community funding available during latest lockdown
18 January 2021 - Latest news, Coronavirus
Funding aimed specifically at helping communities through the coronavirus pandemic is still available during the latest lockdown.
The believe housing Community Funding Programme is looking to help local groups with the fight against coronavirus, and recovery from the pandemic. Grants from both the crisis and recovery funds are available now.
The funding is directed at community groups in most of County Durham, and some surrounding areas. Launched following the initial coronavirus outbreak in 2020, the programme has been extended to cover the second lockdown and its longer-term impact.
The Crisis Fund is designed to support projects that keep vulnerable people connected and provide help with food or other essentials, at a time when many people are seeing new financial difficulties due to the continued economic impact of the virus. Grants of up to £500 are available.
Projects that have already benefited include foodbanks, schemes that help with shopping for vulnerable people and projects that help families with food. Initiatives that look after wellbeing remotely, create virtual social groups or workshops and deliver activities for families have also been awarded funding.
Recovery grants were created to help community groups move on from the initial pain of the coronavirus pandemic and find new ways of working. They follow the same model, with up to £500 available to voluntary groups, organisations or schools that work in areas covered by believe housing. They are intended to support projects that can be delivered within two months and follow current government guidance on coronavirus, such as social distancing advice.
believe housing is keen to hear from community groups in most parts of County Durham, and some neighbouring areas, with projects to keep vulnerable people connected, and to provide help with food at a time when many people are seeing new financial difficulties due to the economic impact of the virus.
A simple application process is in place to ensure that fast turnaround funding decisions can take place and get work underway. Groups that have previously received funding from believe housing's standard community investment scheme are eligible to apply for funding again for crisis or recovery funding alongside groups that have not previously been given support.
Community Investment Team Leader at believe housing, Angela Stobbart, said: "We've already provided community groups in the area with £39,000 of small grant funding since April 2020. We'd like to hear from more groups that would benefit from this support."
For more information about the funding available please visit our community grants page.
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