All Sector News

Community Foundations operating across the North West have endowment match funding available for voluntary sector organisations wishing to endowment build.

The match is available via the Government’s Community First Endowment Challenge until March 2015.

Examples of types of scenarios that may qualify for the Community First Endowment Challenge include:
- A charity selling off land or wishing to maintain a building
- A voluntary and community organisation that is seeking to modernise the way it operates

Projects throughout England now have the opportunity to apply for repeat and on-going activities under Awards for All in a pilot scheme running until the end of March 2013.

Currently Awards for All does not fund on-going, regular or repeat activities, as the programme has focused on ‘new’ project ideas. However, in these challenging times the Big Lottery are increasingly aware of the pressures smaller groups face with rising costs and cuts to funding, and want to respond to this by looking at alternative ways of funding projects that support those most in need.

Not-for-profit organisations that help people overcome barriers and gain the skills and confidence to get back into work can apply now for the penultimate round of the European Social Fund (ESF) Community Learning Grants scheme in the North West.

Constituted voluntary and community groups, registered charities, social enterprises and community interest companies in the North West of England can apply for up to £12,000 to fund programmes aimed at people out of work or recently made redundant.

Manchester has put itself forward to undertake a peer review of safeguarding services, which will be done in February 2013 (see attached for further information).