New Fund to Help Reduce Loneliness in England

The first round of a new national funding programme to help VCSE organisations bring people and communities in England together as the country recovers from the coronavirus pandemic is open for applications.

The Local Connections programme will have two funding rounds, with a total of £2 million available for each round.

In the first round, grants of between £300 and £2,500 are available which can be used to:

• Build relationships in and across communities to help reduce loneliness and build connections between people and communities.
• Bring together organisations who are working on social connections to celebrate their work, share learning and best practice, and form/bring together peer networks.

This is to help make:

• People and communities feel more connected.
• Individuals feel supported and less lonely or isolated.
• People more aware of services available that help them to connect with others and get involved.
• Organisations learn from each other.

Grants can be used for a number of purposes including staff salaries, volunteer expenses, management costs, overheads, small-scale equipment and small-scale venue improvements.

Grants for round one must be spent and projects completed by 31 March 2021.

Applications will be accepted from constituted VCSE organisations that serve communities within England.

The deadline for applications is 26 January 2021.

More information about this funding opportunity and the application process is available on the GRANTfinder funding information platform. GRANTfinder provides up-to-the minute content, insight and analysis on funding news and policy. To find out more about how GRANTfinder can keep you in the know, and subscription fees, contact us today.