New funding available for community groups

LOCAL groups with great ideas to make their communities an even better place to live are now invited to apply for funding.

People’s Health Trust has just launched Active Communities – a funding programme for residents of Gosport wanting to create fairer places to grow, live, work and age across a wider region including parts of Portsmouth, Havant, Isle of Wight, Eastbourne, Bedford, Arun, Worthing, Cherwell, Wycombe, Vale of White Horse, Oxford and Milton Keynes.

Using money raised by Health Lottery South East, People’s Health Trust is looking to invest in projects that support people living in neighbourhoods or communities which are currently experiencing the highest levels of disadvantage.

Active Communities is a funding programme for not-for-profit groups with an income of less than £350,000 a year, or an average of £350,000 over two years, seeking investment of between £5,000 and £40,000 for projects lasting up to two years.

People’s Health Trust is looking to fund projects which tackle the social determinants of health. This could be through building social connections between people, helping people connect with their surroundings and projects which bring people together to have community power.

It is particularly interested in hearing about small and local projects which have been designed and are run by local people. And People’s Health Trust is also looking for great ideas from communities of interest who have something in common and wish to come together to address an issue important to them. These ideas could be based in one neighbourhood, or cover a wider area, but they must live close enough to each other to meet up regularly.

John Hume, Chief Executive, People’s Health Trust, said: “We’re looking to support ideas designed and run by local people which help create even stronger links and ties within communities.

“Whether it’s a women’s volunteering group run by and for Bengali women, a computer skills support group run for and by older people, support for local people to become community organisers or young people living with mental ill-health wishing to address access to work issues or discrimination, we’re interested to hear about it.

“Applying couldn’t be easier – it’s about local people telling us what would make their local community an even better place to grow, live, work and age.”

The closing date for applications is 1pm on Wednesday, October 6. Apply today