We’re back with The National Lottery, ITV, UTV and, for the first time this year, the Sunday Mail. We’re giving community organisations the chance to apply for funding of up to £70,000.
After a national campaign the winners will be decided by public vote. The idea is to give Lottery players and the public a say in how National Lottery money is spent.
We’re looking for projects that:
bring people together and build strong relationships in and across communities
make communities stronger and more inclusive
help people or communities develop the skills and capacity they need to achieve their ambitions
involve the people you support in the design, development and delivery of your project
support people to create meaningful change in their local community or help it thrive
help people and communities connect by engaging with nature
build connections across different cultures, different communities, or both.
We’re looking for imaginative ideas from organisations that have already done good work in their local community. We’ll prioritise smaller organisations with annual turnovers of under £500,000.
We’ll award grants of up to £70,000 to 57 winners across the UK. We will offer up to 38 runner-up organisations awards of as much as £10,000.
This is an exciting opportunity, but it will take time and commitment over several months to get your project the votes you need to win. Before deciding to apply, consider if you’re happy running a public campaign that could bring lots of publicity to your project. We’ll provide free support and training to help you do this.
Area
UK-wide
Suitable for
voluntary and community organisations
Funding size
up to £70,000
Total available
Up to £4.37 million
Application deadline
12 noon on Friday 7 October 2022, or when we have reached our limit for applications for this fund if that’s sooner.
We will be holding a session on the 30th of September at the Happy Hub in Basildon between 12:30 pm and 4 pm. ( Lunch and networking between 12:30 and 13:30)
We are going to use the time as a purposeful session to hold a conversation on Cost of Living and Winter Pressures with our Anchor Colleagues and partners .
We will also use this as an opportunity to commence the discovery phase on how we co-design and shape how a future Voluntary and Community Sector Assembly could work for MSE geography. Our Chairman, Professor Mike Thorne will be contributing to the conversation and setting the scene for the day.
Our communities and partners are our greatest asset, we know there is so much great work going on across the patch and we want to ensure we amplify, connect and identify any opportunities to do the best we can to empower people in our communities to be their own purposeful movement starters.
We would very much like to see you all in person, everyone from our infrastructure organisations, charities, mutual aid groups, digital community leaders, parish and town councils, faith groups, police and fire colleagues and anyone with an interest in communities. We will also be offering a hybrid way to connect into the session.
This will be the first session we convene and we will be running a series of development and learning sessions both digitally and face to face, through the lens of communities of place purpose and interest.
How can we make Essex stand out and compete and be attractive for investment, businesses, talents, residents, visitors and students? We want to showcase all that Essex has to offer – and we want to hear from you.
Over the summer, influential people from across Essex have been coming together to plan how Essex will promote itself in a more joined-up way to make Essex stand out to investors, talents, visitors and students.
We have engaged with over 130 Essex stakeholders via focus groups and workshops, and we have brought together the findings from these sessions into a shortlist of key talking points, issues and insights.
We want to hear from you. Please complete our survey below to let us know your views on how best we can help Essex stand out and compete for business.
Training sessions to help spot signs of domestic abuse and support those affected are available through the Community J9 Domestic Abuse Initiative.
J9 training is open to anyone in the community and helps
them recognise domestic abuse and respond to survivors.
The free, hour-long awareness raising sessions will equip attendees with the tools to recognise abuse, respond appropriately and help people access the support they need.
Following the training, attendees receive access to a J9 information pack that they can make available to anyone to who might need it via the SETDAB Website. The pack has a wealth of information on local and national support services, and what help people are entitled to.
Abusers isolate their victims making it difficult, if not impossible, to seek help. By empowering members of the community to know how to react we can ensure that more people have access to the help they need.
The J9 initiative is named in memory of Janine Mundy, who was killed by her estranged husband whilst he was on Police bail. It was started by her family and the local police in Cambourne, Cornwall, where she lived, and aims to raise awareness of domestic abuse and assist victims to access help and support. We remain in contact with her family who give their full support.
If you would like to attend a J9 training session or would like more information please contact:
Sometimes it only takes a small amount of money to bring a good idea to life and the Community Challenge Fund is a simple way for local residents in our levelling up communities to access money that could make a real difference.
To increase reach and support, fund applications have been increased and criteria expanded, so that bids can now be made for between £300 to £5,000 to fund a new, not for profit scheme, group, initiative or idea. Registered Charities, Community Interest Companies (CIC) or Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIO) may also now apply.
Essex Is United is a collaboration between Essex County Council, The Essex Public Health Team, the local NHS, and local Facebook groups.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING THE USE OF YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION
Any information submitted using this form will be stored by Essex County Council and only accessed by Essex County Council and those working on their behalf in accordance with their current GDPR and data protection policies. It may be shared with Provide, an organisation that works alongside Essex County Council, and other approved partners solely for the purposes of making sure that respondents are connected directly with members of their local community who are organising volunteering efforts.
A Community Fridge is a space that brings people together to eat, connect, learn new skills and reduce food waste. It is a site where local people can share food, this includes surplus from supermarkets, local food businesses, producers, households and gardens. Fridges are run by community groups in shared spaces such as schools, community centres and shops, their main purpose is saving fresh food from going to waste.
The Community Fridge Network is coordinated by Hubbub and it connects fridges across the UK. It is a support network for groups running fridges to share knowledge and skills and to ask questions. The Network offers free guidance on how to set up your own fridge and provides comprehensive support, design assets, a knowledge sharing forum, health and safety templates and discounted fridges and freezers!
There are currently over 300 fridges across the UK and counting, Hubbub have partnered with Co-op to fund 500 fridges by the end of 2023.
Read on to find out more about setting up your own fridge, joining the network or finding a fridge in your local area.
Click the links below to find the section you need.
Where is a fridge near me? See our interactive map to find your local fridge opening times and what it offers
How do I set up a fridge?Step-by-step guidance for starting a Fridge in your area. Plus, you can register for funding
A Community Fridge can be accessed by anyone locally who wants to share food, volunteer or get involved with some of the other amazing activities the group have to offer. We have created some guidance on what you can and cannot share with the fridge (for health and safety reasons) so make sure to check in advance before you visit.
Use our fridge map to find your nearest Community Fridge and get involved!
How do I set up a fridge?
Click here to download our How To guide which shows you how to start your fridge from scratch.
We are currently accepting applications from groups to receive grant funding to set up a fridge. Find more information and submit your application here: Application Form for Grant Funding
Becoming a member gives you access to all our support and resources, signs you up to our quarterly newsletter and connects you with other likeminded groups in our network.
Try and answer every question possible and make sure that you will be able to provide the documentation and assurances asked for in time for your launch. Members are required to register their Community Fridge as a Food Business with their local authority. Following from this you will have had an inspection from an Environmental Health Officer and receive a food hygiene rating for the fridge.
Once the online form is complete you will be sent an email with the information on the next steps and a resource pack that includes a list of supporting retailers you can contact for food donations. We will also add you to our mailing list so you’ll receive newsletters and updates from us.
You can also join our Facebook Group here and start chatting with other Community Fridge groups across the UK.
How can I share food?
Community Fridges are open to everyone, and anyone is welcome to share food.
I’m an individual
Use the map above to find and get in touch with your local fridge and offer your support.
I’m an organisation
We are proud to work with some fantastic partners who play a vital role in reducing food waste and sharing food, and we’re keen to develop more local connections with food growers, manufacturers and retailers who, by sharing quality excess food, not only reduce wasted food and disposal costs, but directly support their local community. If that sounds like something you’re interested in, get in touch with the team at communityfridge@hubbub.org.uk to discuss how we can work together.
Rules on food donation
Read our rules on food sharing by clickingon the links below
In 2021, we estimate the Community Fridge Network redistributed around 3,150 tonnes of surplus food (that’s the same as 7.5 million meals!*) and we welcomed over 1 million visits from 250,000 visitors
With each fridge sharing an average of 2.1 tonnes of food per month, the collective impact of the Community Fridge Network is huge. What’s more important though, are the stories that we hear from communities. The fridges bring people together, address social isolation and provide people with the opportunity to access healthy food, try something new and save money.
In a nutshell, a fridge is often so much more than a fridge. As well as introducing you to new people and foods, Community Fridges host all kinds of activities such as cooking workshops, food growing, clothes swaps… you name it.
The Essex Shed Network (ESN) are looking for an enthusiastic individual who is interested in developing this exciting project further to help support men in Essex to be more connected with their communities.
The purpose of the Development Officer is to work with communities, individuals and organisations to increase the number of Men in Shed projects, improve the sustainability of existing sheds and achieve outcomes for individual shedders around improved health and mental health. This role will include supporting individuals with finding and preparing premises, looking for and applying for funding, developing policies, advising on Health & Safety, risk assessments and to keep accurate records.
ESN are looking for a highly motivated individual who is flexible, approachable, able to manage their own workload and have excellent interpersonal skills to drive this project forward.
Small, friendly team
Offices set in a rural location (Essex) – some work from home or in the community settings/locations across Essex
Up to £25,000. Dependent upon experience
Fixed term contract – end of August 2023
37.5 hours per week – Flexible, remote or hybrid home/office model may be applied
All applicants MUST complete a UCAN application form (No CV’s will be accepted).
Are you, or someone you care for, under 25? Have they tried to access GP services in West Essex? If so we would like to hear from you.
West Essex primary care has, since 1st July, come under the responsibility of a new NHS organisation, the Integrated Care System.
They have asked us to explore how they can make improvements. What’s working well and what can be improved? Where are the blockages in the system and how can they be opened? How can every child and young person get timely and effective access to quality care and support?
Your experience of the system can give us vital, real life insight – and can help make a difference!
Please take just a few minutes to complete our survey today. Survey responses are completely anonymous, but if you wish to tell us more about your experience, you can give your contact details at the end.
The London Marathon Charitable Trust (LMCT) has provided a grant of £1 million to expand the Find Your Active small grants programme, scale up Essex Pedal Power, and increase active travel opportunities in our schools and communities.
The RideLondon-Essex cycling event, which took place in May 2022 in conjunction with Essex County Council, has led to a new funding partnership between Active Essex and LMCT to invest £1 million to inspire more people to be active across the county. Active Essex is the Active Partnership for the county and hosted by Essex County Council.
LMCT is the parent charity of London Marathon Events (LME), the organisers of RideLondon. All surplus from events organised by LME is gifted to LMCT, who in turn provide grants to projects that inspire activity.
As part of Active Essex’s successful Find Your Active campaign, LMCT is powering a programme to support Essex-wide projects that help residents lead active and healthy lives. Organisations, groups and instructors will be able to apply for funds of up to £3,000 to help residents find the activity that’s right for them, via the Active Essex website as of today. * In light of the growing cost-of-living crisis, we’re offering this funding to clubs and groups who can help get residents to be active in these challenging times and welcome organisations to inform us of the support they need.
In order to capture the county’s love for cycling, The Active Essex Foundation will also be offering support to inclusive cycling initiatives along the RideLondon route, as well as skate jam opportunities for young people. Through events and cycling workshops, the Foundation will strengthen communities, enhancing local assets and providing opportunities for young people who are at risk, to try new activities and lead healthier, happier, more positive lives.
Schools will be encouraged to apply for the Essex School Active Travel Grant funding, to help promote healthier active travel methods for both pupils and families. Schools will be able to utilise the funding to start or expand their School Active Travel Plan and help overcome any existing barriers currently preventing communities to travel actively to school. **
Building upon established active travel initiatives in Essex, the £1 million funding will also help to expand Essex Pedal Power; a community-based cycling initiative that has been piloted in Clacton and Jaywick Sands, where eligible residents can apply for a free bike, with the aim of making cycling more accessible for everyone. New Essex Pedal Power programmes are being planned for Colchester, Basildon and Harwich.
Catherine Anderson, Executive Director at The London Marathon Charitable Trust, said: “It’s great to have Essex as a new core funding area for us, thanks to the partnership between RideLondon and Essex County Council, and to have the opportunity to inspire activity in communities right across the county.
“We’re proud to be working with Active Essex and The Active Essex Foundation to fund initiatives that will promote health and wellbeing – supporting more people to find an activity that’s right for them and building activity into their daily lives. We can’t wait to see the impact our partnership will have over the next year in helping communities across the county to be more active.”
Cllr Lee Scott, Cabinet Member for Highways Maintenance and Sustainable Transport added: “It’s great to see how the inaugural event of RideLondon coming to Essex is now having a tremendous benefit on Essex residents. It is my hope that this funding will have an impact on activity levels across the county and help provide further opportunities in creating sustainable active travel.”
* To read the criteria and to apply to the Find Your Active grant, click here.
** To apply for the Schools Active Travel Grant, click here.
*** To find out more about Essex Pedal Power, click here.