About the Fund - Community Champions
The Community Champions fund is provided by the Department for Education and Skills because it focuses on the development of learning and skills and helps to deliver the Learning and Skills Agenda through its two main objectives, which are:- To increase the skills levels of individuals to enable them to act as inspirational figures, community entrepreneurs, community mentors, community leaders, community anamateurs: and,
- To improve the involvement of communities in regeneration and learning activity.
Very often in communities where there is little activity, it might take a group of people with a common interest to make something happen. Communities of interest are a vital starting point for residents in run down neighbourhoods, helping them tackle the main issues, which effect or concern them. This helps them feel a little less powerless and a lot more able to change things for the better. However, the Community Champions fund recognises the work that key individuals do in driving ideas forward and helping groups develop.
A Community Champion is committed to helping members of their community to have a greater say in the decisions that affect them. In particular, he or she needs to be able to support community activity by adopting an entrepreneurial approach – which means making things happen and overcoming barriers. He or she must also be skilled in helping people to help themselves. Community Champions are forward looking people who are persistent enough to see things through. Finally, it is essential that he or she is good at networking and sharing ideas.
The fund is administered in Herefordshire and Worcestershire by Community First who are able to support individuals who have already shown leadership in stimulating community activity, or who have ideas for encouraging greater community activity. The Community Champions fund will also support small-scale community-inspired projects as part of supporting potential Champions who have not previously sought funding. The main focus is on helping individuals develop ideas and skills to help their communities.
Focus on Community Benefits
The CCF has always had strong links with the Government’s policies to develop more active communities and neighbourhood renewal and social inclusion agendas. One of the keys to the success of Community Champions is the ability of people in the Champion’s community to relate to their project. Therefore it remains a major criterion for approving a Community Champions grant award that the project will benefit the community.
Progress Towards Personal Goals
Although not the primary focus, Champions’ personal development is an important aspect of the CCF. When applying for a CCF grant, Champions will often not have considered how they might develop personally. Nevertheless it is inevitable that Champions will learn through their project activity: it would be wasteful if Champions weren’t helped to become aware of what they have learnt.
Target Communities
In keeping with its ethos of providing opportunities to those who commonly miss out, Community Champions targets deprived neighbourhoods and socially excluded communities of interest.
Who can apply?