Community Investment Fund: Seeking Funding Proposals up to £10,000 per Year
Posted on: January 12, 2022
The Community Investment Fund is managed and delivered by the Community Investment Board, made up of local residents volunteering their time to make investments enabling Southend residents to improve their lives. The fund is hosted by Southend Association of Voluntary Services (SAVS). The board are keen to hear from not-for-profit groups or individuals with ideas that will achieve our vision and mission from Jan 2022 onwards. The board are seeking proposals looking for up to £10,000 per year in early 2022. The funding is targeted at organisations with a lower income (approx. £100,000 or less). This initial funding is being offered as a trial to establish the best way for the Community Investment Fund to operate in the future. The board then planning for larger investments from spring 2022 onwards, all from a total pot of £1.5m from Southend Borough Council.
The Community Investment Board’s vision is of a sustainable Southend where residents engage in their wider communities, are empowered to realise and reach their full potential. In a city they are proud of, feel safe in and can enjoy healthy and fulfilling lives.
Their mission is to utilise the strengths and assets of Southend locally by motivating residents to create sustainable and resilient communities that will;
- Improve health and wellbeing; mental health; and the perception and attitudes towards Southend.
- Reduce isolation and loneliness, homelessness; poverty; addiction; antisocial behaviour and violent crime.
- Enable community-led action to improve and allow community ownership of physical spaces & local events.
- Enhance a thriving economy, by raising aspirations and building skills.
- Influence positive change within organisations to improve and develop their activities.
- Invest for future sustainability in the work of the Community Investment Board.
The board are interested in ideas seeking up to £10,000, per year (i.e. 2022, 2023 and 2024), for use until September 2024 from those based and/or working in Southend that;
- Will deliver their vision and mission and Southend Borough Council’s 2050 themes and outcomes.
- That deliver direct benefits to the most marginalised communities in Southend facing the challenges within our vision and mission and tailored to them.
- Ideas that minimise the need to access statutory services and dependency on them.
- Activities that provide support outside of usual working hours and are more accessible.
- Are from small organisations, most likely with an income of around or less than £100k per year seeking core or project costs from Jan 2022 to Sept 2024 over weeks, months or years. If you apply for funding for a short time you are welcome to request more if you need it in the future.
- Proposals where those who will benefit from the activities are directly involved in the design, delivery and evaluation of the plans.
Board member Paula Morgan said, ‘Our board of 9 members only came together in September this year formally for the first time. Since then we have been exploring the various strengths and opportunities in our city – we are all local residents and excited to have this chance to invest in and inspire change across our own communities using our lived experiences.’
Throughout 2022 it is envisaged that the board will meet monthly, to consider proposals. If you have feedback or questions, want to find out more or talk through your idea and how to approach this, please contact our Community Investment Fund Coordinator, Gemma Cartwright using [email protected], 01702 356008 . To apply and find out more visit the guidance here.
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