posted by Rhonda McFarlane, Funding Officer, Chief Executive’s Department
Funding to Enable Young People to Reach their Potential (UK)
Schools that are registered as charities for young people with disabilities can apply for funding of up to £10,000 through the Ironmongers Company’s grants programme. In particular, the company wants to support projects that provide opportunities for disadvantaged children and young people to fulfil their potential and educational activities that develop learning, motivation and skills.
Projects could, for example, support special educational needs; address behavioural problems or promote citizenship; and parenting or life skills. Preference will be given to projects piloting new approaches where the outcomes will be disseminated to a wider audience. Although the grants are available within the UK preference is given to projects in inner London.
The next deadline for applications is the 31st December 2016.
http://www.ironmongers.org/charity_organisations.htm
School Grants to Teach Physics and Engineering (UK)
The Institute of Physics has announced the closing dates for its 2017 School Grant Scheme. Through the scheme, UK schools and colleges can apply for grants of up to £600 from the Institute of Physics for small-scale projects or events linked to the teaching or promotion of physics and engineering. Projects linked to astronomy, space and particle physics are particularly encouraged.
The types of activities supported by the grant can include running a science week activity; organising a visit to or from a working physicist; supply cover; transport; marketing and publicity; and materials/resources; etc.
Previous projects to receive funding include:
- Ampleforth College for a Visit to Jodrell Bank Radio Observatory; and
- St John’s High School for a Practical Rocketry workshop to design a water propelled rocket.
The closing dates for 2017 are the 1st February; 1st June and the 1st November.
http://www.iop.org/about/grants/school/page_38824.html
GALAXY Hot Chocolate Fund (UK)
Food manufacturer, Mars has announced that its GALAXY Hot Chocolate Fund will re-open for applications on the 7th November 2016. Every week, until 26th February 2017, the Fund will be looking to help local community groups, schools and charities across the UK and Ireland by awarding five £300 cash awards a week.
Organisations and groups can enter online via galaxyhotchocolate.com. Each organisation can only enter once. Four of these will be awarded by a judges’ panel. There will also be a People’s Choice Award every week which will be awarded to the entry with the most votes in any given week.
Projects supported in the past include:
Columbus School and College, a special needs school for children and young people with severe and complex learning and physical needs, which used the award to deliver extra therapy sessions;
Our Way is an organisation for young people with learning disabilities to develop confidence and knowledge. The £300 donation ensured the team could visit local high schools and deliver an assembly to pupils on bullying, learning disability awareness and advocacy; and
Little Miracles is a parent led support group and charity for families with children who have special needs, disabilities and life limiting conditions. The funding from Galaxy Hot Chocolate enabled the group to expand the range of multi-sensory toys that they have available for the children.
http://www.galaxyhotchocolate.com/
Funding for Schools to Organise Science Events (UK)
As part of the British Science Week which will run from the 11th – 20th March 2016, the British Science Association is providing grants for schools in challenging circumstances to organise their own science and engineering events.
There are two types of grant available:
- Kick Start grant of up to £300 for a school to run an activity during British Science Week; and
- Kick Start More grant of up to £700 for a school to host a science event or activity which involves students and their local community.
Schools can use the grant to fund a wide range of activity, including booking a science presenter; organising a memorable science fair; purchasing resources for cross-curricular activities; and field trips to local science centres, museums or university science departments; etc. To be eligible, schools (including special schools and pupil referral units) must either have a high proportion (over 30%) of pupils eligible for the pupil premium; have a high proportion (over 30%) of pupils from ethnic minority backgrounds; and/or be a small school based in a remote and rural location.
The closing date for applications is 5pm on the 21st November 2016.
https://www.britishscienceweek.org/about-us/grants/kick-start-grant-scheme/
Funding Available to Bring Fibre Broadband to Remote Communities with a School (UK)
As part of its commitment to make fibre broadband available throughout the UK, BT has made available a £2 million grants scheme for communities with a school.
The Community Fibre Partnerships programme is aimed at the final 5% of the UK not covered by fibre broadband rollout plans. Through the programme communities can apply for a match-funded grant of up to £20,000 toward the cost of their new fibre infrastructure, if that new infrastructure could also serve their local school. To access the grant scheme, communities need to register their interest in having a community fibre partnership. The scheme will provide 50% towards the cost of installing fibre broadband. The community will need to raise the additional 50%. In order to achieve this BT has teamed up with the Crowdfunding website “Spacehive”, where communities can post their fibre broadband project to raise donations towards the costs involved.
Applications can be made at any time until the £2 million has been allocated.
http://www.communityfibre.bt.com/schools
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:
- 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;
- Rook Lane Arts Trust in Frome, Somerset which received a grant of £8, 500 to develop a project with 17 local schools and family centres. Storywalks is a creative outdoor digital project which aims to inspire literacy skills in children aged eight to 11 – particularly boys.
- 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/
Grants to Promote the Teaching of Greek (UK)
The Hellenic Society Schools Sub-Committee makes grants to schools to assist projects concerned with the teaching of Greek or Greek civilization. Typically, grants are made for books; teaching materials, classics days or conferences; Greek plays by schools; and Summer schools. Applications from schools planning to start courses in Greek are especially welcome.
Applications on behalf of individual pupils or teachers are not normally considered, but a grant may be made to an institution for use as bursaries to individuals at the discretion of that institution. Most grants are in the range £100-£500, but larger awards are occasionally made.
Last May, the following schools have received funding:
- Gwyrosydd Primary School received £172 towards the purchase of books on ancient Olympics;
- St Patrick’s Primary received £400 towards the storytelling of The Odyssey; and
- St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School received £500 towards a Greek Day (Theatre group, artefacts box hire, books, pottery workshop).
The next closing date for applications is the 1st May 2017.
http://www.hellenicsociety.org.uk/grants/
Foyle Foundation Schools Library Programme (UK)
State funded schools as well as dedicated schools that do not have or want to improve their libraries can apply for funding through the Foyles Foundation Schools Library Programme. This programme recognises that there is no statutory requirement for schools to have a library and that many school libraries are in a desperate situation through underfunding and underdevelopment. Priority will be given to primary schools and to funding library books. The Foundation will also consider contributions towards e-readers, library software, necessary IT equipment and specialist seating/desks. Preference will be given to schools which can clearly demonstrate that their library can be maintained and renewed in the future. The average grant made under this programme is between £3,000 and £10,000. Applications will be strengthened if the PTA/Friends group can support the project.
Past projects funded by the Foundation include:
- Milton School, Mexborough which received £20,000 towards improving and extending the learning facilities;
- Forest Fields Primary and Nursery School, Nottingham which received £10,000 towards a literacy project across a partnership of 13 primary schools in Nottingham to engage reluctant boy readers in year 3; and
- South Avenue Junior School, Sittingbourne which received £10,000 towards equipping the newly built school library.
Applications can be submitted at any time.
http://www.foylefoundation.org.uk/how-to-apply/state-schools.php
School Funding for Environmental Projects (England, Scotland & Wales)
Schools as well as local community groups can apply for funding of up to £2,000 through the Greggs Foundation for projects to improve the local environment. The Environmental Grant Scheme is funded by the 5p levy on carrier bag sales in Greggs shops. 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 growing project in a local primary school; 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; 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.
Projects that have received funding in the past include:
- Bannockburn Manor Way Forest School and Garden – the primary school is situated in a neighbourhood that is very socially and culturally mixed. They received funding for gardening equipment, to install a greenhouse, finish the outdoor classroom and to make some outdoor areas more secure and safe.
- Forest School and wildlife conservation – Montrose Primary in Leicester received funding to maintain and develop a woodland site which is the outdoor space used for Forest School. Funding from Greggs Foundation will go towards tree surgeons, the creation of a pond dipping area, planting of a wild flower area and the establishment of bird and bat boxes on the trees.
The closing date for applications is the 3rd March 2017.
