[WiLT] Connecting Communities Plus - Community Grants aimed at local BME groups

[WiL Admin]

Connecting Communities Plus
- Community Grants aimed at local BME groups

Next Application Deadline: 08/01/2008
Area: England

Connecting Communities Plus is a grants programme designed to support
practical action to help achieve the goals set out in Improving
Opportunity, Strengthening Society, the government's strategy to
increase race equality and improve community cohesion. The programme
facilitates tailored initiatives to meet the specific needs of
disadvantaged communities, rather than treating all BME communities in
the same way. Connecting Communities Plus Community Grants are aimed
at locally run and managed voluntary and community organisations with
an income of less than £50,000 per year, run by volunteers or with one
full time or two part time paid staff. The the third and final round
of the fund is also supporting local projects that will focus on the
legacy of the slave trade following the 200th anniversary of the
passage of the 1807 Abolition of the Slave Trade Act in 2007.

Total Fund Value: £ 3,000,000
Grant Value - minimum: £ 6,000
Grant Value - maximum: £ 12,000

Most grants will fall in the range shown above. The total fund value
is the amount that has been allocated to the Community Grants between
April 2006 and March 2009. The total funding amount for Round 3 has
not yet been confirmed. All funding from the third and final round
must be spent by 31st March 2009.

Applicants should be aware that this is a very popular and therefore
competitive grant. Approximately 9%of applicants were funded in Round
2.

Connecting Communities Plus Community Grants complement the Strategic
and Project grants which have already been awarded. All three types of
grant support the Government's 'Improving Opportunity and
Strengthening Society' strategy to increase race equality and
community cohesion. Community Grants will help locally managed
organisations run local projects that will make a difference in local
communities. The fund will focus on projects based around four key
themes derived from Improving Opportunity, Strengthening Society:
* Improving access and outcomes for Black and Minority Ethnic (BME)
communities in education, employment, health, housing and the Criminal
Justice System.
* Increasing BME communities' confidence in public services.
* Tackling racism and extremism.
* Bringing together communities from different races and faiths, and
promoting a shared sense of belonging (community cohesion).

The second and third priorities shown above were under-subscribed in
the first and second round. Therefore, projects that contribute to
these priorities will be of particular interest.

Please note: If your application covers aspects of more than one of
the priorities, please select the one priority which best describes
your project. A detailed description of the types of activities or
projects that will be funded under these priorities are available in
the Guidance Notes which can be downloaded at the bottom of this page.

Those interested in seeking funding are advised to familiarise
themselves with Improving Opportunity, Strengthening Society before
applying. This document can be downloaded by on the link the bottom of
this page.

An important part of the programme will be to share good practice and
lessons learnt with the wider voluntary and community sector and
successful organisations will be expected to work closely with the
grants administrator through monitoring visits and reports.

2007 saw the 200th anniversary of the passage of the 1807 Abolition of
the Slave Trade Act. The Race Equality Unit of the Department for
Communities and Local Government (CLG) are therefore looking to
support projects that will focus on the legacy of the slave trade and
how it affects us today. For this reason, there is a specific question
on the application form where applicants are asked to show if their
activities help to commemorate the abolition of the slave trade and/or
explore the legacy of the slave trade. Further information about the
bicentenary and links to related websites can be found at
http://www.setallfree.net and http://www.direct.gov.uk//slavery.

Please note: the legacy of the slave trade is not a separate funding
priority, applicants still need to select one of the four funding
priorities in the Extended Description above to be eligible.

Please note: Organisations who were awarded a grant from Connecting
Communities Plus, Community Grants in round one or round two or those
who are currently receiving funding from the Race Equality Unit or
Cohesion and Faiths Unit of the Department for Communities and Local
Government will not be funded. In addition, multiple applications from
an organisation or organisations will not be accepted.

Community grants are aimed at locally run and managed voluntary and
community organisations with an income of less than £50,000 per year,
run by volunteers or with one full time or two part time paid staff. A
range of different projects or activities can be funded that will make
a difference to your local community and contribute to the four
priority areas identified above.

Application Forms and Guidance Notes can be downloaded from the link
at the bottom of this page or directly from the Community Development
Foundation website at http://www.cdf.org.uk. Instructions on
completing each section of the application form are detailed in the
Guidance Notes. It is strongly recommended that you read the Guidance
Notes before making an application.

The deadline for a completed paper copy of the application form, with
original signatures on it, is 5pm on 8th January 2008 to the Cambridge
Office of the Community Development Foundation (see Contact
Information below). Any applications that do not meet this deadline
will not be considered.

CDF can comment on a draft of your application form (preferably via
email to ccplus at cdf.org.uk) between 4th September 2007 and 11th
December 2007. In addition, if you require help completing the
application form there is a 'community languages' service to assist
applicants and alternative formatting available for application forms
(see Contact Information below). Briefing events about the programme
are also being scheduled by CDF and are likely to start in October.

Contact Information:
A: Community Development Foundation, The Michael Young Centre, Purbeck
Road, Cambridge CB2 8HN
T: 01223 400 343
F: 01223 400 328
E: ccplus at cdf.org.uk
W: http://www.cdf.org.uk

For details of who is and is not eligible to apply and for links to:
* Appendix Improving Opportunity, Strengthening Society
* Connecting Communities Plus - Community Grants Awarded in Round 1
(2006-07)
* Application Form Connecting Communities Plus- Community Grants
Application Form (Round 3)
* Guidance Connecting Communities Plus- Community Grants Guidance
Notes (Round 3)
* DCLG Connecting Communities Plus webpage
* Abolition of the Slave Trade Act Bicentenary 2007 website
* Directgov- Abolition of the Slave Trade pages

Go to
http://www.governmentfunding.org.uk/VCSSearch.aspx?WCI=htmSchemeView&WCU=DSCODE=DSCLIVEGF,SCHEMEID=12-S83,SEARCH=DS=DSCLIVEGF

Posted on WiLT blog at
http://www.freecharity.org.uk/~womeninlondon/?p=405