THE GROW WILD COMMUNITY PROGRAMME 2025

GRIN #3748 – Wednesday 15th January 2025

In today’s bulletin (you can click on the title of the grant provider below to go directly to their website or to the Charity Commission for those that do not have a website):

o THE SCOPS ARTS TRUST: LOCAL MUSIC FESTIVALS – grants of up to £30,000 (although awards are usually for less than £10,000) are available to small to medium sized UK charitable organisations, including social enterprises, for local music festivals across the UK. The deadline for Stage 1 applications is 5pm on Tuesday 28th January 2025.
o THE GROW WILD COMMUNITY PROGRAMME 2025 – grants of up to £2,000 and additional resources are available to community organisations across the UK for projects that transform an area in an urban community (defined as having 10,000 or more inhabitants) with UK native plants or fungi, encourage wildlife and involve the local community. The deadline for applications is 3pm on Thursday 13th February 2025. Grow Wild have scheduled an Information Webinar for 12.30pm on Thursday 16th January 2025 for potential applicants. A link to registration is provided in the main text below.
o THE PAUL STRANK CHARITABLE TRUST – a limited number of grants are available to UK charities and individuals to help alleviate poverty and disadvantage, particularly among young people. Although the Trust will fund across the UK, it has a preference for supporting causes in the Merton and Wimbledon areas of London. Applications may be made at any time in writing.

On our website today (scroll down to the ‘Latest News‘ section):

o THE SIR FRANCIS CHICHESTER TRUST – the Trust is offering FREE PLACES on 14-day and 19-day Outward Bound adventures to young people who live in Devon (including Plymouth and Torbay) and who are aged 16-22 at the time of the course, which will be July/August 2025. The Trust is keen to receive applications and so would be glad if you could encourage any suitable young people to apply and also bring this opportunity to the attention of colleagues who might know of suitable candidates.
The deadline for applications is Tuesday 21st January 2025.
__________

WEDNESDAY’S LOCAL GRANT SCHEME – CORNWALL, SUSSEX, SURREY

o THE ALBERT VAN DEN BERGH CHARITABLE TRUST – based in Newquay, Cornwall, the Albert Van Den Bergh Charitable Trust has a particular interest in supporting charities which assist health research and care for the elderly and children in Cornwall, Sussex and Surrey. During the year ended 5th April 2024, the Trust awarded 64 grants totalling £142,500 (2023: 60 grants totalling £146,620). A list of categories against which the Trust awarded grants is provided on page 10 of the Trust’s annual accounts. Categories include disability, hospices and mental health. The Trust does not have a website. Applications may be made at any time in writing addressed to: Mrs J M Hartley, Chief Executive, The Albert Van Den Bergh Charitable Trust, Trevornick Farmhouse, Holywell Bay, Newquay, Cornwall TR8 5PW. Further information about the Trust is available on the Charity Commission website.

THE SCOPS ARTS TRUST: LOCAL MUSIC FESTIVALS – Grants of up to £30,000 (although awards are usually for less than £10,000) are available to small to medium sized UK charitable organisations, including social enterprises, for local music festivals across the UK.
__________

o Application deadline: TUESDAY 28th JANUARY 2025 at 5pm for Stage 1 applications.
o Funder: The Scops Arts Trust (founded 2019. Charity number 1186893. Total value of all grants awarded during the year ended 31 December 2023: £477,055 (2022: £676,000; 2021: £607,574)).
o Who can apply: smaller and medium sized UK registered charities. Applications from other forms of not-for profit organisations, such as community groups and social enterprises, such as Community Interest Companies (CICs), will also be considered if they are formally constituted and have clear charitable purposes.
o Key words: Local Music Festivals, United Kingdom.
___________

Edinburgh-based, the Scops Arts Trust aims to widen access to the arts across the UK, particularly in the area of performing arts projects which will benefit all ages and sectors of the community. Project proposals should have a lasting cultural impact on the community.

During 2023, the Trust reviewed its grant-making and posted the following message on its website:

“In an effort to ensure that we only receive applications which fit closely with our grant-making priorities, we have decided to focus each of the three grant rounds per year on a different area within the performing arts.

“In 2025, these will be as follows:

o Round 1 – Local music festivals (children’s performances are excluded) – opens Tuesday 14th January for decisions by Tuesday 15th April. Application deadline Tuesday 28th January 2025.
o Round 2 – Early career musicians focusing on performance opportunities – opens Tuesday 20th May for decisions by Tuesday 19th August.
o Round 3 – Children and young people’s instrumental music education (choirs are excluded) – opens Tuesday 9th September for decisions by Tuesday 9th December.

“We are particularly keen to help small-to-medium-sized organisations, although large charities are not excluded from applying. Most of our current grants support projects run by registered charities, but in exceptional circumstances, we will consider applications from established community groups as long as they have clear charitable aims. We award one-off grants and also consider multi-year funding. The majority of grants we award are in support of projects, but contributions towards specific and restricted core costs of smaller organisations where a grant from the Scops Arts Trust could make an impact, will be considered”.

Grants can be for up to £30,000. However, most grant awards are for much lower amounts and usually for less than £10,000.

During the year ended 31st December 2023, the Trust awarded grants totalling £477,055 (2022: £676,000; 2021: £607,574).

Details of all grants awarded during the year can be viewed on pages 17-20 of the Trust’s annual accounts.

Funding is not available for:

o Contributions to general appeals.
o Grant-making by other organisations.
o Individuals.
o Privately owned and profit-distributing companies.
o Projects with the primary purpose of health, therapy or social welfare.
o Public bodies to carry out their statutory obligations.
o Religious activity which is not for wider public benefit, or
o Retrospective costs for programmes that have already begun.

The application process is as follows:

1. Applicants should complete the Eligibility Quiz on the Scops Arts Trust website.
2. Eligible organisations that meet the criteria can then make a Stage 1 application.
3. A selected number of Stage 1 applicants will be invited to complete a Stage 2 Full Application online.

The Trust gives its next deadline for applications on its website as 5pm on Tuesday 28th January 2025.

Further information and guidance is available on the Trust’s website.

Contact details for the Trust are:

Maureen McKellar
Trust Administrator
The Scops Arts Trust
C/o Chiene and Tait LLP
61 Dublin Street
Edinburgh
EH3 6NL
Email: info@scopsartstrust.org.uk
(The Trust has a phone number, but prefers organisations to use the Contact Form available on its website.)

THE GROW WILD COMMUNITY PROGRAMME 2025 – Grants of up to £2,000 and other resources are available to community organisations across the UK to transform an area in an urban community (defined as having 10,000 or more inhabitants) with UK native plants or fungi, encourage wildlife and involve the local community.
_________

o Application deadline: THURSDAY 13th FEBRUARY 2025 at 3pm. An Information Webinar has been scheduled for 12.30pm on Thursday 16th January 2025 for potential applicants. A link to registration is provided in the main text below.
o Funder: The Foundation and Friends of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (founded 1990. Charity number 803428. Total charitable expenditure during the year ended 31 March 2024: £3,576,000 (2023: £3,581,000)).
o Who can apply: UK voluntary, youth and community groups, resident’s groups, community associations, and Health Authorities and Health Boards.
o Key words: Urban Areas, Transforming Urban Spaces to Benefit People and Wildlife, Planting, Disabled People, Disadvantage, Isolated Groups and Individuals, People who face Barriers to Connect with their local Community, Young People aged 12-25, United Kingdom.
_________

The Grow Wild Community Programme supports groups and organisations to transform urban spaces for the benefit of people and wildlife by planting and championing UK native plants or fungi.

Grow Wild is currently seeking 20 community groups from across the UK to join its 2025 Community Programme. 

The programme wants to recruit groups who are keen to join its online sessions and connect with other groups taking part. Groups of all experience levels are encouraged to apply, especially those who are getting into growing for the first time.

Please note that Grow Wild can only fund projects in urban locations. For the purposes of its Community Programme, an urban location is defined as a settlement with 10,000 or more inhabitants.

Projects will be required to show how they work with one or more of Grow Wild’s target audience:

o Disabled people.
o People experiencing some disadvantage or reduced access to services.
o People who are less engaged with others in their local community.
o People who face barriers to connecting with nature, and/or
o Young people aged 12-25.

Successful applicants will receive:

o A £2,000 grant to transform an urban space with UK native plants or fungi, encourage wildlife and involve your local community.
o Invitations to online knowledge sharing sessions and talks featuring special guests from Kew and beyond. These sessions are designed to support your project delivery and provide opportunities to connect with other groups taking part in the programme, and
o The opportunity to apply for a £500 follow-on grant for spring 2026, to help support your ongoing activities.

Funding is not available for:

o Schools (schools should look out for Grow Wild’s Youth Grant opportunity which is launching in early 2025!).
o Local Authorities (including Parish Councils). However, the programme can fund projects led by independent groups on Local Authority land.
o Sole traders or individuals.
o Projects where Grow Wild funds could be used for commercial benefit.
o Organisations and projects outside of the UK.
o Projects delivered in rural, conservation or protected areas such as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), or
o Projects requiring planning permission, due to the programme timelines. 

Further information, guidance and details about how to apply is available on the Grow Wild website.

Grow Wild has scheduled an Information Webinar for 12.30pm on Thursday 16th January 2025 for potential applicants to learn more about the Community Programme and how to apply. To register to attend, please follow this LINK.

The deadline for applications is 3pm on Thursday 13th February 2025.

Contact details for the programme are:

Grow Wild Community Programme 2025
Grow Wild
Tel: 020 8332 3842
Email: hello@growwilduk.com