What we’ll fund - Community Champions
Grants can be for anything that builds the capacity of individuals or community groups for example to manage self-help or learning projects. These are some examples of the sort of projects that the Community Champions Fund might support (please note the list is not exhaustive!) Projects might aim to:- enable individuals to access training of interest to them e.g. in community work etc through support with transport or childcare costs, developing outreach facilities, or offering training to smaller groups etc;
- help improve communities’ access to information;
- provide support such as a mentor for individuals/groups after they have completed training, attended a workshop, got a paid/unpaid job etc to help them in the first few weeks or to help them progress their ideas;
- carry out skills audits of residents to raise awareness of the resources already available to the community which can be built on, for example by developing more appropriate customised training, for improving the physical environment etc;
- provide customised training for groups of residents so that it is more suited to their needs and enables them to compete more successfully for work by developing employability skills;
- develop project management skills through small scale, specific projects arising from a clearly identified community need;
- develop self-evaluation systems to improve projects’ effectiveness and be able to demonstrate this;
- enable members of the community to carry out jobs previously done by people who did not live there e.g. who maybe have some key skills but who need a little more upskilling or additional qualifications, or confidence-building;
- provide a means of progression, for individuals and communities, from initial activity towards full participation in taking their ideas forward or in accessing other learning or employment opportunities;
- develop structures so that community groups can be brought into discussions on strategic planning and enabled to contribute effectively
- rent space or equipment for project activity to take place (eg an office, workshop, garage, meeting room, etc) - for a finite time or set number of meetings agreed with the Intermediary
- pay for insurance - but only where lack of insurance would mean the project couldn’t otherwise go ahead
- one-off events such as cultural evenings, litter pick-ups, cleaning play areas, etc
- developing bids for funding
- travel to appropriate meetings, training courses or other events
- video or photography projects (but not to make significant capital purchases -see below)
- support for foreign nationals or asylum seekers
- support for ex-offenders
- community newsletters
- consumables or items which would have very little value by the end of the project
Exemptions
Community Champions will not support:
- Multiple applications
- Foreign travel
- Activities of a political or predominantly religious nature
- Existing provision or posts
- Continuing work previously funded by another organisation
- Provision that can be funded from other sources
- Business start-up for individual gain
- Capital purchases of over £1000
- Works or activities which any person has a statutory duty to undertake
- Development of Parish Plans