Resources and events for community projects

The latest resources highlighted by Community Mission include funding for charities, building repairs and the chance to win a camcorder.

FUNDING

The Skinners’ Company Lady Neville Charity distributes grants to a diverse range of charities and community projects in the UK. Charities that work with the disabled or with local communities and have less than four full-time staff are able to apply for £500 to £1,000. Funding must be used for non-recurring expenses such as equipment, capital works or an event. The next deadline is 15 March. Click here to read more about the grant. For more information, email the Charities Administrator or phone 020 7213 0562.

Westhill Endowment, the grant-making side of Westhill College, set up by George Cadbury and others to educate Sunday school leaders, is a Christian trust that offers grants of between £1,000 and £20,000 to projects and charities that promote the Christian faith. It supports community-transforming projects in order to encourage dialogue and education interchange between the Christian church and those of other faiths. There is no deadline or application form. To apply, send up to two A4 pages outlining the project’s aims in a simple and concise way and send a budget. Click here for information about applying. For more information, email Westhill Trust or phone 0121 472 8000.

From this month, The Big Lottery Fund is accepting applications from community groups, charities, churches and parish councils that work with local communities and have a building in need of repair. Between £100,000 and £500,000 is available to those located in deprived areas, according to the 2007 Index of Multiple Deprivation. Those who received a Community Buildings award will not be eligible. Visit the website for more information. The application form will be available over the coming weeks.

TRAINING AND EVENTS

Poverty and Life Chances: Thinking the Unthinkable‘ An evening with Frank Field MP is an event organised by the Charities Parliament to discuss his recent report on UK poverty, which was commissioned by David Cameron. Hear and debate his radical solutions. The event will take place at The Oasis Centre, London on 12 January. It costs £5 per person and can be booked online. Under 21s can email for free entry.

The top topics requested in Livability’s recent training survey were help with maintaining the Christian distinctiveness of a project and managing volunteers. Livability is therefore offering training on both subjects early in 2011:

We don’t do God – keeping faith with your community project will take place on Wednesday 26 January at the Salvation Army International Headquarters in London. It costs £30 per person, including lunch, and must be booked online. For more information call Livability on 020 7452 2018 or email Maggie Harding.

Manipulation or Motivation – managing volunteers will take place on Tuesday 1 February at St Catherine’s Church, Wakefield. It costs £20 per person, including lunch and must be also be booked online. For more information call Ruth Smith on 0113 350 8070 or email Ruth Smith.

STORIES AND RESOURCES

Poverty & Homelessness Action Week 2011 will run from 29 January to 6 February with the theme ‘Who counts?’. It’s a reminder that though the 2011 census will try to list all of the people who live in the country, it’s likely to leave many – such as the ‘hidden homeless’ and destitute asylum-seekers – invisible and uncounted. Why not mark Homelessness Sunday on 30 January and/or Poverty Action Sunday on 6 February? Click here to download prayers and other resources

Want to win a camcorder? NCVO are looking for short two-minute amateur videos showing your community work, how you may be affected by government cuts and how you are preparing for the times ahead. Five organisations who submit videos for the Cuts on camera project will be rewarded with a Flip video camcorder - an easy to use point-and-shoot video camera. There is lots of help available - read why community and voluntary organisations should be using video, and how to shoot and submit your video or contact Virpi Oinonen for more information. The deadline to submit your video is 1 February 2011.

Community Mission is a partnership between Tearfund and Livability. Click here to sign up to future editions of their e-newsletter.