grants – We are with you

Helping community buildings to recover

August 11, 2021September 14, 2021Kirklees Democracy

Image shows people and buildings, impression of building a community

Kirklees Council have provided almost £500k through the Community Buildings Recovery Grants scheme this summer, to support vital community buildings in local places across Kirklees.

Supporting local organisations

Community organisations are vital for our local economy and for people’s wellbeing – creating jobs, delivering services, connecting people in our neighbourhoods and providing activities that people and communities really value. We know this continues to be a difficult time for local organisations who were unable to open community buildings as usual for long periods of time.

The Community Buildings Recovery Grants were available for voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations who own or rent buildings in local places across Kirklees. They had either been legally required to close or had been significantly impacted by lockdowns and local restrictions.

What local organisations say about receiving a recovery grant

43 different local organisations have received £470,000 in total from the Community Buildings Recovery Grants fund. Here’s what a few of the organisations have told us about the difference this funding is making:

“We at Outlane Methodist church are looking forward to resuming as many of our former activities in the community as we can and making plans for going ahead with new ideas. We do not expect it to be easy but the boost given to our finances by the generous grant we have received has made such a positive difference to our situation.”

Mary Mercer, Outlane Methodist Church

“The pandemic had a devastating effect on our fundraising efforts and our income. This grant will help plug the gap in our finances so that we can resume the full services that we provide to our members and volunteers as soon as we can. As we are a base for other community groups and rent rooms to other organisations, the funding will also be of benefit to the wider community.“

Deborah Hall, Howlands (Dewsbury and District League of Friendship)

“Receiving funding from the Community Buildings Recovery grant is so helpful. After a very difficult 16 months for the charity, this funding will hasten our ability to recover, allowing us to sustain our work and services for local people in need of support. Kirklees Council have been supportive throughout the pandemic and we’re grateful to them for the information sharing, advice, ongoing support and now this funding to aid our recovery.”

John McKernaghan,The Brunswick Centre

“The pandemic had cut our income to zero, and the theatre was on the verge of closing for good. The community buildings recovery grant has changed this by giving us a much needed cash boost. Now the Show will go on!”

Bob Newton, Southgate Theatre, Honley

“OASIS values and appreciates this contribution towards the survival and reshaping of our services within our Resource Centre.”

Denzil Nurse, OASIS Care Support Services

“As we’re reliant on community groups that hire our community centre, we have had to put off work that would have greatly impacted the people who we serve through the community centre positively. The grant awarded to us by Kirklees Council will allow us to develop the community centre further, with the additional benefits that a modern, safe, accessible community centre will bring to the communities around Cleckheaton Methodist Church.’

Revd. Ray Borrett, Minister for Cleckheaton Methodist Church

Thank you from Kirklees Council

Cllr Cathy Scott, Deputy Leader of Kirklees Council & Cabinet Member for Housing and Democracy, would like to thank local organisations for supporting people’s wellbeing:

“Community organisations are incredibly important for people’s wellbeing. We wanted to make sure that community buildings can continue to be safe places for people to get together and enjoy activities as part of our recovery from Covid-19. The Community Buildings Recovery Grants have clearly mattered to the local organisations who are so fundamental for keeping people connected and safe. We’ll continue to work proudly alongside these dedicated and inspiring groups in our local places.”

Looking for advice or support?

Community organisations looking for support and advice can contact the council’s team via thirdsector@kirklees.gov.uk or visit the Third Sector Leaders Kirklees website at www.tslkirklees.org.uk

Community Buildings Recovery Grants for local organisations

May 17, 2021May 19, 2021Kirklees Council

Image shows people and buildings, impression of building a community

Kirklees Council are providing £500k of Recovery Grants for voluntary and community organisations who have been affected by national lockdowns and local restrictions.

Grants of up to £20k are available now to help our vital community buildings in local places across Kirklees recover from Covid-19.

Supporting community buildings that really matter to local people

Community organisations are vital for our local economy and for people’s wellbeing – creating jobs, delivering services, connecting people in our neighbourhoods and providing activities that people and communities really value. We know this continues to be a difficult time for local organisations who have been unable to open community buildings as usual.

Voluntary and community organisations in Kirklees who own or rent buildings in our local places can apply for a grant to recover lost income due to Covid-19 lockdowns and restrictions.

Who can apply?

The Community Buildings Recovery Grant is available for voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations who:

work in (and are based in) Kirklees
were open as usual before the Covid-19 restrictions
own or rent a non-residential property (this could include a space within a building that you pay costs for, or a building you own and have continued to pay costs for).
have been legally required to close or have been significantly impacted by lockdowns and local restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

How to apply

You can find the full eligibility criteria and apply online via the Kirklees Council website:

Help for voluntary and community organisations

(the information will be available here from 9am on Thursday 20th May)

The fund is open for applications from Thursday 20th May to Sunday 6th June.

Payments to successful applicants will be made by Wednesday 30th June.

Questions? Contact us

If you’re not sure whether you can apply, or if you need any help or advice before applying for the grant, please contact:

Email: thirdsector@kirklees.gov.uk
Tel. 07773 488563

‘Thank You’ Fund for groups run by volunteers

April 15, 2021Kirklees Council

Kirklees Volunteers’ Week 2021

National Volunteers’ Week from 1st to 7th June is an annual event to recognise the contribution that millions of people make across the UK through volunteering. It’s an opportunity for us to recognise and say ‘thank you’ to volunteers in Kirklees.

This year the TSL Kirklees Volunteering team want to help groups in Kirklees say thank you to all their volunteers, particularly those who’ve done such incredible work over the last year, supporting people through the pandemic, either in person or from home.

Apply to our ‘Thank You’ Fund

If you are a volunteer-run project or group in Kirklees, then you can apply for a small fund to help you say ‘thank you’ to your volunteers. You will also receive a pack of free Volunteers’ Week thank you cards. A maximum grant of £100 is available for each organisation, but we will be able to fund more groups if people only apply for what they need.

It’s up to you how you spend the money, as long as it’s on an event or item to say thank you to your volunteers. For example, wellbeing goody bags, book vouchers, an afternoon tea delivery or tickets for an online event (please make sure any of your events are Covid-safe).

In return, we ask that you send us a photo and a quote from your volunteer group or an individual volunteer for us to share as part of our online Volunteers’ Week celebrations.

How to apply

Please complete and return the Thank You Fund application form (Doc).

The deadline for applications is Monday 24th May 2021

We aim to let you know within three working days if your application is successful. We will then ask you to invoice for the amount and payment will be made by bank transfer (we can provide a template for an invoice if necessary).

If you have any questions, please contact:
Becky Bracey, Volunteer Development Manager

Tel: 07776 588691 or email becky@tslkirklees.org.uk

Funding for citizens and organisations during Covid-19

People Helping People – 27th January 2021

January 21, 2021January 21, 2021Kirklees Council

People Helping People network

The next online People Helping People local network event is on Wednesday 27th January 2021 from 10.30am to 12 noon. It’s run by Third Sector Leaders Kirklees, to help small community organisations in local places across Kirklees to get together, meet each other, share what you are doing and learn what others are doing. It is another chance to share best practice and discuss how we might be able to support each other.

What funding & investment do you need to thrive in 2021?

Join other community organisations to discuss your views on what funding and investment is needed to support local groups in places across Kirklees. Hear from other local organisations, share experiences, find out what funding is available now and get help to apply.

How to take part

This meeting will take place online and you will receive a link that you click to join the meeting nearer the time. You do not need any special software, or to download anything or set up an account. You should just be able to click and join.

People Helping People – register on Eventbrite

If you have any problems or questions about accessing the meeting, please contact comms@tslkirklees.org.uk

Support grants for community venues who have closed due to Covid-19

December 18, 2020January 5, 2021Kirklees Council

Do you run a community centre or other community facility? Business support grants are available for voluntary and community organisations in Kirklees who generate a significant part of their income through activity that has been legally forced to close (or has been significantly impacted) due to Covid-19 restrictions.

You could apply for financial support if:

You have been required to close your community venue due to Covid-19 restrictions.
Your organisation has remained open but has been severely impacted by Covid-19 restrictions.
You have lost income due to the restrictions, such as losing out on hall hire fees or not being able to operate a café or other community facility.

What kind of organisation can apply?

Support is available for:

community centres
community buildings
community facilities
faith-based venues

There is more than one type of support grant available depending on your circumstances. Please read the eligibility criteria carefully before applying. You could be eligible for support whether or not you usually pay business rates. The amount of funding will depend on your circumstances.

What about other organisations?

This is business funding, which is also available for community organisations who have a commercial aspect to their work. Not every type of community activity can be supported (for example, the grant cannot be used to replace income from donations). If you’ve lost vital income due to Covid-19, please check to see if you can apply.

Kirklees Council are continuing to work closely with Third Sector Leaders Kirklees on other ways to support voluntary and community organisations over the coming months. If you’re not eligible for a business support grant, there may be other ways that we can help.

Find out more and ask for advice

If you’d like advice about whether your voluntary or community organisation is eligible for a business support grant, please contact:

business.enquiries@kirklees.gov.uk

You can find more information and online application forms at:

Coronavirus: Help for businesses

Third Sector Leaders Kirklees offer free advice and support for voluntary and community organisations and can connect you to other people and organisations:
Third Sector Leaders Kirklees

Funding for citizens and organisations during Covid-19

Supporting Communities fund

December 15, 2020December 18, 2020Kirklees Council

Supporting people in crisis

TSL Kirklees are accepting applications from local groups

Kirklees Council have provided Third Sector Leaders Kirklees with a grant of £60,000, which is available for local groups who are supporting people in crisis or financial hardship.

This is funding from the Local Welfare Provision budget. It’s in addition to the £32,000 previously provided for emergency food supplies at the weekends during lockdown and helping local groups to continue to support people.