We are pleased to have protected a grant aid budget for the voluntary sector of £1.62m and the budget is ring-fenced to the Sheffield voluntary, community and faith sector. The fund is used to support voluntary sector organisations that are delivering city-wide services and activities that support the Council’s Corporate Priorities.
In 2015-16, grant aid was reviewed and our Cabinet approved a new grant aid programme in September 2016. Therefore, 2016-17 was the last year of the Voluntary Sector Grants Fund that had funded since 2012.
From April 2017 the new Grant Aid funds are:
- Core Service Grants
- Voluntary Sector Infrastructure
- Tackling Inequalities
- Lunch Clubs for older people
- BME older people’s activities
- Equality and Fairness
Cohesion Fund
We are pleased to announce a new grant fund to support community cohesion in the city. The fund is for existing or new activity that helps enhance and promote community relations and brings people together in a community.
The purpose of the fund is to help partnerships and community groups in the city with their community cohesion work.
It is for existing successful cohesion building activity to be continued, or for starting new projects in Sheffield. All successful bids must improve community relations by bringing people together and improve or create new opportunities for sharing community concerns, ideas, knowledge, skills and experiences.
We would particularly like to see any initiative have the ability to be continued in or by the community after the funding finishes.
The Cohesion Fund priorities are to:
- Support community infrastructure to enhance community cohesion in the city.
- Support groups who want to look through the cohesion lens (ie thinking of how to bring different people together first before planning an activity) when delivering their activity and services.
- Promote positive community cohesion stories and activities.
There is £30,000 available for each financial year 2017-18 and 2018-19, meaning a grant can be given for up to 18 months if needed. There is no minimum or maximum grant amount. There are 2 forms to use, a short form for applications under £2,000 and a longer form for applications over £2,000.
The closing date for applications is 5pm on Friday 8 September 2017. Applications will be presented to a Grants Panel who will make grant recommendations according to the budget available.
The Cabinet Member for Community Services (in accordance with our scheme of Delegations), will make the final decisions, in consultation with the Panel and Cabinet Member. Applicants will be notified whether or not they are successful in mid-September 2017.
Equality & Fairness Grant Fund
We help the following organisations by:
- co-ordinating each of the Equality Hubs (Age, BAMER, Disability, LGBT+, Religion/Belief, Women*) representing the identified communities of identity (COIs) that make up the Equality Hub Network Sheffield
- contributing to an effective overall Equality Hub Network, including the Equality Hub Network Board
*The investment in the Carers' Hub has been built into the Carers' Contract 2017.