Funding support: help with applying for large funding grants

Help with applying for a large National Lottery grant has secured a large grant to help people with sight and hearing loss.

Understanding inclusivity and knowledge about applying for large National Lottery grants meant that our development officer could help secure funding for a vital community support project.
What was the challenge?

Coastline Sight and Hearing Support has previously worked with the VCSE Support team on applications for small grants. They decided to apply for a larger grant from the Reaching Communities fund and, knowing that they could always turn to Community First Yorkshire for help, they got in touch. Applying for a bigger grant for their ‘From our Garden to our Table’ project was quite a big jump for the organisation. They needed help with understanding what the funders were looking for in aspects such as wording.

How did Community First Yorkshire help?

The development officer from the VCSE Support team already knew the organisation and understood inclusivity, in particular sight and hearing loss, and that knowledge made the charity feel very comfortable.

The development officer wanted to understand what the charity were trying to achieve with the funding and spent time really exploring their answers. She understood that it was important to include the whole community, not just those with sight and hearing loss, to raise awareness and improve inclusion. The development officer checked the funding application, as requested by the National Lottery due to the scale of the grant. The charity felt that the development officer put them in the mindset of learning, and they were inspired by the funding options open to them.

The grant was successful, and the charity secured £150k for three years. This has helped them to employ two more people to join the team to deliver the project.

What does the future look like?

The charity is hoping that the project will be self-sustaining, and the communities grow in their own way. They also hope to retain the new employees with other work. One of their aims is to help individuals from any community to learn the skills to run and continue independently. They are also aiming to increase their membership from 350 to 500.

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About the organisation

Coastline Sight and Hearing is a charity supporting people living with sight and hearing loss.

How we can help you

As a registered charity, we understand your needs. Our local advisers work across North Yorkshire and will come to you to ensure you get access to the best quality advice and guidance including funding advice, helping you set up as a community organisation, governance and trustees, finance support, marketing advice, and exploring ways to further develop your organisation.

If you know a community group, charity or social enterprise that needs some support to be even more successful, contact one of our friendly advisors on 01904 704177 or info@communityfirstyorkshire.org.uk.

We are funded by North Yorkshire Council and NHS North Yorkshire.

Do you need help with:
  • securing income for your organisation or project?
  • turning your ideas of becoming a new community organisation into a reality?
  • benefiting from greater security as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO)?
  • thinking about reviewing your organisation and planning ahead?
  • understanding trustee’s legal roles and responsibilities?
  • benefitting from a financial health check?

Our advisers can help. Call us today 01904 704177 or email info@communityfirstyorkshire.org.uk.

“Fantastico! Nicky has been brilliant – with her patience and ability to extract the right information. We have all learnt so much from her explanation. I can’t thank her enough and the whole team.”

Funding support: Kirkby Malham Hall wins funding for archive

Parish Hall Secures £30k to Restore Community Archive

Help with securing funding means that Kirkby Malham Parish hall are able to finish the refurbishment of their community building, saving a vital local asset and providing a home for an historical archive about the area.
What was the challenge?

The management committee was finding it hard to source the right funding for their village hall refurbishment project and were struggling to finish the project. Without the refurbishment the Archive Room in the venue would have fallen out of use. They contacted Community First Yorkshire to ask for help.

How did Community First Yorkshire help?

Our development officer systematically evaluated past and current applications and outcomes with the committee. The development officer suggested the SPF Levelling Up fund to take the pressure off the hall’s running costs as there is other funding available towards refurbishment costs and other improvements. The application process was initially slow as the SPF fund officer said there was a conflict of interest with another local group and some environmental work that needed untangling. The hall trustees decided to focus on the Archive Room refurbishment instead. At that point, the development officer contacted the hall again to suggest that they apply to the SPF fund as applications were being encouraged. The development officer also recommended contacting the SPF board about changes to their application which opened up the conversation and was a positive interaction.

With support from Community First Yorkshire the hall was awarded £20k of SPF funding plus a £10k Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust grant. This meant that they had enough funding to finish the project and restore the derelict rooms.

What does the future look like?

By September 2024 the small meeting room will become an archive room for the dale, a place where the local history group keep their archives, and the hall is working closely with that group. As part of the funding agreement the group will hold Trace your Family days and heritage/genealogy days. The hall is at an exciting stage with Action Days to clear out the space and useful items being recycled within the community.

Without the support from Community First Yorkshire, the Archive Room would have become derelict and a valuable asset for the community would have been lost.

The village hall committee is planning further work on the building such as replacing the roof. They are also looking to diversify their community activity. The committee members know that they can get in touch with Community First Yorkshire for support and guidance whenever they need it.

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About the organisation

Kirkby Malham Parish hall is a community building in Kirkby Malham village.

How we can help you

As a registered charity, we understand your needs. Our local advisers work across North Yorkshire and will come to you to ensure you get access to the best quality advice and guidance including funding advice, helping you set up as a community organisation, governance and trustees, finance support, marketing advice, and exploring ways to further develop your organisation.

If you know a community group, charity or social enterprise that needs some support to be even more successful, contact one of our friendly advisors on 01904 704177 or info@communityfirstyorkshire.org.uk

We are funded by North Yorkshire Council and NHS North Yorkshire.

Do you need help with:
  • securing income for your organisation or project?
  • turning your ideas of becoming a new community organisation into a reality?
  • benefiting from greater security as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO)?
  • thinking about reviewing your organisation and planning ahead?
  • understanding trustee’s legal roles and responsibilities?
  • benefitting from a financial health check?

Our advisers can help. Call us today 01904 704177 or email info@communityfirstyorkshire.org.uk

“We’re thrilled to bits. The History group are over the moon and are now really engaged. Without the funding the room would have shut, and the archives would have moved to Settle when they should be available to local people.”

Funding support: Kilburn Institute transformed with £174K funding

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A makeover for their premises means that the Kilburn Institute is no longer at risk of closure

The village institute was in serious need of refurbishment with a risk of closure if funding and support could not be found.
What was the challenge?

The premises were very rundown, not accessible to people with a disability and in dire need of a makeover. Things were at a point where the trustees weren’t sure whether the hall could remain open or not – which would have been a tremendous loss to the local community.

How did Community First Yorkshire help?

The trustees of Kilburn Institute contacted us and one of our Development Officers got in touch with the group. They pointed the group in the right direction for funding, in particular with their knowledge of which funds were most likely to be successful and which to avoid. They helped with wording and content to ensure more socially focused applications and supported throughout.

With our help the Institute raised £174,000 of funding and put together a project management team. As a result, the building has undergone a major transformation programme including an extension, new electrics, a new kitchen, insulation, heating and furniture. Accessibility has been improved with wheelchair access and an accessible toilet. With the local pub closing the Institute also has a licenced bar for events.

What does the future look like?

The Restoration Project means the hall has a sustainable future for the community it serves. Regular community events are held, such as a quiz and Christmas parties, and local businesses are renting the space for health and wellbeing activities such as yoga and arts and crafts.

The village has no public transport and an ageing population who can be socially isolated. The Institute serves the needs of this demographic as well as bringing in people from further afield. The Institute has a proactive trustee board.

The village hall committee is planning further work on the building such as replacing the roof. They are also looking to diversify their community activity. The committee members know that they can get in touch with us for support and guidance whenever they need it.

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About the organisation

The Clothing Bank Ryedale sorts and distributes clothes donations to local families and individuals, encouraging reuse and recycling, providing social, craft activities linked to recycled textile.

How we can help you

As a registered charity, we understand your needs. Our local advisers work across North Yorkshire and will come to you to ensure you get access to the best quality advice and guidance including funding advice, helping you set up as a community organisation, governance and trustees, finance support, marketing advice, and exploring ways to further develop your organisation.

If you know a community group, charity or social enterprise that needs some support to be even more successful, contact one of our friendly advisors on 01904 704177 or info@communityfirstyorkshire.org.uk.

We are funded by North Yorkshire Council and NHS North Yorkshire.

Do you need help with:
  • securing income for your organisation or project?
  • turning your ideas of becoming a new community organisation into a reality?
  • benefiting from greater security as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO)?
  • thinking about reviewing your organisation and planning ahead?
  • understanding trustee’s legal roles and responsibilities?
  • benefitting from a financial health check?

Our advisers can help. Call us today 01904 704177 or email info@communityfirstyorkshire.org.uk.

“We are all very proud of the hall, many people here have an emotional attachment to it. Next, we will be replacing the roof and looking to increase our commercial activity so we can reduce the number of fundraising events. We will be in touch.”

Trustee, Kilburn Institute