National Funding
Awards for All
A Lottery grant scheme for local communities. There are different schemes for each of the four countries of the UK and they are funded by organisations such as the Arts Council, Big Lottery Fund, Heritage Lottery Fund, Sport England, etc. Grants are awarded for sums between £300 and £10,000 for projects that promote education, the environment and health of the local community.
www.awardsforall.org.uk
Biffaward
A multi-million pound environment fund managed by the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts, which utilises landfill tax credits donated by Biffa Waste Services. In less than nine years Biffaward has awarded £80 million to more than 1,000 environmental and community projects across the whole of the UK and this funding has enabled the creation and upgrading of numerous new children’s play areas.
www.biffaward.org
BIG Lottery Fund
A national body that awards lottery funding to a variety of projects through several funding streams and organisations.
www.biglotteryfund.org.uk
BIG advice line: 0845 4 10 20 30
Brand Trusts
Many of the major UK brands, banks and building societies have community grant funds which they will award to deserving projects.
Community Foundations
Community foundations are charitable trusts that support local community causes. Their role is to manage donor funds as well as make grants to charities and community groups, linking local donors with local needs. Created by and for local people they help donors express their long-term interest in an area and its needs. Community foundations have been active in the UK since the 1980s and a rapidly growing network of approximately 60 foundations is now established across the country. About 90% of the UK population has access to a community foundation.
www.communityfoundations.org.uk
ENTRUST
The regulator that oversees the activity of all Environmental Bodies (EBs) across the UK and give final approval of grants.
www.entrust.org.uk
Fields in Trust (FIT)
FIT is national charity that safeguards playing fields and similar sites throughout the UK. The FIT team offer a wide-range of advice on protecting sites, including playgrounds, and sourcing new methods of funding in support of play, sports and outdoor space facilities. Contact them HERE.
Fields in Trust QEII Challenge
The Queen Elizabeth II Fields Challenge is the FIT flagship UK-wide programme to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee and London Olympic and Paralympic Games, as well as the 2014 Commonwealth Games by permanently protecting 2012 outdoor recreational spaces throughout 2012. All kinds of sites are eligible to become Queen Elizabeth II Fields, including:
- Playing Fields
- Playgrounds
- Sports Pitches
- MUGAs
For more information on how to nominate a site visit: www.qe2fields.com or email: fields@fieldsintrsut.org
How does the QEII project work?
Groundworks
A charitable group that awards funding for green/open spaces that benefit disadvantaged communities as well as providing opportunities to form corporate partnerships.
www.groundwork.org.uk
Greenspace
A registered charity which works to improve parks and green spaces by raising awareness, involving communities and creating skilled professionals.
www.green-space.org.uk
Landfill Tax Credit Funding
The aim of the LTCS is to encourage and make people aware of the benefits of sustainable waste management practices, such as recycling and the re-use of waste and to work with communities that live in the close proximity to landfill sites in order to improve their social and physical environments. The landfill tax credit scheme enables landfill site operators to donate up to 6.0 per cent of their landfill tax liability to environmental projects in return for a 90 per cent tax credit.
www.ltcs.org.uk
A register of landfill operators is maintained by HM Revenue & Customs at www.hmrc.gov.uk. To locate the list enter "List of Registered Landfill Site Operators" (including the speech marks) in the search box on their website.
London Play
The London Play website lists major funding sources and website links for the London area.
www.londonplay.org.uk
Online grant databases
There are several websites where you can search for both local and national funding schemes. Two of the most popular are GRANTnet (which can be accessed through participating council website) and Funding Central.
Sport England
This website shows Sport England's national and community funding programmes and advises how to apply for funding.
www.sportengland.org
Sportsmatch
A government funded scheme set up to help fund grass roots and community sports in England. They do this by matching new sponsorship money with Sportsmatch funding, on a pound for pound basis. Applications to Sportsmatch for funding can be made from any not-for-profit organisation capable of delivering community sport.
www.sportsmatch.co.uk
WREN
Waste Recycling Environmental Limited is an example of an Environmental Body distributing the Landfill Tax credits of Waste Recycling Group plc (WRG) to projects throughout WRG’s operating areas.Project applications which demonstrate self help, viability, sustainability and offer benefits to large numbers of people receive priority for funding.
Learn more about WREN projects from their annual review: Reason to Be Cheerful
www.wren.org.uk