Gloucestershire VCS Bulletin

The latest version of the main Funding Bulletin is available on the Gloucestershire VCS Alliance website at http://www.glosvcsalliance.org.uk/external-funding-opportunities-bulletin/.

Emergency Funding Bulletin

Our emergency funding bulletin is updated regularly and you can find it at http://www.glosvcsalliance.org.uk/external-funding-opportunities-bulletin/. Please note that as most of the emergency funds have now been allocated, we are planning to stop publishing this separate bulletin at the end of September. Details of outstanding funds will be transferred into our main bulletin.

• Gloucestershire Community Foundation has launched two new funds: The Recovery and Resilience Programme which will award grants up to £10,000 and the Quick Response Programme which will award grants of up to £5,000.

Highlights from the main bulletin

• The LGBT+ Futures: National Emergencies Trust Fund has been launched to address the needs of LGBT+ people and communities most adversely impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic and to support and strengthen LGBT+ organisations that have been impacted by the pandemic. Page 24
• The Lloyds Bank Foundation has launched a new Infrastructure Fund to support local and regional infrastructure organisations that provide organisational development support to and advocate for small and local charities. The funding will be focused on areas particularly hard hit by Covid-19. Page 25
• The KFC Foundation provides grants to support grass roots organisations near a KFC restaurant. Organisations empowering young people to fulfil their potential by providing safe social spaces, mentoring or work and social skills can apply. Page 37
• From October to December Tesco will be providing grants to support projects focused on local children and young people. This replaces its existing Bags of Help schemes. Page 41
• The Lord’s Taverners Outdoor Play Programme and Sensory Rooms and Equipment Programme re-open for applications on 1 October. They offer grants to SEN Schools to purchase equipment. Page 50
• The True Colours Trust has modified its grants scheme to help smaller charities adapt their services to enable them to continue or resume supporting disabled children, children with life limiting conditions and their families during the pandemic. Page 51
• The Arts Council has announced that loans are available to entrepreneurial arts and cultural organisations through its Arts Impact Fund. Page 57
• The government has announced £1 billion of funding to support children and young people to catch up through the Coronavirus Catch-up Premium. Page 65
• The Woodland Trust is open for applications from schools and community groups for tree packs to be delivered in March 2021. Page 96
• Charities can apply to the Fat Beehive Foundation for funding to help them improve their online digital presence. Page 120
• Warburtons Community Grants re-opens to applications on 28 September. Their financial giving supports projects, activities and organisations that will be of real direct benefit to families. Page 134

Invitation to the VCSE Volunteering Listening and Learning Event

The Gloucestershire Voluntary and Community Sector Alliance and Know Your Patch Networks are inviting all Voluntary, Community, and Social Enterprise Sector organisations across Gloucestershire to a listening and learning event from 5.30 to 7.30pm on Tuesday 29 September, via online video conference.

This event has been designed to listen to and learn from voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) groups’ experience and knowledge of volunteering both during and before the Covid19 pandemic.  We will be asking questions such as:

• What has worked well and not so well both before and during Covid19?
• What was different during Covid19 and what should be retained, including what works during a crisis compared to ‘normal’ times?
• Have new and different types of volunteers come forward during Covid19, and what can we learn from that?
• What do voluntary and community groups need to be able to offer a good volunteering experience, including support from other partners

The event is part of our work with three key stakeholder groups – volunteers themselves, the VCSE and local businesses/employers – to develop shared objectives that will help inform our future plans about how we will deliver a co-ordinated response and support for volunteering and volunteering infrastructure in Gloucestershire.

We would really hope you and/or your colleagues will be able to join us – just so we are able to hear from a range on organisations we are limiting attendance to 2 people per organisation.  Please feel free to share this invitation amongst other VCSE organisations.  Please let us know if you are able to attend by clicking here https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/vcse-volunteering-listening-and-learning-event-tickets-117373253561.

For those who will be attending, we will be in touch nearer the time with more details.

Gloucestershire VCS Alliance
on behalf of voluntary, community, health and care organisations across Gloucestershire

About the VCS Alliance
The Gloucestershire VCS Alliance is the independent voice that informs, strengthens and develops the local voluntary and community sector.  To learn more about what we do, please visit www.glosvcsalliance.org.uk.  You can follow us on Twitter @GlosVCSAlliance.