statement included the good news that Gift Aid will be paid at a transitional rate of 22% for the next three years even though the income tax rate goes down to 20%. This is worth about £100m to the sector each year for three years.

See the Step Up your Game page