Cost of Living Community Grant Fund
Issue Date: 23/11/2022
Funding locations: Bedford Borough
Total Fund: £170,000
Funding amount: £5,000 to £25,000 per scheme
Funding applications return deadline: 23:59 on 18/12/2022
The Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes (BLMK) Health and Care Partnership is opening a programme of financial support for the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector organisations in Bedford Borough facing hardship as a result of cost of living pressures.
We invite applications from VCSE organisations that are providing the following types of help to residents in Bedford Borough. These areas of focus are intended to ensure that support is directed to those organisations most directly assisting with the cost of living crisis, and also according to our Place Based Plan priorities and CORE20Plus5:
- Advice and support with the cost-of-living crisis, including but not limited to food, debt and benefits, homelessness, housing and energy
- Mental health and bereavement support for children and young people, adults and older people
- Help with social isolation and loneliness, including support for informal carers
- Support for people to access healthcare (including screening and immunisations), for those living with long term or life limiting conditions and disabilities, maintaining independence, and assisting hospital discharge
- Support for Core20PLUS5 groups (includes but not limited to: ethnic minority communities; inclusion health groups; people with a learning disability and autistic people; communities with pockets of deprivation hidden amongst relative affluence; people with multi-morbidities; and protected characteristic groups
Funding is available for VCSE organisations to support organisational resilience and sustainability, and to ensure they are able to continue to provide vital support to local people in Bedford Borough. Funding is not intended to be project project-based but rather for supporting existing services where evidence demonstrates value for money. Funding for new projects may be considered where an evidenced need for an essential service or initiative, relating to the key principles above, has been identified and there are no other funding sources available.
If you would like support to complete or review your application contact Compass Wellbeing CIC (funding@compasswellbeing.co.uk) and we will refer you to an independent advisor who will assist you free of charge.