THE MCCARTHY STONE CHARITABLE FOUNDATION: CHRISTMAS CONNECTIONS 2024

 Grants of up to £750 are available to registered charities, community groups and Community Interest Companies in England, Scotland and Wales with an annual income of less than £250,000 to provide activities for people aged 65 and over during the festive season 2024.
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o Application deadline: the programme deadline for applications is 5pm on MONDAY 23rd SEPTEMBER 2024.
o Funder: The McCarthy Stone Charitable Foundation (founded 2020. Charity number 1191504. Total value of all grants awarded during the year ended 31 October 2023: £339,160 (2022: £215,085; 2021: £87,674)).
o Who can apply: registered charities, community groups and Community Interest Companies in England, Scotland and Wales with an annual income of less than £250,000.
o Key words: Older People Aged 65+, Intergenerational Projects, Festive Season 2023, England, Scotland, Wales.
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Dorset-based agency, the McCarthy Stone Charitable Foundation is a relatively new grant-making charity whose vision is a society where older people are valued, connected and engaged with their communities. Its mission is to help grassroots charities and community groups support older people by engaging the McCarthy Stone Group, people, customers and partners.

The Foundation’s Christmas Connections 2024 grant programme aims to provide small grants of £1,000, with no matched funding requirement, to support organisations running activities for people over 65 in their community over the festive period 2024.

Project proposals should meet one or more of the following objectives:

1. Provide connection and purpose for older people.
2. Building intergenerational partnerships to bring young and older people together, and
3. Regenerating community spaces that enable connection and engagement for older people.

Activities must take place between Monday 9th December 2024 and Friday 2nd January 2025.

Registered charities, community organisations and Community Interest Companies in England, Scotland and Wales (the programme is not available to charitable organisations in Northern Ireland) with an annual income of under £250,000 may apply. Grants can cover project and/or core costs.

Further information, guidance and an online application form is available on the Foundation’s website.

In its guidance notes for the Christmas Connections programme (see Section 2, ‘Timescale’), the Foundation gives the application deadline as 5pm on 23rd August 2024. Given the programme opens to applications on Sunday 1st September 2024, the deadline is probably Monday 23rd September 2024.