Grants and Community News

14 April 2023

Community Councillor Grants

We have been busy preparing to launch this year’s Community Councillor Grant (CCG) scheme which has been agreed for 2023 to 2027.

…  again giving each of our 42 Councillors £1000 to distribute to local projects!

We hope to launch the fund mid-May so keep checking our website and get your application submitted: Community Councillor Grants (CCG)

Please feel free to give us a call on 01271 388253 to discuss any projects.

The Learning Through Landscapes Trust – deadline 28th April 2023

The Learning Through Landscapes Trust’s Local School Nature Grants programme aims to promote outdoor learning among young children by awarding early years providers and schools in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) with a budget of up to £500 for outdoor resources and training.

Please note that they do not provide cash grants. Successful applicants will be expected to purchase products from the Local School Nature Grants product catalogue.

Successful applicants will also be supported by a 2-hour training session. Applicants will be expected to demonstrate how children are actively involved in making decisions about projects that also engage with local communities. Applications that can incorporate these elements into their application are likely to be prioritised for grant support.

Awards can be used to purchase outdoor materials from the Local School Nature Fund catalogue such as bee and insect hotels, bird boxes, gardening tools, outdoor clothing for children and adults, such as wellington boots, and Wildlife watching kits, including outdoor cameras.

Applications must come from early-years groups or schools. Applications from Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs), ‘Friends of’ groups and governors are not eligible.

Further information, guidance and an application form can be found on the Learning Through Landscapes website.  Or email enquiries@ltl.org.uk

The next application deadline is Friday 28th April 2023. Further deadlines for 2023 are scheduled for: 9th June, 8th September, and 10th November.

Museum Estate and Development Fund – Arts Council England

This is an open-access capital fund targeted at non-national Accredited museums and local authorities based in England to apply for funding to undertake vital infrastructure and urgent maintenance backlogs which are beyond the scope of day-to-day maintenance budgets.

The grant range is between £50,000 and £5 million. The deadline for expressions of interest is 21 April 2023.

For further details, and to register your expression of interest, visit: Museum Estate and Development Fund – Arts Council England

 

The Bloss Family Foundation

Grants of up to £1,000, are available to registered charities in Devon that are enabling mentally and/or physically disabled children and young adults enjoy a better quality of life.

Its objectives are to help children and young adults aged 18 and below who are from deprived backgrounds and/or who are mentally and/or physically disabled to enjoy a better quality of life by making grants for providing or paying for items, services or facilities.

Please note that the Foundation does not maintain a website. Further information is, however, available on the Charity Commission website.

Benefact Trust

Benefact Trust’s Building Improvement Grants programme provides essential support to protect and enhance churches and Christian charity buildings, ensuring their continued use, viability, and the safeguarding of their heritage.

The programme is open to applications from churches, cathedrals, denominational bodies and Christian charities.

Under Building Improvement Grants, they are able to support direct capital costs relating to the following types of work:

• Essential, one-off repairs or other capital works to ensure the continued use or viability of a building (capital work must be considered urgent or necessary within 12 months)
• Minor capital works or equipment purchases to meet operational or accessibility requirements (e.g. essential operational equipment, AV equipment, hearing loops, ramps, etc)
• Conservation or restoration of historic features (e.g. stained glass, carvings, interior furnishings, clocks, tower bells, organs etc) which contribute to preservation and appreciation of a building’s heritage
• Other aesthetic enhancements (e.g. interior decoration, furnishings or public realm improvements) to improve indoor or outdoor spaces for users
• Energy efficiency/renewable energy measures (e.g. heating/lighting upgrades, solar panels, etc) which improve the sustainability of church buildings/facilities and enable their continued use

All applicants will be expected to have secured funding for at least 30% of their total project costs before making an application.

Full details of how to apply are on the Benefact Trust website.

That bit at the end!…

Plastic-Free North Devon: New Toy Library for Hele Bay Beach

The bespoke hand-built shed, featuring designs by Ilfracombe Junior school children and brought to life by local artist Faye Allison, is the latest toy library to be installed as part of local environmental charity Plastic Free North Devon’s Visitor Campaign.

The aim of the toy libraries is to provide a resource for families to be part of a ‘circular economy’ when it comes to beach toys – rather than families buying buckets, spades, and polystyrene body-boards for their holidays and them being abandoned on our beaches, sent to landfill, or just  sitting unused at the back of cupboards. Families can borrow beach toys for their holiday and then bring them back at the end of their stay, ready for another family to use.

This latest Toy Library is the third installed with funding from the Welcome Back Fund through North Devon Council (fourth in total) benefitting visitors and locals in North Devon beachside locations to protect our coastline.

The toy libraries are just one way that the Visitor Campaign seeks to harness the collective power of local businesses and community to educate and empower visitors to protect and care for the amazing nature right here on our doorstep.

The campaign includes resources and ideas for businesses to use to inspire behavioural change, a newly released  Sustainable Housekeeping Toolkit for cleaners, property managers and business owners, and a discount on the Protect our Playground sustainable wooden belly-boards for all Visitor Campaign sign ups. 

Visit plasticfreenorthdevon.org/plastic-free-holidays for more information.