Funding Roundup From Caithness Voluntary Group

6th February 2019

Beatrice Partnership Fund
The Beatrice Partnership Fund has opened for applications. The partnership fund can support projects which:
Create opportunities
Create or enhance opportunities for education and employment through activities focused on improving an individual's chances of entering the workplace or further professional development
Empower communities
Empower fragile communities to become more resilient and to protect their vulnerable residents through measures which demonstrate long-term social, environmental or economic improvements
Stimulate sustainable places
Stimulate meaningful regeneration through actions which improve or enhance local infrastructure, landscape, biodiversity or heritage to make a lasting difference to the places we live, work and visit. To find out more go to http://sse.com/communities/fundlocations/beatricepartnership/

Caithness and North Sutherland Fund
You can apply to Caithness and North Sutherland Fund if you are a:
Voluntary or community organisation
School parent council (not for statutory function)
Community council
Community groups
Community development groups
It will not fund:
Individuals and sole traders
Operations for personal benefit
Non-departmental public bodies
Government departments
Statutory bodies (for example, a local authority or health board)
Funding consultant fees
Unincorporated associations
Parent councils
The fund welcomes applications from school parent councils but will not pay for activities or services that schools have a statutory responsibility to provide. This means it will not pay for activities that are in the school curriculum or directly related. Projects are expected to take place before or after school, during lunch or in the holidays, unless you can explain in your application why this is not possible. The fund will accept applications for projects working solely with children with special needs, although you still need to provide evidence that your project is extracurricular. The parent council chairperson must submit the application with an accompanying letter from the head teacher.
Some examples of what it will fund:
Equipment hire or purchase
Annual events we have not previously funded
Feasibility studies for community projects
Improvements or additions to playing or arts facilities
Information technology equipment
Building, refurbishment, landscaping or property projects (including playpark associations and temporary buildings)
Materials or equipment for use in your project
Some publicity materials for use in your project
Sessional workers
Start-up costs
Team clothing or kit
Training costs
Transport costs
Venue hire
VAT that you cannot recover
Application dates for 2019
Application form closing date - Friday 29th March 2019.
Assessment Meeting - Friday 26th April 2019.
2019-R3
Application form closing date – Friday 28th June 2019.
Assessment Meeting – Friday 26th July 2019.

2019-R4
Application form closing date – Friday 27th September 2019.
Assessment Meeting – Friday 1st of November 2019.
For more information go to https://www.cnsf.org.uk/


National Lottery Heritage Fund
Decisions on around 80 per cent of all funding by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, which is changing its name from the Heritage Lottery Fund, will be made in Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and three new English areas.
Its new approach:
Major focus on nature, communities, and on ensuring everyone is able to enjoy heritage – three top priorities for people who responded to the consultation
New models of investment, moving beyond grants to include loans and partnerships, designed to attract others to invest money alongside the National Lottery
More support for commercial, sustainable approaches to tackling heritage that's in danger of being lost
Investment and support to help heritage organisations to be more financially sustainable
A requirement for every heritage project that receives funding to be environmentally friendly
Simpler, streamlined and more efficient funding
Greater engagement and support to help 13 deprived communities that have in the past been less successful securing funding
Continued support for large-scale, iconic projects over £5 million
National Lottery Grants for Heritage – an open programme for any type of heritage project from £3,000 to £5m
Heritage funding campaigns designed to fulfil strategic needs or funding gaps. The first two campaigns will launch in 2019, focusing on helping:
organisations build their capacity and organisational resilience
to build digital capabilities
Joint funds to deliver strategic initiatives in partnership with other organisations, such as the Future Parks Accelerator partnership with the National Trust
Social investments such as impact funds and loans
Two rounds of major grants of over £5m in 2020/21 and 2022/23
National Lottery Grants for Heritage can be applied for immediately – most grants will now have a preliminary "expression of interest" stage. Details on other new funding areas will be rolled out during 2019. To find out more go to https://www.heritagefund.org.uk/news/new-look-national-lottery-heritage-fund-unveils-plans-next-five-years

Aspiring Communities Fund success
FIVE jobs have been created by a new project in Caithness aimed at tackling poverty and inequality. Caithness Voluntary Group (CVG), in partnership with Pulteneytown People’s Project (PPP) and Thurso Community Development Trust (TCDT), secured £183,296 from the Aspiring Communities Fund to employ four full-time development
workers and a part-time co-ordinator.
Under the 12-month project, a community development worker for Wick will be employed by PPP and based at the Pulteney Centre, as will a childcare development worker. A development worker for Thurso will be based at the town’s Ormlie Centre, while a rural development officer will work from the CVG offices in Wick
CVG’s Yvonne Hendry, who has the role of part-time coordinator, said: "The aim of the project is to identify gaps and inequalities in service provision through community consultation which will take place through local groups, by attending local forums and by engaging with statutory organisations. We will also be working with the Caithness Community Partnership."
Examples of inequalities can range from fuel poverty or low incomes to lack of public transport and difficulties in accessing health services.
Tracey Taylor, chairperson of TCDT, said: “Thurso Community Development Trust is enthused by and fully supportive of Caithness Voluntary Group’s development officer appointments.
“We are proud to have worked in partnership with CVG to secure Aspiring Communities funding and look forward to the community-led development opportunities and strengthened partnership working the project will provide for Thurso and across wider Caithness.”
Katrina MacNab, chief executive of PPP, said: “This is a great opportunity for people in Caithness to benefit from development work looking in particular at inequalities in our communities. We look forward to working in partnership with Caithness Voluntary Group and Thurso Community Development Trust.”
The Scottish Government’s Aspiring Communities Funds is supported by the European Social Fund.

Highland Alcohol and Drugs Partnership
Highland Alcohol and Drugs Partnership is inviting funding applications to the Alcohol and Drugs – Local Improvement Fund.
This one-off fund aims to provide funding to partner organisations, including the third sector, to support implementation of the Highland Alcohol and Drugs Strategy and the national strategy, Rights, Respect and Recovery. Its principal aim is to prevent and reduce alcohol and drug related harm. The funding is to provide opportunities to:
Test new approaches
Improve ways of working
Support recovery

The Local Improvement Fund will be open once on this occasion only, with a maximum of 10 awards of up to £10,000 available. The fund is open from 1st February with completed applications submitted by noon on 25th February 2019. 
HADP can support organisation interested in applying by: discussing applications, providing guidance, suggesting potential sources of evidence and advising on evaluation. It is essential that all projects build in evaluation from the outset.
To find out more contact Debbie Stewart, HADP co-ordinator: [email protected]