Ernest Cook Trust

The trust actively encourages children and young people to learn from the land through hands-on outdoor learning opportunities on its estates and by offering grants.

It was founded by the philanthropist Ernest Cook in 1952 and each year the trustees distribute up to £2m in educational grants to benefit children and young people.

The Ernest Cook Trust is unusual in being a land-based trust which has education as its sole charitable objective.

How much is available?

Applicants can apply for either the small grants programme, which offers up to £4,000 to state schools and small registered charities that require up-front funding for projects.

The large grants programme provides up to £12,000 for larger-scale education projects. These sometimes require support for the salary of an education officer; in such cases the trust expects to be a part-funder.

Who and what does it fund?

Grants are awarded for educational environmental and countryside projects for children.

The Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum was awarded a grant of £10,000 in October 2015 to provide countryside management students practical experience and training to complement their studies, preparing them for future careers as arborists.

Grants are also awarded to schools and organisations supporting educational development in a wide range of areas, including the arts. Birmingham Contemporary Music Group received £2,500 to support Music Maze, a series of day-long workshops for eight- to 11-year-olds to develop their musical awareness and ability.

Applications must indicate the educational aspects of the project. Children and young people involved in the project must develop their knowledge of the environment, the arts, sciences, or raise levels of literacy or numeracy.

All applications must demonstrate their links with either the National Curriculum, or with recognised qualifications.

Applicants can apply if they are based and largely working in the UK. They should either be state schools, registered charities or other recognised not-for-profit organisations.

Who can apply?

Grants will not be awarded to/for:

• Retrospective applications
• Pre-school groups, agricultural colleges or independent schools
• Individuals
• Local authorities
• Building work, infrastructure or refurbishment work
• Youth work, social support, therapy and medical treatment, including projects using the arts, environment or literacy and numeracy for these purposes
• Projects related to sports, outward bound activities or recreation
• Overseas projects
• Wildlife trusts and farming and wildlife advisory groups other than those based in Buckinghamshire, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Leicestershire and Oxfordshire.

When to apply

Applicants for the small grants programme can apply for funding at any time, provided that the application is submitted at least six months before the start date of the project.

Meetings to consider applications for the small grants programme take place twice a month. This programme deals mainly with requests for support from state schools and small charitable organisations.

The trustees meet twice a year, in April and September, to consider grants between £4,000 and £12,000. The spring meeting considers projects related to the arts, crafts and architecture, and literacy and STEM subjects.

The autumn meeting considers projects covering the environment and countryside, and literacy and STEM subjects are considered.

How to apply

Organisations can apply by completing the online application forms. Schools must complete a specific form, and these must be submitted by the head teacher.

When applications are taken to a meeting, the organisation will be notified of the result within 10 days and will be asked to complete an agreement which includes the ability to pay the grant by BACS.

The agreement also requires the applicant to submit a report on the funded project; failure to do so within one year will ensure the rejection of any further application and may result in a request to repay the award.

More from: http://ernestcooktrust.org.uk

FUNDING ROUNDUP

• The Jack Petchey Foundation is offering 10 youth charities funding to employ interns for a year. Each successful charity will be given funding to pay the London Living Wage for a year and an additional £1,000 personal training budget can be applied for. The investment will total more than £200,000.
• Youth and community groups in London can bid for a share of £15m for projects that offer skills, training and mentoring to disadvantaged young people. The funding is the first round of the three-year £45m Young Londoner's Fund provided by the Mayor of London to help young people reach their potential and stay out of crime. A prospectus, guidance and application pack is available from the mayor's website, with the deadline for applications being 9 July.
• Family Fund Business Services, the trading subsidiary of the charity Family Fund, has been chosen to deliver BBC Children in Need's Emergency Essentials programme to support children and young people across the UK with grants worth over £3m to meet their most basic needs. The programme supports families living with severe financial, health and social difficulties.
• A total of 22 organisations will receive investment from a £40m National Lottery fund from Sport England to help families get active together. The organisations will put on a variety of free and low-cost activities including activity roadshows so families can try out new sports. The projects will help up to 15,000 people, including families who have suffered domestic abuse and are living in a refuge, children with special needs, and families with complex mental health needs.