posted by Rhonda McFarlane, Funding Officer, Chief Executive’s Department
The Ernest Cook Trust Grants Programme (UK)
Schools, charities and not for profit organisations wishing to encourage young people’s interest in the countryside and the environment, the arts or aiming to raise levels of literacy and numeracy can apply for funding to the Ernest Cook Trust (ECT). The Trust operates two grant making programmes. The small grants programme (under £4,000) supports state schools and small registered charities which would like to undertake projects which meet the Trust’s objectives and require a small amount of pump-priming in order for such projects to take place and a larger grants programme for grants in excess of £4,000. Meetings to consider applications for the small grants programme take place bi-monthly throughout the year. The full board of Trustees meets twice a year, in April and September, to consider grants in excess of £4,000.
Grants in the past have been awarded to
- City College in Norwich which received £2,304 to roll out the ‘Grand Random Challenge’ to conquer students’ fear of Maths throughout Norfolk schools and colleges;
- Fleet Infant School in Hampshire which received a grant of £1,495 to buy Numicon teaching resources, and to raise numeracy levels for the school’s 300 pupils;
- Swiss Cottage School which received a grant of £7,272 towards an art tutor and resources for an out-of-hours learning project, ensuring learning throughout the year for its 237 special needs pupils.
Applications to the small grants programme can be made at any time. The next closing date for applications for the large grants programme is the 31st January 2017.
http://ernestcooktrust.org.uk/grants/
Children’s Health Fund Opens for Applications (UK)
The Children’s Health Fund is inviting not for profit organisations such as schools, community groups, charities, church groups, housing associations and local authorities, etc that want to provide good food as part of holiday learning, play and activity programmes to apply for funding between £1,000 and £5,000. The Children’s Health Fund expect funding applications at the higher end of our scale (£5,000) will be for more strategic bids. The number of applications accepted for this round of funding is limited to 150 to ensure every application receives sufficient attention. Thus, a Children’s Health Fund grant is enabling Court Lane Infant School to replace its water fountains, which are over 20 years old.
The Board will meet in November to decide which applications will receive funding. Funding awards will be announced in December. The fund will close once 150 applications have been submitted.
http://www.childrenshealthfund.org.uk/grants/
Funding for UK-French School Partnerships (UK)
The British Council has announced that grants are available for secondary schools (including sixth form and further education colleges) that have existing partnerships with a school in France. The funding is being made available through the Charles De Gaulle Trust. The Charles de Gaulle Trust offers a grant of £5,000 per school for students aged between 17 and 19 who will be working on joint projects and study visits that can demonstrate a link to their school syllabus. A minimum of three students must participate in the project work.
The deadline for applications is the 10th November 2016.
https://schoolsonline.britishcouncil.org/programmes-and-funding/charles-de-gaulle
Funding to Support Joint Projects Between UK and French Schools (UK)
UK schools that wish to organise reciprocal visits to their existing partner schools in France can apply for funding of up to £5,000 through the Lefèvre Trust. The Trust must involve pupils aged 11 – 19 that work with their partner school on joint curriculum based projects. The programme aims to give more young people the knowledge, skills and understanding to work not only bilaterally but in a global context – and contribute responsibly to society – locally and globally. The British Council will accept grant applications from schools, sixth form colleges and comparable institutions providing full-time general, vocational, technical or special needs education. Both private and government institutions are eligible to apply. For example, Barr’s Hill School, Coventry received funding to liaise with Collège Roland Vaudatin near Saint Malo, France.
The closing date for applications is the 10th November 2016.
https://schoolsonline.britishcouncil.org/about-schools-online/about-programmes/french-exchange/lefevre
Family Holiday Association – Holiday Grant (UK)
The Family Holiday Association (FHA) has announced that its funding programme is open for applications. Through its funding programme families on a low income, that have not been on holiday for the past four years and have at least one child between three and 18 years of age can obtain financial support for a break during 2016 and 2017.
The FHA can only accept applications from referring agents (such as a teacher, social worker or health visitor, etc) and not directly from families. The holidays provided in the UK. Holidays breaks include free accommodation, linen rental, entertainment passes and holiday insurance (subject to medical conditions). FHA may also make a contribution towards the family’s holiday expenses.
To be eligible families must be on a low income (household income must be less than £24,000), not be going on holiday this year and be unlikely to afford a day out. For example, the Obote family lost their mother after a long illness. Thankfully, the Family Holiday Association was able to offer the family a much-needed break, and time to come to terms with their bereavement.
The closing date for applications is the 31st October 2016.
https://www.familyholidayassociation.org.uk/
Funding for Breakfast Clubs (England, Scotland & Wales)
The Greggs Foundation currently supports 380 breakfast clubs throughout England, Scotland and Wales. Schools that are interested in opening a breakfast club at their school must be able to show that at least 40% of your pupils qualify for free school meals and that the school serves a disadvantaged community. School should able to attract adult volunteers to help run the scheme and attendance at the club must be free for all pupils. The Foundation supports breakfast clubs through an initial start-up grant for equipment such as chest freezers to store food items or toys and activities for the club.
The Greggs Foundation also makes a payment each term towards other food items and Greggs plc donates bread from the nearest shop.
Recently set up breakfast clubs include:
- Hillside Community Primary School, in Skelmersdale which received funding of £600 for its breakfast club which around 45 young people attend each day;
- Fell Dyke Primary School and Swalwell Primary School, in Gateshead where nearly 50% of school children are entitle to free meals received a grant of £1,100.
Although applications can be made at any time, there is currently a waiting list for funding whilst new sponsorship partners are being identified.
https://www.greggsfoundation.org.uk/breakfast-clubs
British Ecological Society Outreach Grants (UK)
The British Ecological Society has announced that its Outreach Grants programme will re-open for applications at the end of July 2016. Through the programme, individuals and organisations such as schools, museums, libraries and community groups can apply for grants to promote ecological science to a wide audience. The funding is available for projects that increase public understanding of, and engagement with ecology. Applications from museums and schools are welcome but projects must involve significant outreach beyond schools. Projects aimed solely at delivering curriculum to school children will not be considered. The maximum award is £2,000. However, the award may be used as part-funding for larger projects involving other sponsors.
The closing date will be 5pm on the 16th September 2016.
http://www.britishecologicalsociety.org/funding/outreach-grants/
HRUK & SUBWAY Healthy Heart Grants (UK)
Heart Research UK (HRUK) is inviting applications from not for profit groups, voluntary organisations and registered charities through their SUBWAY/HRUK Healthy Heart Grants. Grants of up to £10,000 are available in different SUBWAY regions to for new, original and innovative projects that actively promote Heart Health and help to prevent, or reduce, the risk of heart disease.
The grants are available in specific regions at certain times of the year. In the past grants have been awarded to fund cooking sessions, theatre workshops, multi-sport activities, classroom based learning, circus skills, and tandem biking, etc.
For details of the application periods for each region click on the link below.
http://heartresearch.org.uk/community-grants/apply-hruk-and-subway%C2%AE-healthy-heart-grants
Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies (UK)
The Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies has announced the next closing date for applications is the 1st November 2016. The Society makes grants to schools to help promote Latin and Roman studies. Most of the grants are awarded for the purchase of textbooks and other books on Roman topics. The Committee also makes awards to groups and schools and museums organising lectures or study days on Roman themes, and has recently made money available for archaeology fieldwork bursaries.
Schools that have recently been awarded funding include Buxton Community School, Buxton, Derbyshire and the Sir Robert Hitcham CEVAP School Robert which received a grant to help Year 4 pupils study aspects of the Roman invasion and its impact. Applications from schools planning to start courses in Latin are particularly welcome. Grants usually range from £50 to £500.
http://www.romansociety.org/grants-prizes/funding-for-schools.html
Greggs Foundation Environmental Grant Scheme (England, Scotland & Wales)
The Gregg Foundation has announced that the next closing date for its Environmental Grants scheme is the 30th September 2016. The scheme which is funded by the 5p levy on carrier bag sales in Greggs shops aims to improve people’s lives by improving their environments. Grants of up to £2,000 are available to small, locally based community led organisations with a turnover not in excess of £300,000.
Schools are also able to apply and will receive the same level of preference as small organisations. Through the scheme funding is available to purchase equipment; sessional salary costs; purchase of trees/plants; small capital projects and learning activities.
The type of activities that could be funded include for example a group of volunteers who completed litter picking exercises in their local parks or along a local riverbank; an allotment project for people suffering early stages of dementia; a growing project in a local primary school; and clearing an area of wasteland in an area of high social need to create a community garden; etc. The Foundation are more likely to make grants to local organisations based near Greggs shops.
https://www.greggsfoundation.org.uk/environmental-grant
Big Lottery Fund Launches New Programme to Celebrate Local Communities (Scotland)
Schools, voluntary and community groups and statutory organisations can apply for grants of between £500 and £5,000 through the Big Lottery Fund’s new “Celebrate” funding programme in Scotland. The funding is available to hold one-off events or activities to celebrate their local community.
A total of £575,00 million is available and projects could include celebrating something from the community’s history or a local hero. Or maybe it could be a chance to bring people together to get to know their neighbours better. Higher priority will be given from projects which demonstrate communities coming together to celebrate and share their diverse cultures and projects which actively bring different generations together.
Applications will be assessed on a first come, first served basis until all funds are awarded.
https://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/global-content/programmes/scotland/celebratefund
