[WiLT] Connecting Communities Plus - Community Grants - England

[WiL Admin]

Connecting Communities Plus - Community Grants - England
Application Deadline: 29th March 2007

Connecting Communities Plus is a grants programme designed to support
practical action to help achieve the goals set out in Improving
Opportunity, Strengthening Society, the government's strategy to
increase race equality and improve community cohesion. The programme
facilitates tailored initiatives to meet the specific needs of
disadvantaged communities, rather than treating all BME communities in
the same way. Connecting Communities Plus Community Grants are aimed
at locally run and managed voluntary and community organisations with
an income of less than £50,000 per year, run by volunteers or with one
full time or two part time paid staff. For the first time the fund
will also support local projects which are commemorating the 200th
anniversary of the passage of the 1807 Abolition of the Slave Trade
Act in 2007.

Total Fund Value: £1,000,000
Grant Value - minimum: £ 6,000
Grant Value - maximum: £ 12,000

Most Grants will fall in the range shown above. The total fund value
is the amount that will be distributed as community grants between
July 2007 and March 2008. A similar amount will be available for
2008/09. All funding from the second round must be spent by 31st March
2008.

Connecting Communities Plus Community Grants complement the Strategic
and Project grants which have already been awarded. All three types of
grant support the Government's 'Improving Opportunity and
Strengthening Society' strategy to increase race equality and
community cohesion. Community Grants will help locally managed
organisations run local projects that will make a difference in local
communities. The fund will focus on projects based around four key
themes derived from Improving Opportunity, Strengthening Society:
* Improving access and outcomes for Black and Minority Ethnic (BME)
communities in education, employment, health, housing and the Criminal
Justice System
* Increasing BME communities' confidence in public services
* Tackling racism and extremism
* Bringing together communities from different races and faiths, and
promoting a shared sense of belonging (community cohesion)

The second and third priorities shown above were undersubscribed in
the first round. Therefore, projects that contribute to these
priorities will be of particular interest.

Please note: A detailed description of the types of activities or
projects that will be funded under these priorites are available in
the guidance notes.

Those interested in seeking funding are advised to familiarise
themselves with Improving Opportunity, Strengthening Society before
applying.

An important part of the programme will be to share good practice and
lessons learnt with the wider voluntary and community sector and
successful organisations will be expected to work closely with the
grants administrator through monitoring visits and reports.

Abolition of Slavery Anniversary:

2007 marks the 200th anniversary of the passage of the 1807 Abolition
of the Slave Trade Act. In this round, the Race Equality Unit of the
Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) is particularly
keen to support projects which commemorate the bicentenary. For this
reason, there is a specific question on the application form where
applicants are asked to show if their activities help to commemorate
this anniversary. Further information about the bicentenary can be
found at http://www.setallfree.net.

Community grants are aimed at locally run and managed voluntary and
community organisations with an income of less than £50,000 per year,
run by volunteers or with one full time or two part time paid staff. A
range of different projects or activities can be funded that will make
a difference to your local community and contribute to the four
priority areas identified above.

Community Grants will fund start-up costs, staff costs, running costs
and training costs. Applications for capital expenditure can only be
funded if they are linked directly to project activities and total
less than 50% of the grant you are requesting.

The first round of Connecting Communities Plus - Community Grants
received over 940 applications. 140 organisations were offered
funding, which totalled £1,338,000.

The deadline for a completed paper copy of the application form, with
original signatures on it, is 5pm on 29th March 2007. Any applications
that do not meet this deadline will not be considered. All
applications should be sent to the Cambridge office of the Community
Development Foundation (see contact details below).

All completed applications will receive an acknowledgement by email or
post. Applicants should include a SAE/postcard with your application
form if they would like a postal reply.

CDF can comment on draft of application forms, if they are received
between 12th December 2006 and 20th March 2007 (preferably via email).
Briefing events about the programme are also being scheduled by CDF.

Contact Information:
* Community Development Foundation, The Michael Young Centre, Purbeck
Road, Cambridge CB2 8HN
* Phone: 01223 400 343
* Fax: 01223 400 328
* Email: ccplus at cdf.org.uk
* Web: http://www.cdf.org.uk

To read the full description of this grant and for other Documents and
Links eg:

Appendix
* Improving Opportunity, Strengthening Society
* Connecting Communities Plus - Community Grants Awarded in Round 1
(2006-07)

Application Form
* Connecting Communities Plus- Community Grants Application Form

Guidance
* Connecting Communities Plus- Community Grants Guidance Notes

Useful Links
* Community Development Foundation Website
* DCLG Connecting Communities Plus webpage
* Abolition of the Slave Trade Act Bicentenary 2007 website

Go to
http://www.governmentfunding.org.uk/VCSSearch.aspx?WCI=htmschemeview&WCU=SEARCH=DS=DSCLIVEGF~pTI="ABI~pGRANT"~pTM=1,DSCODE=DSCLIVEGF,SCHEMEID=12-S83

Posted on WiLT blog at
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