Funding Round Up

Funding for Links with Japan (UK)

The Daiwa Foundation which supports closer links between Britain and Japan is seeking applications from individuals, societies, associations and schools under its small grants programme. Grants of £2,000 – £7,000 are available to promote and support interaction between the two countries. Daiwa Foundation Small Grants can cover all fields of activity, including educational and other projects and events. New initiatives are especially encouraged. Projects that have received funding in the past include Beckfoot School (Bingley) which received a grant of £3,000 to support a two-week curriculum-based school exchange visit by ten students and two teachers to Hiroshima Kokusai High School; and Dene Magna School which received a grant of £4,000 to support a school exchange visit by three teachers and nine pupils to enhance links established in 2002 with two partner schools in Okinawa and to consolidate Japanese as part of its curriculum. The next closing date for applications is the 30th September 2017.

Funding to Restore Neglected Historic Buildings (UK

The next deadline for the Heritage Lottery Fund’s Heritage Enterprise programme is the 31st August 2017. The Heritage Enterprise programme supports enterprising heritage organisations in rescuing neglected historic buildings and restoring them to viable productive use. Grants of between £100,000 and £5million will be awarded to meet conservation deficits i.e. where the existing value of the historic asset plus the cost of bringing it back into use is greater than the end value of the asset following development completion. Not for profit organisations, or partnerships led by such organisations can apply via a two stage process with Start-up grants also available for pre-application viability appraisals.

Masonic Charitable Foundation Small Grants for Hospice Services (England & Wales)

Hospices and palliative care services in England and Wales, that receive less than 60% of their funding from the NHS are eligible to apply for grants of between £500 and £5,000 towards the operating costs of hospice services for adults and/or children. Individual grants are calculated on the basis of the services provided and the number of beds operated by the hospice. Grants are not given towards building costs or to hospices that are not yet operational. The next deadline for applications is 31st July 2017.

Funding to Tackle Fuel Poverty (UK)

Registered charities can apply for grants of up to £50,000 for projects that address fuel poverty, including providing energy efficiency advice; benefits advice and providing assistance to reduce or cancel debts for household electricity or gas supply. Applications are particularly welcome from charities who work with children, young people and families. Previous projects supported include YMCA Glasgow which received a grant of £58,177 for a project that aims to provide an energy efficiency advice service to people currently, or in the future, residing within supported accommodation projects across Central Scotland. Through advice and implementation of energy saving initiatives, YMCA will significantly reduce energy bills and the impact on the environment and carbon footprint. The closing date for applications is the 22nd November 2017.

Society for Microbiology – Science Education and Outreach Grants (UK)

The Society for Microbiology provides grants to support the teaching of microbiology. Schools that are members of the Society can apply for grants up to £1,000 for a wide variety of educational outreach activities to promote public engagement with microbiology. These can include running a school- or college-based science week activity (e.g. hands-on or programme of talks); supporting microbiology activities in an out-of-school science club; buying materials and equipment outside of normal department resources to support a microbiology activity (no more than £500 can be used toward large equipment such as microscopes and incubators); a class visit to a microbiology laboratory to carry out activities; and organising a visit to or from a working microbiologist. The deadline for applications is 1st October 2017.

HealthAmaze (Wakefield & Leeds)

Small community groups can apply for grants of between £5,000 and £25,000 to address local health issues in Wakefield and Leeds. The funding is available for projects that cover small areas such as a few streets, a housing estate or a small village; as well as communities of interest (people who have shared experiences, characteristics or common interests and wish to come together to address specific issues that are important to them). Projects can last between 12 months and two years. Previous projects supported include New Wortley Community Association in Leeds which received a grant of £49,610for a two-year project that will deliver weekly creative activities (music performance, guitar and bass lessons, community choir, creative writing, and drama group) for 100 residents; and the Federation of Disability Sports Organisations in Wakefield which received a grant of £40,352 to improve local sport provision for wheelchair users.

Greggs Foundation Breakfast Club Grants (England, Scotland & Wales)

The Greggs Foundation currently supports 380 breakfast clubs throughout England, Scotland and Wales. Schools that are interested in opening a breakfast club at your school must be able to show that at least 40% of your pupils qualify for free school meals and that the school serves a disadvantaged community. School should able to attract adult volunteers to help run the scheme and attendance at the club must be free for all pupils. The Foundation uses the money to support breakfast clubs through an initial start up grant for equipment such as chest freezers to store food items or toys and activities for the club. Greggs Foundation also makes a payment each term towards other food items and Greggs plc donates bread from the nearest shop.Recently set up breakfast clubs include: “clubs” at Hillside Community Primary School, in Skelmersdale which received funding of £600 for its breakfast club which around 45 young people attend each day; and Swalwell Primary School, in Gateshead where nearly 50% of school children are entitle to free meals received a grant of £1,100. Although applications can be made at any time, there is currently a waiting list for funding whilst new sponsorship partners are being identified