Funding help for charities’ data protection needs, advice services for older people, & more
Melanie May | 24 January 2024 | News
A round up of funding news and opportunities, from Independent Age’s fund for advice services for older people, to Hubbub’s recycling fund, and DPO Centre’s Charity and Community Fund.
Independent Age launches £2.8mn grants fund to boost advice services for older people
National charity Independent Age has launched a £2.8 million grants fund to help advice-based organisations reach and support more older people. The funding will be allocated to a number of areas of higher deprivation where a significant number of older people live:
- England: Bradford; Liverpool & Knowsley; London – the boroughs of Newham, Tower Hamlets, Hackney; West Midlands – specifically the areas of Sandwell; Walsall and Wolverhampton.
- Scotland: Fife; Glasgow City; South Lanarkshire; North Lanarkshire.
- Wales: Cardiff and surrounding area; Swansea and surrounding area.
The Boosting Advice fund is being launched in response to both the urgent and ongoing need of advice services for older people in financial hardship. It will award three-year grants for charities to provide ongoing or regular advice that benefits older people facing financial hardship. Eligible organisations will be able to apply for a minimum of £90,000 (£30,000 per year) and up to £180,000 (£60,000 per year).
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Organisations applying should be advice focused and hold the Advice Quality Standard (AQS) if based in England and Wales or a minimum of Level 2 of the Scottish National Standards for Information and Advice Providers (SNSIAP). Organisations who apply don’t have to be currently working regularly with older people, but will need to provide a plan for how they plan to increase their reach to this group. The fund is intended to grow advice organisations’ capacity to provide support to older people facing financial hardship and there will be training available as part of the funding offer.
Hubbub & Natural Source Waters Association launch £25,000 grant fund to boost out-of-home recycling in public spaces
Trade body Natural Source Waters Association is supporting a new #InTheLoop grant fund launched by Hubbub, which offers two £12,500k grants for local authorities and other interested organisations to boost out-of-home recycling in public spaces.
The new #InTheLoop grants will prioritise locations with a high footfall to help maximise impact. As well as the funding, Hubbub will provide ongoing support based on the charity’s expertise and experience in delivering recycling campaigns. This includes support with project management and design to help bring their projects to reality and to support their delivery.
The campaigns will have access to the #InTheLoop toolkit which was funded by environmental compliance scheme Ecosurety and aims to act as a blueprint for the winning projects. Since the toolkit launch in October 2022, six new campaigns have launched with support from the similar grant funds, in Bristol, Adur & Worthing, Derby, Bury, Ipswich and Ashford, Kent.
Organisations such as local authorities, business improvement districts, shopping centres, major property owners and transport hubs can apply with an application deadline of 1 March 2024.
#InTheLoop was first trialled in Leeds in 2018, and subsequently, Swansea, Edinburgh, Dublin, Wimbledon, Telford & Wrekin and Lambeth have all run similar pilots. Across these, over 600 bins have been rolled out and over 2.5 million plastic and glass bottles and cans have been recycled.
SafeLives and NatWest renew frontline fund domestic abuse survivors
SafeLives has announced the three-year renewal of its Circle Fund, thanks to a further £1mn donation from NatWest. Designed by services and survivors, the Circle Fund provides fast, flexible and impactful grants of up to £500 to answer victims’ individual needs, delivered via a network of frontline services.
Since NatWest’s initial £1mn donation in 2020, 137 frontline services across the UK have now accessed the Circle Fund, directly supporting over 4,000 survivors of domestic abuse. This includes specialist services reaching some of the UK’s most marginalised groups including LGBTQ+, Deaf, African and Caribbean heritage, Muslim and Arabic speaking, and South Asian communities. The fund’s impact is reflected in SafeLives’ latest report: The Circle Fund 2020-2023: Small Sums Make Big Change.
With services able to issue individual grants to survivors within 24-48 hours, the Circle Fund ensures survivors are supported in the right way, at the right time, for example, providing secure locations and Ring doorbell systems, and essentials such as food and cots, winter shoes and bus fares.
DPO Centre invites charities to apply to new round of funding for Charity and Community Fund
The DPO Centre has announced a new round of funding for its Charity and Community Fund. With an increase of 50% on the 2023 funding pool the annual allocation has now risen from £100,000 to £150,000 for charities, to help with their data protection needs.
The fund offers up to £50,000 in each of the 3 funding rounds throughout 2024. A proportion of this amount is then allocated to each of the successful organisations, who then receive data protection advice and support from The DPO Centre’s team.
The initiative is intended to help empower organisations to navigate the complexities of data protection and since the fund started in July 2022, a range of causes have been supported with grants of up to £10,000.
Criteria for applicants:
- Charity or not-for-profit organisations based in the UK
- Management committee of at least 3 unrelated people
- Bank account in the name of the charity/not-for-profit
- Willingness to participate in a post project case study
At least 4 beneficiaries are chosen in each of the funding rounds. Each organisation can apply to receive up to £10,000 towards data protection consultancy services that are 80% funded.
Previously unsuccessful organisations are welcome to re-apply, but only one application per 12-month period will be considered.
The Shoosmiths Foundation announces new funding round for net zero focused charities
The Shoosmiths Foundation, which is managed by law firm Shoosmiths, has launched a new funding round for charities with net zero-focused projects in the UK.
Advancing net zero and creating a socially mobile world are among Shoosmiths’ ESG priorities, and funding is being provided to assist charities with similar aspirations.
Grants of between £25,000 and £50,000 are available with a deadline for of Monday 26 February 2024 or sooner if sufficient quality applications have been received. Applications are also encouraged from small charities.
Applications are welcome from charities that work in any of the following areas:
- A just transition within a net zero context – so supporting people disproportionately impacted by climate change. Applications will be invited where, for example, people are being given skills so that they are not left behind as the UK moves towards a decarbonised economy
- Provide skills development for UK carbon net zero relevant roles
- Provide net zero awareness and training for specific groups working in the UK e.g., workplace, specific professions
- Provide assistance to vulnerable members of the community to assist them to switch to renewable energy sources for their home energy consumption
- Assist charities to switch to renewable energy source/s for their property/ies where they operate from may form part of but must not be the sole scope of the application
Raleigh International launches fully funded expedition opportunities
Raleigh International has announced a partnership with the Scientific Exploration Society (SES) and the launch of the SES Raleigh Explorer Award, an initiative that will provide opportunities for young individuals from less advantaged backgrounds in the UK to embark on transformative volunteering opportunities abroad.
The new SES Raleigh Explorer Award, spanning the next three years, will fund 15 young adults (17-24) from less economically advantaged backgrounds to join a Raleigh Expedition. This includes seven places for 2024 and four places in 2025 and 2026.
The funding covers a 10-week Expedition to Costa Rica or South Africa, including flights. The volunteers, known as Venturers, will be encouraged to fundraise for items such as kit and travel to the airport. The Raleigh UK Society (RUKS), comprised of alumni from previous Raleigh Expeditions, will play a crucial role in the recruitment, selection, and support of award recipients before their Expedition.
The winners will be presented with their awards alongside the Scientific Exploration Society’s Explorer and Honorary Award winners at the Society’s annual Oscars of Exploration presentation evening on Wednesday 16 October 2024 at the Royal College of Surgeons.
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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.