;

If your Group is in the vicinity of, or plans to visit, the Kennet and Avon canal this year, grants may be available to help you. The canal runs from Bristol to Reading across Southern England. Grants of up to £3000 are available although those over £1000 need to be matched. Further details from Oliver Giles, Partnership Officer on 01452 318000 or e mail oliver.giles@britishwaterways.co.uk or contact Jack Gilbert, Fundraising Dept.

Help with DIY projects

This annual award scheme offers local community groups and voluntary organisations throughout the UK the chance to embark on DIY projects.

Twenty awards, of up to £5,000 of B&Q materials are available for renovation and refurbishment of community group premises or projects. Eligible projects include electrical or plumbing work, horticultural work and cosmetic construction work.

For 2005, the awards opened on 17th January and the deadline for applications is 18th March 2005. Choose one of 3 ways to apply:

• On-line at www.diy.com click on 'About B&Q' then see on right of screen 'B&Q you can do it awards 2005 apply now', click on more info.
• Download application form, from same site.
• Call 0845 3001001

Auctions and raffle prizes

Our Price Records have a number of 'Personally Signed' original LP's and Gold Discs available to support Charities who may be holding a fundraising auction or need a unique raffle prize. There are two options:-

Risk free option.

• You are not required to purchase the pieces
• You can choose up to four unique pieces from the Private Collection.
• Each piece comes in a frame with a signed Certificate of Authenticity.
• Our Price Records supply table leaflets and auctioneers guidance to stimulate the bidding process.
• There are no set reserve prices for any piece, (except the legend section)
• At the end of the auction whatever prices have been achieved for the pieces 50% goes to your Charity and 50% goes back to Our Price.

Purchase Support Option

• You can purchase any number of unique pieces from the selection
• They will give you support by offering a subsidised price for any piece
• Each piece comes in a frame with a signed Certificate of Authenticity
• Table leaflets and an auctioneer's guidance sheet if required.
• You keep all the money raised.

They suggest at least 100 people attend auctions to generate a good return. We know of a number of Groups who have found this very successful with Elton John's Greatest hits going for £410 and Dire Straights for £310.

To find out more information please contact Lisa Bignall, Charity Support Team Tel: 01708 463222

To View Pieces from their private collection visit the website at www.ourpriceplc.com

Backing local groups

The Nottingham East Midlands Airport Community Fund aims to support local schemes which will boost the quality of life for local people within a 10 mile radius of the Airport.

The fund supports local projects that bring the community closer together through facilities for sport, recreation and other leisure time activities, environment improvements and protecting wildlife.

The Funds Committee meets quarterly to distribute funding and application forms are available from:-

The Nottingham East Midlands Airport Community Fund Secretary
Building 34
Nottingham East Midlands Airport
Castle Donnington
Derby
East Midlands
DE74 2SA

Or apply online at

www.eastmidlandsairport.com/en/community/communityfund

Charitable Foundation

Grants of up to £2,000 for special needs This foundation provides financial assistance for general charitable purposes for children that are underprivileged or have special needs. Grants are available in areas that have a Yorkshire Building Society branch.

Grants are available for up to £2,000. Applicants should state what other sources of funding have been secured.

Applications can be made at any time and should be made in writing to your local branch, or to the address below.

Yorkshire Building Society Charitable Foundation
Yorkshire House
Yorkshire Drive
Bradford
BD5 8LJ
Tel: 01274 740740

Grants (up to the value of £300) may also be available from your local branch. Contact your local Yorkshire Building Society and ask for more information on their Community Investment Fund.

This is a nationwide award scheme that connects thousands of local community and voluntary groups to the Internet. The second round for applications is now open. Visit www.btcommunityconnections.com for further information. The deadline for postal applications is 25 November 2004 and 2 December 2004 for online applications.

Grants for areas close to Shanks landfill sites

Grants are available for community projects throughout Great Britain, in the vicinity of Shanks landfill sites. These are located at: Brogborough/ Stewartby, Pwllfawatkin, Dogsthorpe/Weldon, Bletchley/ Calvert, Arlesey, Rossett/Chirk, Rotherham, Deerplay and Bennet Park.

Applications can be submitted at any time. The deadlines for funding and application forms can be found at www.shanksfirst.org.uk

Applications must be supported by the constitution, equal opportunities/environmental policies, audited accounts and a business plan.

Grants within greater Manchester and Wrexham

The Kellogg's Community Donation Fund supports small projects operating within the areas of Greater Manchester and Wrexham. Projects need to assist community development, the integration of disadvantaged into the community and opportunities for young people.

Small grants are awarded of amounts up to £500. Matched funding may be required. Applications from individuals are not supported. Online applications only are accepted - visit www.kelloggs.co.uk/community

Small grants for educational projects

JPMorgan seeks to strengthen the communities it works in and for this reason grants are concentrated in the following areas; London and London East, Romford, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Bournemouth.

Applications can be made at any time, however direct appeals from individuals will not usually be supported. If your Group is located in any of these areas and would like to apply, contact Duncan Grant for an initial discussion at duncan.grant@jpmorganfleming.com

Grants for local initiatives

Barclays focus their financial support on five areas, including education, the environment, the arts, people with disabilities and social inclusion. Barclays generally looks to fund projects between £1,000 and £25,000 on a local or regional basis.

The following areas are excluded from the Community Programme; building appeals, general appeals, salary costs, religious appeals and funding for individuals. Barclays prefers to work on specific project initiatives. Barclays also operates a match-giving scheme that matches funds raised by Barclays' employees.

Application forms and further information can be obtained from:

Community Affairs,
Barclays PLC,
8th Floor
54 Lombard Street,
London, EC3P 3AH
Tel: 020 7699 6673

Visit www.personal.barclays.co.uk/PFS/A/Content/Files/application_for_funding.pdf to download the application form.

Grants available for small projects

British Sugar Foundation provides support for charitable and voluntary organsiations running small and locally orientated projects in the areas of education, health, healthcare and the environment.

Grants are only available in locations where British Sugar operates. These are; Telford, Bury St Edmonds, Cantley, Norfolk, Downham Market, York, and Peterborough.

Grants are for a maximum of £200 and are for basic needs only.

A telephone discussion with the Foundation is required before applying. Following positive feedback, send a letter of application to:

British Sugar Foundation, Oundle Road, Peterborough, PE2 9QU
Tel: 01733 422902 info@britishsugar.co.uk

Donations for disadvantaged people

Abbey National's Trust was set up in 1990 and since then they have donated over £15 million to charity. The Trust has new priorities for 2004, these are:

1. education and training
2. local regeneration projects and
3. financial advice which helps money management

The Trust is seeking applications in the following areas: Camden, Glasgow, Bradford, Milton Keynes, Sheffield, Northern Ireland, Teeside, Norfolk and East London Donations range from £250 to a maximum of £20,000. The Trust does not make donations which are:

for salaries or core costs, for benefit or sponsor specific individuals, to help causes outside the UK, to replace statutory funding,for more than one year and to support fundraising by individuals or other grant making bodies.

For further information call 0870 608 010 (open from 10am until 2pm Monday to Friday), email communitypartnership@abbey.com or write to: PO Box 911,Milton Keynes,MK9 1AD

Powergen's GreenPlan fund is used to support renewable energy generation projects in the community. Local community groups located in England, Scotland and Wales can apply.

Applications for £2,500 - £25,000 will be considered and the project must result in the creation of renewable energy. Projects also need to have a positive impact on the local community and the environment, along with being sustainable beyond the support from the fund.

Examples of possible projects are:

• Solar energy - solar water heating and photovoltaics
• Onshore wind - small scale wind turbines
• Bio-fuels - including biomass, landfill gas and sewage gas

For further details and to apply email rose.heaven@pgen.com.

Applications will be reviewed twice a year. Deadlines are: 25 July 04 for the August review and 31st December 04 for the January review.

Extra cash from the Co-operative Group

Organisations may apply for grants of between £100 and £5,000. Community groups applying need to share the Co-op's values of self-help, social responsibility and caring for others. Groups applying could be environmental groups, young people, people with disabilities, playgroups, elderly people, credit unions and education projects.

The Co-operative Group runs a Community Dividend that gives Co-op Dividend Cardholders the option to donate money from their Dividend payments. Any money donated is included in the Community Dividend. As a result, organisations may apply for small grants to support their projects. Community groups need to meet the following criteria:

• Fulfill a need in the local community
• Provide long-term benefit for a sector of the community
• Target disadvantaged groups or areas within the community
• Seek to address community issues such as health, safety or poverty relief
• Show imagination in its approach

Applications will not be considered for running costs, wages or room hire.

For further information visit www.co-op.co.uk/communitydividend. You will need to check that your Group meets the criteria and then complete the application form. You may include no more than two sides of A4 supporting information. Each item must be clearly marked with the name and address of your organisation. Application forms should be sent to your regional Co-operative office, call 0845 090 1456 for further information.

Successful applicants are notified in writing within four months of the completed application being received. Raffle prizes are another way that the Co-operative Group can help your Group:

If you are looking for a raffle, or competition prizes, simply go into your local Co-op food store and talk to the Manager.You will need a letter, on headed paper, about your Group explaining what you want the products for. The manager will be more likely to support your Group if you are based very near to the store and you are a known and regular customer.

AOL UK and national charity Citizens Online have launched the AOL Innovation in the Community Awards 2004, inviting applications from UK community groups and charities seeking funding for Internet projects.

There are 30 awards on offer, each consisting of £2000 plus one year's free subscription to AOL, to non-profit organisations that already use the Internet or that want to get online for the first time.

The AOL Innovation in the Community Awards was launched in 2003 to encourage innovative use of the Internet amongst community groups and charities across the UK. Last year's winners used their awards to develop their Web sites, build a cybercafe, provide IT and Internet training, set up online forums and chat rooms, and purchase specialist IT equipment.

Application forms can be downloaded from the AOL Web site at www.aol.co.uk/innovation

Generous Charitable Giving

The Royal Bank of Scotland runs an extremely generous charitable giving programme for its employees. The bank double matches donations given by its employees through Give As You Earn.

For example a £10 donation would become £31 once the Governments 10% has been added. It also offers annual donation awards up to £1000 per eligible employee to reward the volunteering and fundraising efforts of its staff though its Community Cashback awards scheme.

If you are an employee of Royal Bank of Scotland and want to find out more about these schemes please contact your local branch.

Fundraise while you shop!

The Webb Ivory Fundraising catalogue has been used by Scout groups for over 30 years. The 244-page catalogue is packed full of value for money gift ideas and novelties including Christmas essentials like wrapping paper, cards and decorations. Up to 25% of the 'You Pay' price is donated to your good cause. Last year Scout groups from all over the UK who used Webb Ivory raised over £300,000. Webb Ivory is proud to have been part of such a fantastic success story. So get your fundraising off to a flying start and request your catalogue by ringing 0870 605 5000 quoting code FP0O

Is your Group located close to an airport?

This trust has been set up by BAA plc and assists projects that develop educational opportunities. Areas that can benefit are local communities around the following airports: Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Southampton, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen. Applications should be in writing to the Community Relations Manager at Gatwick, Heathrow, Southampton and Stansted airports (check websites for individual addresses).

For Scotland contact:

Head of Public Affairs,
Scottish Airports Ltd,
St Andrew's Drive,
Paisley, Renfrewshire,
PA3 2ST.

Do you need grants for Football activities?

If the answer is yes visit www.premierleague.com and then click on 'About us' and 'Community Projects' to see if a category applies to your Group. If your project is applicable contact the FA at:

The F.A. Premier League,
11 Connaught Place,
London,
W2 2ET

Are you a BT Employee Past or Present?

Could you and your Scout Group benefit from good citizenship materials and the use of resources such as DVD players, digital cameras and free training? If the answer is yes, BT volunteers would like to help your Scout Group: Please call 01908 293713 or log on to http://www.btvolunteers.org/ or email btvolunteers@bt.com

BT has set up a Volunteering network that offers support and resources to employees past and present as well as family and friends that are involved in volunteering work in the community.

They also offer their own unique programme of volunteering nation-wide, which involves working with young people to improve communication skills for life

Do you need financial advice?

This is a foundation set up by Halifax and the Bank of Scotland. It aims to support charitable and voluntary organisations throughout the UK. The Foundation wants to help with:

• Money advice and financial literacy
• Developing and improving local communities

For further information and an application form visit: http://www.hbosplc.com/policies/communityrelations/hbosfoundation/index.htm

How your local store can support your Group

Every year the Tesco Charity Trust supports local communities through giving financial and practical assistance to charities and projects in areas local to where they have stores. Charities and Projects they support involve children, education, people with disabilities and the elderly. If you would like more information about this scheme and other ways that Tesco could help your Scout Group raise money, please visit http://www.tesco.com/corporateinfo/ or contact:

Tesco Charity Trust
Tesco Stores Ltd
Delamare Road
Cheshunt
EN8 9SL

Deadline: 31st of January each year

Donate as you surf

CharityDays is an Internet Service Provider. The main difference between this and other commercial Internet Providers is that Donate as you surf Limited, the company behind CharityDays, donates 60% of its entire turnover to its member UK Charities.

For more information about this service and how you can sign up please visit http://www.charitydays.net/.

You could raise money from cans!

The Aluminium Packaging Recycling Organisation (Alupro) has put together a recycling guide for recycling campaigns. They say that £40m per year could be made annually by recycling so get collecting!

There are over 500 cash for cans centres or mobile van sites across the UK, where you can exchange your aluminium cans for cash. It's something people can do for you - and the environment - without dipping into their pockets for cash!

Visit alupro.org.uk for further information.

This is a registered charity, which receives surplus goods and materials from companies and redistributes them. There are some restrictions on the use of the goods donated i.e. they cannot be resold etc.

For further details and a catalogue containing listings of all the goods available telephone 020 7860 5930 or visit their website at www.inkinddirect.org.uk

For an annual fee of £15 a year any UK registered charity can save money on Virgin and any train company on the National Rail Network. You can register for Charity Line by calling 0845 30 50 350. So sign up and start saving on your future Train Journeys!

The task for this foundation is to "support and work in partnership with charitable organisations and help people, especially those who are disadvantaged or disabled" Lloyds TSB will support schemes across the UK.

For further details on the priorities in your area please contact one of the following:

• Lloyds TSB Foundation for Scotland
  Tel: 0131 225 4555
  Website: www.ltsbfoundationforscotland.org.uk
• Lloyds TSB Foundation for Northern Ireland
  Tel 028 9038 2864
  Email: www.lloydstsbfoundationni.org
• Lloyds TSB Foundation for England and Wales
  Tel 020 7204 5276
  Website: www.lloydstsbfoundations.org.uk
• Lloyds TSB Foundation for the Channel Islands
  Tel 01534 864570
  Website: www.ltsbfoundationci.org

The Nationwide Foundation's two main priorities are to support volunteering programmes throughout the UK and Rural regeneration. Applications from registered charities and not-for-profit organisations in the UK. Full details and guidance are available from:

The Nationwide Foundation,
The Foundation Office,
Nationwide House,
Pipers Way,
Swindon,
SN38 2SN
 
Tel: 01793 657 183

There are 4 assessment sessions in March, June, September and November.