Equitable Charitable Trust (UK) 

Charitable organisations working towards educating young people, especially young people with disabilities and/or from disadvantaged backgrounds can apply for funding of up to £30,000 through the Equitable Charitable Trust. The Trustees award approximately £1 million a year and seeks to identify and support good projects that address needs not adequately met at present, including those with potential to be introduced to large numbers of schools. Grants made by the Trust fall into three broad categories: 

*	Education projects or services that support the learning and development of disabled children and young people in the UK; 
*	Education projects for disadvantaged children and young people in the UK, particularly those that support delivery of the
National Curriculum or vocational learning opportunities; 
*	Education projects that will help increase participation in, or improve the quality of, education for disadvantaged or
disabled children and young people in developing countries.  

The length of funding can range from one to three years. Previously supported projects include supplementary Maths, English and Science classes for disadvantaged 5-18 year olds; education projects to reduce teenage pregnancies; capital grants for the renovation and refurbishment of facilities for children with complex needs and disabilities; and music education projects for children and young people with profound and multiple learning difficulties. Applications can be submitted at any time and are considered on a rolling basis by the Trustees. For more information visit http://www.equitablecharitabletrust.org.uk/

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£1 Million Available to Support Youth Projects (UK)

Young people are being given the chance to claim a share of £1 million to help tackle the dangers of drugs, crime and play a positive role in their community. The Royal Bank of Scotland Community Cash Awards will see £1 million of grants being distributed by youth charity "The Prince's Trust" to young people who want to run community projects in some of Britain's poorest areas. The Awards, worth £250 to £5,000, are available to disadvantaged 14 to 25-year-olds who want to transform their area and learn practical skills. Projects could range from improving local youth facilities to tackling teenage pregnancy or drug misuse. Projects must: 

* Be run and managed by people between the ages of 14 and 25 * Clearly benefit the local community * Benefit the people running the project * Be a new or developing project. 

Previous projects supported include; an amateur boxing project to give young people greater confidence; and a media project to promote community cohesion and greater understanding between the local community and asylum seekers. Applications can be made at any time. For more information, visit http://www.princes-trust.org.uk/need_help/grants/community_cash_awards.aspx

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The Tudor Trust

The Tudor Trust, one of the largest independent grant making trusts in the UK has announced new funding guidelines for the period
2009 - 11. Under the new guidelines, the Trust will continue to make grants across their established funding areas. These are; youth, older people, community, relationships, housing, mental health, substance misuse, learning, financial security and criminal justice. The Trust will also be open to hearing about work in areas the Trust has not funded before. The Trust makes grants in the region of £19 million per year and aims to support smaller community, voluntary and charitable organisations and is looking to make around 350 projects per year for up to three years. Grants can take the form of core funding (including salaries and running costs), development funding, project grants or capital grants for buildings or equipment. There is no maximum or minimum grant amount that an organisation can apply for. There is a two stage application process and applications can be submitted at any time. For more information, visit http://tudortrust.org.uk/Default.aspx

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Friends Provident promotes financial inclusion within the community

The Friends Provident Foundation makes grants of up to £200,000 to not-for profit organisations for projects that address financial exclusion within disadvantaged communities. The funding is distributed through the Financial Inclusion Programme 2007 - 2009. The Foundation will consider applications for work that will make a strategic contribution to the overall outcome of financial inclusion in the UK. The Foundation will consider requests for capital or revenue funding, core funds or project costs. 

The Foundation is willing to consider applications from any type of legally independent organisation, but can only support work that is legally charitable. Actions previously supported through the Foundation include: 
Making money management advice available to young people via mobile phones and interactive digital TV

A research project to look at the difficulties that people with a learning disability are having in gaining access to banking services. 

The next closing date for applications is the 10th July 2009. For more information, visit:
http://www.friendsprovident.co.uk/foundation/

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Modernisation Fund (England)

Capacitybuilders, which is is a non-departmental public body responsible for developing the capacity of the third sector within England, has announced that the first stage of the Modernisation Fund will open for applications in June 2009. The Capacitybuilders Modernisation Fund is part of the Governments £42.5 million initiative to assist third sector organisations become stronger and more resilient to the impact of the economic downturn. Capacitybuilders element of the Modernisation Fund will total £16.5 million. As part of Stage 1 of the Modernisation Fund, it is anticipated that around 1000 successful applicants will receive a bursary worth £1,000 which they can use to pay for at least two days of initial advice to explore how mergers and collaboration may help their business adapt and become more resilient to the impact of the economic downturn. Further grants of around £10,000 will be available later in the year for organisations who want to make further progress towards collaboration and/or merger. Application for stage two grants will be dependant on having accessed stage one funding. A second element of the Modernisation Fund will be managed by Futurebuilders. It is anticipated that this will open for application during April 2009.

http://www.capacitybuilders.org.uk/content/ModernisationFund.aspx

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Government Launches New Inspiring Communities Initiative (England)

The Department for Communities and Local Government has announced a new £10m initiative to encourage young people to unlock their talent. The new Inspiring Communities initiative is aimed at specific areas of deprivation where young people often exhibit low self esteem, low aspirations and limited horizons. Inspiring Communities will make funding available to up to 15 neighbourhoods (comprising between 5,000 and 10,000 residents) who will receive up to £450,000 and expert help over the next 2 years to design and deliver projects and activities that will aim to invest in locally conceived, locally delivered projects designed to raise the achievement of young people, broaden their horizons and build up self esteem. The programme aims to empower is local partnerships - parents, neighbours, businesses, teachers, voluntary groups and councils - to harness their collective knowledge, energy, resources and enthusiasm to boost the aspirations and achievements of young people. As a minimum partnerships must feature the local authority, local secondary school(s) and local third sector organisations. However, the involvement of young people, parents and the wider community, local business local youth services, and other relevant service providers is strongly encouraged. The deadline for applications is the 3rd June 2009.

http://www.communities.gov.uk/communities/neighbourhoodrenewal/inspiringcommunities/

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Funding for Community Facilities

The SITA Trust which is a funding organisation that supports community and environmental improvement projects around waste treatment and landfill sites owned by the waste management company SITA UK has announced that the next application deadlines under its enhancing communities programme are the 31st July for its Large Grants programme and the 15th June for its Small Grants programme.
Under its Large Grant programme grants of between £10,001 and £50,000 are available to not-for-profit organisations including community groups, parish councils, charities, local authorities and voluntary organisations to fund physical improvements to community, sport or historic buildings/structures within 3 miles of a SITA site. The Small Grants Scheme provides fast-track access to funding for community improvement applications of up to £10,000 within 3 miles of a qualifying SITA site. For more information, visit http://www.sitatrust.org.uk/apply/community

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Fidelio Charitable Trust

Fidelio welcomes applications for grants in support of the Arts, in particular the dramatic and operatic arts, music, speech and dance.

Institutions, colleges, Arts Festivals and other arts organisations in the United Kingdom, may seek financial support as follows:

for individuals or groups of exceptional ability, whom they have been responsible for selecting, to enable them.

*	to receive special tuition or coaching (e.g. in the case of musicians to attend Master Classes) 
*	to participate in external competitions. 
*	to be supported for a specially arranged performance. 
*	to receive support for a special publication, musical composition or work of art. 

Applications from individuals or groups seeking support for themselves will not be accepted.

www.fideliocharitabletrust.org.uk

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The Mayor's Fund for London (London)

Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London has announced the launch of the Mayor's Fund for London. The aim of the new Fund is to help tackle deprivation and crime within the capital. The Mayor's Fund for London will harness finances from London's wealth creators to support voluntary groups that are changing lives. Specifically the Fund will provide four things for children and their families in London. These are: 

* A better start in life;
* A better educational experience;
* Better things to do; and
* A better job. 

Initially the Fund will focus on 11 wards across four local authorities centred on Shoreditch. The aim will be to develop a £30 million London wide programme by 2013. Financial resources through the Fund will be gathered through major donors and corporate support as well as through setting up a funding coalition with key funding partners who are also interested in exploring this new way to tackle child poverty in London. For more information, visit http://www.mayorsfundforlondon.org.uk/

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BBC launches third year of musical theatre bursary deadline - 18 May 2009

The BBC is offering musical theatre students grants of up to £8,000 to help cover the costs of college tuition fees. A total of £150,000 is available as part of The Training in Musical Theatre scheme, which was formerly known as the Musical Theatre Bursary and is now in its third year.

Funded by the BBC Performing Arts Fund, which receives revenue from voting on shows such as I'd Do Anything, the scheme is open to students aged 17 or over on or before April 6 this year, and who are either about to start or are part way through a course. 

The grants are for a contribution to college tuition fees and any additional tuition, such as extra lessons, but do not cover travel costs, headshots, equipment, books, magazines or living expenses.

The deadline for applications is May 18 this year, following which auditions will take place, where applicants will perform to a panel of three people who work in the musical theatre business. 

If they pass the audition, and the panel are satisfied that the student's financial circumstances make it difficult for them to take up their college place, applicants will be invited to an interview to discuss their application further.

More information can be found at www.bbc.co.uk/performingartsfund.

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Wolfson Foundation Schools Programme (UK)

Schools that are looking for grants to fund building work, IT and other equipment (mainly for the teaching of science and
technology) can apply for funding to the Wolfson Foundation's Schools Programme. The type of schools eligible to apply includes:

* Independent schools,
* Foundations (in place for 5 years);
* Voluntary Aided schools; and
* Sixth Form Colleges (in place for 5 years). 

State schools are ineligible to apply. The main aim of the schools' programme is to support schools with a proven record of excellence. In addition, schools with a clear record of continuing improvement may also be considered. The Foundation is one of the UK's largest grant making trusts and distributes approximately £35 million for capital projects to registered charities in the UK (or organisations with charitable status) active in the areas of Science and Technology, Education, Arts and Humanities, and Health and Welfare. Grants will usually only be made when matching funding has already been raised or pledged. In 2008, the Foundation made grants in excess of £1.5 million through the Schools programme. The level of funding ranges from £20,000 to £50,000 per school. For example, Weald of Kent Grammar School was recently awarded £40,000 to help buy computers and other items as well as refurbishing two classrooms and to equip its new science laboratories. Applications to the Foundation can be made at any time and schools interested in applying should write to the Foundation to find out if their project is eligible. For more information visit http://www.wolfson.org.uk/flash/grants_schools.htm

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Musicians Benevolent Fund  - Find funding and scholarships for music students, teachers and parents

There are a large number of resources available to students, parents and teachers to assist with the funding of projects for gifted musicians and the Musicians Benevolent Fund's (MBF) Funding Wizard can help you identify many of the Music Awards and Scholarships which are available.

The database is not exhaustive and does not list awards and prizes that are offered and administered by music colleges, nor awards, grants and loans which may be available from local authorities. Start searching the Funding website by visiting www.mbf.org.uk/fundingwizard

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Grantsnet - free grants information site

Grantsnet, the free grants information site, has overhauled its search facility. The site offers grant information for charities/voluntary organisations and for-profit organisations at no charge and without any requirement to register. The service, which covers England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, is run by a team of volunteers.

The site's advanced search function now enables users to search by region and by activity, such as tourism, employment, environment/heritage, and children/young people.

A Grant Alert facility lets users sign up for email updates of new grant information that matches a user's interest.

www.grantsnet.co.uk

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2010 Winston Churchill Travelling Fellowships deadline - 6 October 2009

Applications are now open for the next round of Travelling Fellowships. Each year about 100 fellowships are awarded to UK citizens to travel overseas to undertake study projects related to their professional, trade or particular interest. Grants average over £5000, covering all travel and living expenses for a visit of between 4 & 8 weeks.

For more information, visit www.wcmt.org.uk or contact 
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 .

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Arts Council England - Artists Asked To Take The Lead

Aspiring artists from across the UK are being challenged to showcase their creativity to the world by taking part in a new £5.4 million competition. Artists Taking The Lead is the first of ten major cultural projects to be launched in conjunction with the London 2012 Olympic Games and is looking to commission 12 pieces of work that celebrate the nation's rich cultural diversity. 

Nine projects in each of the English regions will receive up to £500,000 each, along with one commission in Scotland (£460,000), Northern Ireland (£190,000) and Wales (£230,000). 

Launching the competition, Moira Sinclair, executive director of Arts Council England, said: "We're excited to be laying down such a unique challenge to artists. We want them to look at their region and their connections with fresh eyes, to mark a moment in our histories in unexpected ways and places across the country, to surprise and delight the world with their extraordinary artistic vision." 

The contest has received the backing of London 2012 chairman Sebastian Coe, who said: "The Cultural Olympiad harks back to the beginnings of the modern Olympic movement, when artists as well as athletes competed for medals. Artists Taking The Lead invokes this spirit, celebrating the unique talents of our artists and giving them the opportunity to create work inspired by London 2012 and the Olympic spirit." 

Interested applicants, from across all artforms, are encouraged to submit their bids by 29 May. A panel of experts will select a shortlist in July, with the final 12 commissions expected to be revealed in October. 
All successful projects will be developed across the next two years and will play a leading role in the opening ceremony for the
2012 Olympics. 

We are challenging artists to use the nation as a blank canvas.

We are looking for 12 ideas for 12 projects in 12 places to make their mark on the cultural landscape in 2012 and beyond. 

The selected 12 commissions will showcase the best of the nation's creativity and celebrate the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games across the UK.

To find out more and submit your idea, visit www.artiststakingthelead.org.uk

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Government to announce 'empty shop' measures

Communities should use more empty shops as neighbourhood resources to help prevent town centres becoming magnets for crime, the government is to say.  Communities Secretary Hazel Blears will announce measures to make it easier for local groups in England to turn stores into showrooms for local artists

They are expected to include £3m of funding, faster planning procedures and standard short-term leases.  There will also be extra powers to allow councils to take over premises.  Ms Blears will use a seminar of councils, business leaders, landlords and town centre managers to set out the measures later. 

More: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7997449.stm