# Comic Relief to fund NI community projects - Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2012/08/03/comic-relief-fund-ni-community-projects/ - Published: 2012-08-03T08:10:00+01:00 - Author: Howard Lake The Community Foundation for Northern Ireland (CFNI) has announced that it will be the delivery partner for Comic Relief’s Local Communities programme in Northern Ireland. The amount of grant money available for the Comic Relief Local Communities programme in Northern Ireland is £62,900 for 2012-13. The funding is part of £4.5 million Comic Relief has made available to fund projects across the UK, with grants in the range of £1,000 to £10,000. ## Advertisement The programme aims to empower local people, enabling them to create lasting change in their communities. Projects should be run by people directly affected by the issues they are dealing with and priority will be given to small, locally based groups or organisations in areas of disadvantage that have a clear understanding of the needs of their community. A proportion of the money available will be allocated to projects which ‘increase access to sport and exercise for people who face social exclusion and isolation’. Comic Relief say applications are particularly welcome from the following types of groups which have been under-represented in previous grant rounds: minority ethnic communities/refugees/asylum seekers, LGBT, homeless. Under the programme, organisations can apply for funding to increase local services, build skills of local people, increase community cohesion, respond to local economic needs and increase access to sport and exercise for people who face social exclusion and isolation. Organisations which have received a Community Cash grant or any other grant from a Community Foundation can apply for a Local Communities grant. However organisations which already hold a grant directly from Comic Relief, cannot apply for a Local Communities Grant. A Local Communities grant must be at least 30% of the total cost of the project. Community/voluntary groups, residents associations, community centres are amongst the groups eligible for funding with the types of activities that might be funded including projects providing access to benefits advice, projects combating fuel poverty, community consultation exercises, community employment projects, food co- ops, running costs, committee and volunteer/staff training and community sport activities. Applications are now open. To apply and for more information, visit CFNI’s website. The closing date for applications for 2012-13 grants is 7 September 2012 at 13.00. www.communityfoundationni.org * **[Government to refund value of VAT on Comic Relief single sales](https://fundraising.co.uk/2013/02/23/government-refund-value-vat-comic-relief-single-sales/)**( 23 February 2013) * **[BT donates 1p per call over 24 hours to Comic Relief](https://fundraising.co.uk/2013/03/15/bt-donates-1p-call-over-24-hours-comic-relief/)**( 15 March 2013) * **[Labour MP's Twitter retweet campaign nets £14k for Comic Relief](https://fundraising.co.uk/2013/03/16/labour-mp039s-twitter-retweet-campaign-nets-14k-comic-relief/)**( 16 March 2013)