Local Connections Fund

Now, another £2m is available to bid for, this time provided by the National Lottery Community Fund (NLCF). It will fund small grants for local organisations to set up schemes to enable activities to become more accessible and reach people, including children and young people, who may be less likely to attend traditional clubs and societies.

How much and what for?

The £2m will be used to fund hundreds of “microgrants” of between £300 and £2,500 so that small organisations can bring people and communities together.
The NLCF is defining community as people:

• Living in the same area like a city, town or street

• Who share characteristics like beliefs, values, interests or faith

• Who can be grouped together in some way.

The funding is aimed at bringing people together in a safe and secure way, increasing awareness of what services are available to reduce loneliness and build lasting connections.

The NLCF states: “People understand what’s needed in their communities better than anyone and we know that groups within various communities will have different needs and levels of support. We want to hear directly from organisations about who in their community needs additional assistance.”

The budget will be split between regions according to population.

What will and won’t it fund?

The Local Connections Fund will support: Staff salaries, volunteer expenses, management costs, monitoring and evaluation, overheads, general project costs, small-scale equipment and small-scale venue improvements.

It will not fund: Capital costs such as large-scale refurbishments or large pieces of equipment, profit-making activities, retrospective costs, loan repayments, activities outside of England, activities which benefit an individual or family rather than wider community, and religious, statutory or political activities.

Who can and can’t apply?

The fund is open to small organisations in England with an annual income of £50,000 or less and that are working to tackle loneliness by helping people feel more connected within their communities.

You can apply if you’re an organisation that serves communities within England and is one of the following:

• A voluntary or community organisation

• A registered charity

• A not-for-profit company or Community Interest Company

• A faith group (but religious activities are not funded)

• A constituted group or club.

Applications will not be accepted from individuals, sole traders, companies that pay profits to directors or shareholders, organisations based outside the UK, an organisation applying on behalf of another, or unconstituted groups.

Only one grant per organisation is available through the fund, in either of the phases. Unsuccessful applicants from the first round can apply in the second round.

Timescales and reports

The deadline for applications is 5pm on Friday 6 August. Round two grantees must have spent the money by 30 November 2021.

At the end of the grant, grantees will be contacted to provide information about what has been done with the money, including photos, a case study, and media articles or reports. This will promote the work and help share learning across the sector.

Why tackle loneliness?

According to the NLCF’s most recent Community Research Index, almost half of respondents say that tackling loneliness and isolation is an important priority for the year ahead. A recent Office for National Statistics survey showed that the number of people in the UK feeling “often” or “always” lonely has jumped by more than one million since last year – from 2.6 to 3.7 million.

Minister for Loneliness, Baroness Barran, said: “As lockdown restrictions continue to ease, it’s critical to remember that for many people, loneliness will not simply go away, which is why the government is committed to continuing to tackle loneliness.

“Following the first round of the Local Connections Fund, I was delighted to see some of the inspiring ways organisations brought people together in local communities, enabling them to make connections whilst doing things they enjoy.”

• More from: www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/funding/programmes/local-connections-fund-round-2
  

FUNDING ROUNDUP

• The Covid Local Support Grant will continue until September, the Department for Work and Pensions has said. The grant was first introduced in December 2020 to fund councils to support struggling families with the cost of essentials for families with children, including vouchers for food, heating and bills.

• In partnership with the Julia & Hans Rausing Trust, UK Youth will offer more than £1.3m of funding through the UK Youth Fund – Covid Resilience. The fund aims to ensure that grassroots youth organisations that have suffered due to the pandemic have the resources required to reopen or bring their level of delivery back to pre-Covid levels. Organisations that are based and deliver work in England, with a turnover of less than £250,000, can apply for up to £50,000. https://doit.life/ukyouth

• The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has announced a £1m fund to support community groups and charities to lead the capital’s recovery from the pandemic. Community groups and organisations will be able to apply for funding later this year to run community-led activities and projects that help those most affected by the pandemic.

• Local schools, parks, libraries and environmental projects could receive a funding boost thanks to Bradford Council’s Community Infrastructure Levy. More than £240,000 could go to primary and secondary schools and parks and green spaces could receive more than £160,000 to improve the district’s play and outdoor facilities. The Bradford Community Infrastructure Levy is collected from new property developments upon completion.