Localgiving’s Magic Little Grants programme returns, & other funding news
Melanie May | 15 March 2022 | News
As well as more £500 grants available through Magic Little Grants, a £4 million fund supporting community businesses is to launch in the North of Tyne, Ocado Foundation is offering £1,000 grants in the Bicester area, and there is also funding for community allotments across Kent & Medway.
LocalGiving’s Magic Little Grants programme returns
Localgiving launches its latest Magic Little Grants programme round this week. This year the programme is expanding to fund 2,650 projects across a variety of funding themes, making this the largest number of grants to ever be funded through this programme.
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Through the Magic Little Grants Fund, Localgiving distributes £500 grants to charities and community groups that support any of these funding themes:
- Improving mental wellbeing
- Enabling community participation in the arts
- Preventing or reducing the impact of poverty
- Supporting marginalised groups and promoting equality
- Improving biodiversity and green spaces
- Enabling participation in physical activity
- Responding to the climate emergency and promoting sustainability
- Increasing community access to outdoor space
In addition to receiving a grant, successful organisations new to Localgiving will receive an annual membership, worth £96. This will give them access to Localgiving’s online fundraising platform, regular campaigns and competitions, and fundraising resources.
Magic Little Grants is funded by the players of People’s Postcode Lottery. The Magic Little Grants Fund 2022 will take the total value of grants to small community groups through this partnership to over £3.5 million.
In 2021, £1 million was distributed to 2,000 UK charities and community groups covering everything from the creation of new urban community growing spaces to delivering chair aerobics for older people.
Chris Dormer, Managing Director of Localgiving, said:
“We’re extremely grateful to the players of People’s Postcode Lottery who have continued their support of our Magic Little Grants Fund. This partnership has enabled us to develop a grant funding opportunity designed to meet the needs of small community focused organisations. It takes ten minutes to complete the grant application, a decision is made within a month and funds are deposited two weeks later.
“This enables the local voluntary sector to continue to dedicate their limited resources on their service users, whilst also accessing Localgiving’s suite of online fundraising tools and expertise. We’re proud to have been able to support so many grantees with their ongoing fundraising activities, enabling them to raise additional unrestricted funding and build new donor relationships through our platform.”
Applicants for Magic Little Grants must either be in their first year of operation or have an annual income under £250,000. Organisations must be based in England, Scotland or Wales. Funding can be used to launch new projects, support existing ones, or cover core costs associated with ongoing work.
The deadline for applications is midnight on 31 October.
£4 million fund to boost local community businesses in the North of Tyne
A £4 million finance fund is to be offered to local community businesses, co-operatives, and socially-minded enterprises in the North of Tyne, with input currently sought to help shape it.
Available through a new partnership between the North of Tyne Combined Authority (NTCA) and community business champions, Power To Change, the Social Finance Fund is part of a wider £15 million investment, from the NTCA, to support businesses to develop new and inventive products and services.
NTCA and Power to Change are seeking input from socially trading organisations across the North East, to help co-design the new fund and partnership by sharing their expertise and insights through a Call for Evidence, which runs until 13 May.
Mayor of the North of Tyne, Jamie Driscoll, said:
“We don’t believe in a top-down way of doing things. The whole point of devolution is to bring powers close to people. We know there’s a need for an economy that works better for local people. We know there are people that want more socially trading organisations and workers’ co-ops.
“We’re announcing a dedicated £4million Social Finance Fund specifically for local businesses working to improve our region and communities. But this only works if it’s a partnership between us and the people we’re funding so we need you to come forward with your ideas. This fund will help the co-ops and community businesses thrive and we need your help to shape it.”
NTCA and Power to Change will also be collaborating with the Insights NE initiative at Newcastle University that will contribute their regional academic expertise to inform the development of the fund.
Local community businesses, co-operatives and enterprises with a social mission across Northumberland, North Tyneside and Newcastle can find out more, and help shape the new fund by contributing to the Call for Evidence, here. Through co-designing with the sector, it is hoped that these new initiatives will bring greater economic stability and resilience to the North of Tyne region.
Funding for community allotments across Kent & Medway
Kent Community Foundation has announced a new fund to support community allotments across Kent and Medway with a total of £50,000 available.
The Amity Allotment Fund will distribute grants of up to £7,500 to cover start-up costs for new allotments or ongoing expenses for more established sites. Applications for funding would be considered for legal, or insurance costs, site purchase or rent costs, as well as the purchase of seeds, plants, tools, sheds, benches, fencing, water tanks, or communal tools.
To meet the Kent Community Foundation funding criteria, allotments should be properly established as a community resource, with a governing document, trustees or a management committee, and a named bank account and the grants team may wish to make a site visit.
Funding decisions will be made year round.
Natalie Smith, Director of Grants and Impact, Kent Community Foundation, said:
“We know how important allotments are to bring communities together, preserve the environment and provide a fantastic area for wildlife, and we are delighted that the Amity Allotment Fund will support existing sites as well as help with the costs to create new community allotments.”
£1,000 grants available in Bicester area from Ocado Foundation
To celebrate the opening of Ocado Group’s new Customer Fulfilment Centre in Bicester, the Ocado Foundation has launched a grants programme for charities, CICs and community groups in the surrounding local area, with BizGive.
It is offering grants of up to £1,000, with in-kind goods also available on request, to those within a 30-mile radius of Bicester.
The programme’s objectives are:
- Skills for the Future: Improve Basic Life Skills
- Skills for the Future: Improve Skills for Future Learning
- Natural Resources: Reduce our Impact on the Planet
- Responsible Sourcing: Support Ethical Products & Supply Chains
Applications are accepted until March next year on an ongoing basis.
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About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.