ESF Community Grants

Gateshead Council learningSkills have been awarded the ESF contract to distribute £1million of Community Grants across Tyne and Wear and Northumberland. Any third sector organisation (voluntary, community, registered charities, social enterprises, mutual and co-operatives) can apply for a Grant.

Organisations can apply for a grant of up to £20,000 to work with people 16 years of age or older to help them move closer to the labour market. We are after innovative projects that push the boundaries in engaging those furthest away from accessing provision and main stream services.

Groups are invited to attend a Market Engagement event that will provide more information about the grant, what it can be used for and how to complete the application form.
The Market Engagement events are:

  • Gateshead- Tuesday 3rd December 10-12.30pm, The Dryden Centre
  • Newcastle- Wednesday 4th December 9.30-12noon, Blakelaw Centre
  • South Tyneside- Wednesday 4th December 1.30-4.00pm, Ocean Road Community Association
  • North Tyneside- Thursday 5th December 1.30-4.00pm, Meadow Well Connected
  • Sunderland- Tuesday 10th December 9-11.30am, Pallion Action Group
  • Northumberland- Tuesday 10th December 2-4.30pm, East Bedlington Community Centre

Organisations can come to any of the events- they are not restricted to the one held in their area.

To book in, please visit: https://esfcommunitygrants.weebly.com/how-to-apply.html Tickets (which are free) go on sale the 18th November and close 48 hours before each event.

You can also find out more information about the event and the project on the website.

Celebrate National Lottery 25

Celebrate The National Lottery’s 25th birthday by bringing people together.

National Lottery Community Fund (NLCF) are offering people and communities with great ideas the chance to receive a grant between £100 and £1,000.

The fund can pay for event, activity, or item costs, between £100 and £1,000 that will bring people together between 1 February and 31 December 2020.

This can fund a wide range of items, such as:

  • event and activity costs
  • equipment
  • staff costs
  • training costs
  • transport
  • utilities/running costs related to your idea
  • volunteer expenses

Any group of two or more people with a great idea can apply. NLCF are particularly keen to hear from people they haven’t worked with before.

NLCF are expecting a lot of people to apply so to give everyone a fair chance they will use a lottery process, randomly selecting the applicants to be assessed.

Everyone who submits an application will be entered into the lottery draw, which will take place after the deadline closes at 2pm on Friday 6 December 2019. NLCF will then run a few straightforward checks to make sure that applications meet our eligibility criteria and genuinely benefit the community.

NLCF hope to let you know by email whether you have been successful by 31 January 2020.

Visit the NLCF 25 Celebration website for more information https://www.celebratenationallottery25.com/

Sherburn House Fund Individual Hardship (Relief in Need)

(Managed by County Durham Community Foundation)

  • £300 grants available for individuals or families
  • Funding for essential domestic equipment (eg cookers, washing machines, beds etc)
  • North East wide (recipients must live between the River Tweed and River Tees)

Applications are invited from professionals working with clients who are experiencing extreme hardship and are in financial need. It is likely that they have been unable to obtain funding from other sources.

Applications must be submitted by organisations willing to purchasing items on behalf of your client.

For full details, please visit the CDCF website

Adult education budget devolution update for North of Tyne

The North of Tyne Combined Authority has launched a procurement process for organisations interested in delivering adult education services in the North of Tyne area from August 2020.

As part of government devolution to transfer certain powers and funding, the North of Tyne Combined Authority will be taking responsibility for the adult education budget, which is currently administered by the Education and Skills Funding Agency. More than £6m of the overall adult education budget will be distributed via procurement to organisations of all sizes and sectors, allowing local innovation and flexibility to better meet the needs of the area's residents.

All applications must be submitted via the North East Procurement Organisation (NEPO) portal by 4pm on December 13th. All supporting documents can be found on the portal along with a list of questions and answers. All questions and clarifications must be submitted via the NEPO portal only, before December 6th. 

Find out more at northoftyne-ca.gov.uk/adult-education-budget-devolution.

Curtin PARP (Passionate About Realising your Potential) Fund

A Professor of Experimental Cancer Therapeutics at Newcastle University, involved in the creation of Rubraca®, a new cancer drug that has been approved for use on the NHS, has donated her share of proceeds to the Community Foundation.

The Curtin PARP (Passionate About Realising your Potential) Fund at the Community Foundation was established with a generous gift of nearly £865,000 by Professor Nicola Curtin and aims to help individuals realise their potential in life.

The Curtin PARP Fund at the Community Foundation is now open for applications in 2019, with a deadline of Monday 2 December and will reopen in mid-January for the 2020 round, receiving applications at any point throughout the year.

The Fund will support a range of activities to help people to develop the skills, talents and confidence to overcome barriers to employment or education. Priority will be given to carers, black and minority ethnic people, disabled people, homeless people and people who are experiencing disadvantage that prevents them from realising their potential. 

The Fund is named after the drug, which is classed as a PARP inhibitor, and works by exploiting a defect in the cancer cell’s ability to repair normal wear and tear to its DNA.  

Professor Nicola Curtin says: 
“I know first-hand that people are capable of amazing things, but society sometimes doesn’t always allow people to reach their full potential. So, through the Curtin PARP Fund at the Community Foundation I want to leave a lasting legacy that will change lives for the better.”

Read the full article on the Community Foundation's website. 

For more information about applying to the Curtin PARP Fund at the Community Foundation visit the website.