The WRCC can advise on funding sources and provide expert assistance with grant submissions. We can also put people in touch with other groups and organisations who have taken on similar projects and are willing to share their experiences.
A few links to funding sources are listed below:
Heart of England Community Programme provides small grants to improve Coventry and Warwickshire's neighbourhoods and communities.
www.coalfieldsregen.org.uk - projects must benefit coalfield communities within the CRT's most deprived areas.
Community Cashback is a new scheme which gives local people a say in how £4million of recovered criminal assets (for example confiscated cash or property) should be spent in their communities.Submit your community project and encourage your local community to have their say.
Biffaward community grants for projects that provide or improve community spaces, cultural facilities and places for outdoor recreation.
Low Carbon Buildings Programme - grants for the installation of microgeneration technologies are available to public sector buildings and charitable bodies.
The Community Chest is a flexible grant which can cover travel costs, events or the purchase of equipment that will progress your energy saving project. You can apply for up to £200 though it is only available to organisations with an annual income of less than £75,000 per year, where no other sources of suitable funding are available.
The Trusthouse Charitable Foundation makes over 300 grants each year towards both capital (eg new community building) and revenue (eg project co-ordinator) costs. This may help community groups implement actions that arise from Community Led Planning (parish plans).
Through the B&Q OPL Grant Scheme schools, community groups and charitable organisations can apply to their local B&Q store for funding to support a local community project.
With the exception of animal welfare charities, the Garfield Weston Foundation supports a wide range of organisations across the UK and the Trustees do not consider one area to be of higher priority than another. The Foundation does not fund individual salaries and positions but will consider making grants towards general / core running costs. The Trustees aim to be as responsive as possible and therefore the decision on what to apply for should depend on the priorities of your organisation.
Community Spaces is a £50 million open grants programme that helps community groups create or improve green and open spaces so that the quality of life in neighbourhoods across England is enhanced.
If your community is close to a landfill site your project may qualify for funding from the Landfill Communities Fund.
Ruberoid's 'Fix That Hut' campaign seeks out needy projects such as village halls, scout huts and other buildings which are at the heart of local communities and provides materials free-of-charge to help with refurbishment.
Does your parish have a project involving greater outreach into the community for which it is seeking support? The Church and Community Fund helps with imaginative and innovative projects of all kinds.
The Tesco Charity Trust Community Awards Scheme provides one-off donations of between £500 and £4,000 to local projects that support children and their education and welfare, elderly people and adults and children with disabilities
BT Community Connections is an award scheme which enables community and charitable organisations to get online and make use of information and communications technology (ICT). Organisations working in any field of community benefit can apply for a laptop and a year's free broadband connection. There are more than 1,000 award packages available to groups who can demonstrate how an award will benefit their work and the local community.
Charity Property Help is a pro bono service designed to assist charities and voluntary organisations, by providing free support and guidance on all property matters in the UK.
The Community Sustainable Energy Programme will provide £8 million to community-based organisations for the installation of microgeneration technologies, such as solar panels or wind turbines and energy efficiency measures including loft and cavity wall insulation. It will also provide £1 million for project development grants that will help community organisations establish if a microgeneration and energy efficiency installation will work for them.
The Glass-House supports and encourages working partnerships between communities and professionals who are working together to improve the quality of a neighbourhood. The Glass-House offers design advice, training and project support to projects focusing on neighbourhoods, housing, public space, community buildings, play areas & facilities for young people.
Warwickshire County Council works in partnership with The Coventry & Warwickshire Re-investment Trust as a Community Development Finance Institution (CDFI) and manages a loan fund available for a wide variety of applications and organizations throughout Coventry and Warwickshire.
Only Connect is a visit scheme that enables you to visit another voluntary and community organisation (VCO) to learn about their experience and the key issues to consider when generating earned income. Apply for £150 for your time and travel to visit another organisation who are already trading goods or services.
Funding Central is a free website for all third sector organisations, including community groups, providing access to thousands of funding and finance opportunities, plus a wealth of tools and resources supporting organisations to develop sustainable income strategies appropriate to their needs.
Details of funding opportunities can also be found on the Warwickshire Rural Community Council's Facebook page.