Employment funding
Adventure Capital Fund
The Adventure Capital Fund was launched in December 2002 in order to create new forms of investment in community organisations.
The fund aims to strengthen local communities by investing in organisations that work in and for their communities. By helping organisations to become stronger and more self-sufficient through enterprise, the fund aims to help each group become sustainable in the long term and better able to control their own destinies by becoming less reliant upon short-term grants.
Adventure Capital Fund, c/o Local Investment Fund, 7th Floor, Ibex House, 42-47 Minories, London EC3N 1DY
Tel: 0207 680 1028
Email: info@adventurecapitalfund.org.uk
Website: www.adventurecapitalfund.org.uk *
Awards for All
Grants up to £10,000 from the Awards for All programme are open to not-for-profit organisations, including parish and town councils, schools and health bodies.
They can be used to support small-scale projects that promote arts and education, encourage healthier living, develop local sports, support heritage initiatives and boost community
Awards for All South East, 3rd Floor, Dominion House, Woodbridge Road, Guildford, Surrey GU1 4BN
Tel: 08454 102030
Email: south.east@awardsforall.org.uk
Website: www.awardsforall.org.uk
Connexions Kent and Medway
Grants are periodically available for projects that contribute to Connexions targets. The over-riding target is to ensure all young people in Kent and Medway in the Connexions age range are in employment, education or training, so projects that can deliver measurable outcomes for young people excluded or at risk of exclusion from school would be welcome. The Connexions age range is 13 -19, or up to 25 for young people with learning difficulties or disabilities.
Connexions Kent & Medway Ltd, Woodstock House, 15 Ashford Road, Maidstone ME14 5DA
Tel: 01622 683155
Email: enquiries@connexionskentandmedway.co.uk
Website: www.connexionskentandmedway.co.uk/html/home.asp
European Social Fund 2008-11
ESF, run jointly by LSC, DWP/JCP and SEEDA, has £81million to allocate in the South East for partnership groups.
This stream has two priorities:
- Increase Employment Rate
- Develop a skilled & adaptable workforce
Keep checking the website for up-to-date details.
Website:www.esf2008-2011-se.org.uk
Global Grants
This programme aims to deliver an estimated 50 accredited or recognised training course within North Kent by December 2006. All activities should have progression in the labour market and improved access to employment as a key theme. The programme will encourage projects that focus on the following employment sectors:
- Sport & Leisure
- Healthcare
- Childcare
- ICT
- Voluntary Sector
- Social Enterprise
The programme will support vocational training courses in these key sectors that are administered by eligible organisations for the target groups. Applicants can apply for funding between £500 - £10,000 with no match-funding requirement and up to 80% up-front cash. This fund is designed for grass-root community groups who may face barriers accessing other grants because of the complicated processes involved. However, applicants must have the legal capacity to enter into the contract.
The criteria for eligible activity will be:
- Training courses leading to an accredited/recognised qualification within the key employment sectors
- Course to be managed by eligible organisations
- Training to be delivered by accredited training agencies
- Where possible training is to be delivered in the community
95 High Street, Rochester, ME1 1LX
Tel: 01634 338137
Email: robert.rose@medway.gov.uk
LINK Fund
The Link Fund supports local charity and community projects that benefit communities primarily around Land Securities developments in North Kent. It is administered by the Kent Community Foundation and a panel of local people will decide which projects receive grants of between £250 and £5,000. Grants will be considered for projects that relate to jobs, lifelong learning, community and culture. The Advisor for Dartford is Manjit Sohal who can be contacted on 07812 555024 or via email manjit.kcf@blueyonder.co.uk
Kent Community Foundation, Office 23, Evegate Park Barn, Evegate, Smeeth, Ashford TN25 6SX
Tel: 01303 814500
Email: admin.kcf@btopenworld.com
Website: www.kentcf.org.uk
Princes's Trust
The Prince's Trust helps young people by providing long term support to those who have the potential but few of the opportunities. The Prince's Trust business programme helps people aged 18-30 who want to set up a business by providing low interest loans, grants and mentors.
Tel: 01252 891330
Website: www.princes-trust.org.uk
Regeneration & Economy
Grants of up to £10,000 are available to projects that encourage local employment and community involvement in rural areas of Kent. Rural Revival Grants aim to breakdown barriers to employment for disadvantaged and under-represented groups or individuals living in rural areas. These include: people with disabilities; older people; lone and unemployed parents; teenage parents; those with caring responsibilities; people who need to counter chronically low self-esteem and lack of motivation. The grant can be used for activities that improve community safety. Applicants are encouraged to speak with the team at Kent County Council before filling out the forms to check that the project is eligible. Grants are now available to the 'most isolated and deprived urban and urban fringe communities' in addition to rural communities.
Regeneration & Economy ESF Support Officer, Environmental Management, Kent County Council, Invicta House, County Hall, Maidstone,
Kent ME14 1XX
Tel: 01622 221548 Fax: 01622 691418
Email: rural.revival@kent.gov.uk
Website: www.kent.gov.uk/Community/rural-communities/rural revival
Urban II
Achieving Social Inclusion - This priority aims to remove social and cultural barriers that people from different communities experience and which prevent them from being able to access work. Urban will fund up to 50% of project costs under this priority.
The Old Rectory, Springhead Road, Northfleet, Kent DA11 8HN
Tel: 0845 303 2420
Email: info@urban-thames-gateway.org.uk
Website: www.urban-thames-gateway.co.uk
Urban II - Community Chest
The Community Chest Phase II is to support and encourage training and learning for small, grass roots community and voluntary groups in the Thames Gateway Urban Area. There is a short application process and groups can apply for between £200 and £4000. Groups can apply on their own or in partnership with a training provider.
The fund pays for up to 70% of a project and forward funding of up to 25% is available. If you have an idea for a project which takes place in the Urban wards of Stone, Castle, Greenhithe or Swanscombe or will have participants from these wards, then The Urban Community Chest Project Coordinator would love to hear from you. Please contact her at:
Dartford Borough Council, Home Gardens, Dartford, Kent DA1 1DRTel: 01322 343527
Email: elaine.henson@dartford.gov.uk
Website: www.urban-thames-gateway.co.uk/4736.html
