In September 2016, our Cabinet approved a new three year strategy (2017 to 2020) for the Council’s Grant Aid budget to the Voluntary and Community Sector in Sheffield.
This grant investment is used to support voluntary sector organisations that deliver city-wide services and activities that support the Council’s Corporate Priorities. In 2019-20 the grant aid is split across the following grant funds.
Community Covid-19 Response Fund
Following the recent expression of interest exercise we are pleased to launch the Community Covid-19 Response Fund. This short-term funding is designed to support the Voluntary and Community Sector in their work preventing the spread of Covid-19, testing and outbreak management and supporting people to isolate.
All applications are expected to demonstrate how they meet one or more of the outcomes of the fund:
- preventing the spread of Covid-19, eg educating, encouraging and supporting people to adopt and maintain Covid-safe practice to reduce the spread
- outbreak control and encouraging testing, eg working in the community to encourage people to be tested, to understand what is happening and to promote communication
- supporting people to isolate, eg using good relationships and trust to provide people with the practical or emotional support or financial advice they need
Organisations can apply for between £500 and £5,000 and the deadline for applications is midday, Monday 2 November 2020.
Please download the full application pack. Further information can be found in the guidance notes, if you have any questions about the fund or the application process please email vslt@sheffield.gov.uk.
Grant Aid Annual Report 2018-19
This is the second year of Sheffield City Council’s three-year commitment to a city-wide grant aid funding strategy in recognition of the vital contribution Sheffield's local voluntary, community and faith (VCF) sector makes to life in the city.
Highlights from 2018/19 include:
- total Grant Aid investment £1,503,985
- 64 organisations received a grant
- grant recipients supported a total of 27,781 individuals
- grant recipients employed a total of 309 staff
- grant recipients had a total of 1,690 volunteers contributing 217,274 hours, equivalent to a volunteer dividend of £1,955,462 (using the Real Living Wage)
- 42% of individuals who were supported by Grant Aid report having a disability or long-term condition
- 49% of individuals who were supported by Grant Aid are BAMER (Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic or Refugee)
- contact us if you would like a copy of our Annual Impact Report Infographic
What to do if you need a letter of support or endorsement from the council
If you are applying for a grant, and your bid links to the our current corporate plan objectives, and your application will be strengthened by a letter of support from the council then please contact the voluntary sector liaison team. They can talk to you and get a manager to provide a letter stating that, although your project may not be directly linked to the council, it supports our objectives for the city.
If you are applying for a fund and you need a letter of endorsement stating that your application is the only one the council supports for the local authority area, then please get in touch with the voluntary sector liaison team who will be able to assist you. If we get numerous request for an endorsement for an external fund (eg The Big Lottery), and only one can be put forward, an internal panel of officers and Councillors will make a decision about which bid is the strongest and request the Chief Executive endorses that one. If an application links to an area of commissioning that you already have a relationship with then contact your commissioning officer.