funding


Contracts for Mentoring Scheme for young people with learning disabilities - London Borough of Croydon

Croydon Council is seeking a partner organisation(s) to establish and manage a Mentoring Scheme for young people with learning disabilities, mainly aged 16-23.

The Scheme will recruit, deploy and support volunteer mentors.

Interested organisations will be required to demonstrate:

  • Substantial experience in supporting young people with learning disabilities to develop skills, interests, independence and choice
  • Experience of managing and working with volunteers
  • Preferably, experience of operating a mentoring scheme
  • Willingness to have the base for the Scheme in Croydon

Where a joint expression of interest is made by more than one organisation, the organisations will need to give assurance of continuity of working with young people, and in particular no ‘transfer’ of responsibility arising from age.

Organisations wishing to express an interest should write to Pauline Johnston requesting a pre qualification questionnaire.

Organisations meeting the initial criteria will then be sent further information and tender documents with an invitation to tender against the service specification.

The Council’s decision on selection to tender will be final.

The invitation to express an interest in this Scheme is also circulated through the network of the Croydon Learning disability Partnership Board.

Pauline Johnston
Interim Contracts Manager
Department of adult services & housing
11th Floor – Northside
Taberner House
Park Lane
CR9 2BA

Email: pauline.johnston@croydon.gov.uk
Fax: 020 8760 5509

The closing date for the return of the expression of interest is 4pm
on Friday 24th April 2009.


Grassroots Grants up for grabs!

CVA has £422,000 in small grants to distribute from now until 2011 to small voluntary and community organisations in Croydon. CVA is distributing the grants on behalf of the Government’s Office of the Third Sector.

The grants are aimed specifically at small community groups who are active in the community and have an annual income of less than £30,000 (or less than £30,000 p.a. on average over the past three years) .

Grants will be given for projects that meet one or more of the following four broad aims:
1. Making communities stronger and active;
2. Bringing people of different backgrounds together;
3. Strengthening organisational capacity; or
4. Responding to some unmet local needs.

Grants up to a maximum of £5000 will be awarded.

Download an Application Form and Guidance Notes below.
For more information contact Grassroots@cvalive.org.uk or tel. 020 8684 3862.

Our new application process is explained in the guidelines below

Grassroots Funding next deadlines
23rd April, 2010, for Fast Track (applications up to £900) and for applications up to £5,000

Pre-application support
is available in the form of either attending a workshop or booking a 1:2:1. The next sessions will take place in March and dates will be announced soon.
For any more information contact Carole Short on 020 8684 3862 or email grassroots@cvalive.org.uk

Application Form

Guidance Notes

Sample Budget

South London Contacts

Grassroots logo


Waitrose – opportunities for local charities…

Waitrose are launch their Communities Matter scheme. Over the next 12 months Waitrose will donate to nearly 7,000 community projects. Each of their 190 stores will receive £1,000 per month which can be distributed between 3 local charities. Employees at each branch will vote for which causes the money will go to each month. Customers will choose which of the 3 monthly projects to support by depositing vouchers for their favoured cause which they will get at checkouts. The charities with the most vouchers will win. In Croydon there are branches at:

  • Sanderstead – 87 Limpsfield Road, Sanderstead, 020 8916 0757
  • Coulsdon – 112 Brighton Road, Coulsdon, 020 8668 6655

There are also branches at

  • Beckenham, 1 Southend Road, Beckenham, 020 8663 4898 and
  • Caterham, 2 Station Avenue, Caterham, 01883 346173.

If you are a church based or faith group, you can apply for up to £5,000 funding under Mustard Seed Grants from the Church Urban Fund. This has to be used for specific activities as opposed to ongoing expenditure and can be used to try/test new ideas in preparation for larger social action projects. To apply or find out more look at www.cuf.org.uk or call their main office on 020 7898 1647 or email enquiries@cuf.org.uk


Also, under their small grants scheme the Pilgrims Trust can fund fabric repairs for churches. For Church of England apply to Council for Care of Churches, 5th Floor, Church House, Great Smith Street, London, SW1P 3NZ or call 020 7898 1866. For non Church of England apply to Pilgrims Trust. Full details for both can be had by looking at www.thepilgrimtrust.org.uk.


The Pilgrims Trust also has grants of up to £5,000 available for social welfare projects. This can include:

  • Projects to support people who misuse drugs/alcohol
  • Projects that reduce social isolation perhaps by training/education/volunteering/employment
  • Projects to help people in prisons and those which provide alternatives to custody.
  • Projects that seek to inform and develop policy and practice in the above areas

Trustees have a particular interest in projects that assist prisoners and their families to acquire new skills or give support to their families and also to projects which give priority to helping young people, people from black and ethnic minority communities and women.


Again check out the website listed above for what they will not fund and for details of how to apply.


If you are a registered charity why not register on the www.thebiggive.org.uk website. This enables prospective donors to search for projects they wish to support. You can register for free.


Community Cash Awards

The Princes Trust are offering grants to young people who need it most and who can up with an idea for a project which will benefit their community.

  • If you are aged between 14-16 and still in school but struggling you could apply for up to £1,000 or
  • f you are aged between 16-25, unemployed or working less than 16 hours per week you could apply for up to £5,000

The projects could be for a new basketball court/music studio, go towards a project in a youth club, perhaps set up sex education workshops or a youth advisory board.

Projects must also:

  • Be run and managed by people aged between 14 and 25
  • Clearly benefit the local community
  • Benefit the people running the project and
  • Be a new and developing project.

NOT eligible are:

  • Formal groups or organisations
  • Expeditions or overseas travel
  • Fundraising activities for travel
  • Trips and outings unless there is educational value

For more information or to apply call 0800 842 842 or
log onto www.princes-trust.org and download an application form.

No deadline you can apply any time.


The Media Trust

The Media Trust has just launched its fourth season of volunteer films. They are looking to support 25 small charities that would benefit from a short promotional film about what they do. This would cost £1,000. You would get a broadcast quality film and also a dvd copy of the film which would be suitable for streaming on the internet.

Previous films made have been used for fundraising, raising awareness or recruiting volunteers. All charities, including voluntary organisations and not for profit groups, with an income under £2 million are welcome to apply.

For more information email volunteerfilms@mediatrust.org or call them on
020 7874 7640.


Grantfinder

If you would like a funding search done on Grantfinder download the Grantfinder Checklist form and email to carole.short@cvalive.org.uk