Tag Archives: Voluntary Action South West Surrey

Surrey County Council Warm Hubs – Volunteers Needed

Please see the message below from Surrey County Council, who are looking to recruit volunteers to help at their warm hubs:

We are looking for volunteers to help run Warm Hubs across Surrey this winter. Thousands of our fellow residents, including those who have not struggled to pay bills before will face a challenging winter due to energy price increases. Warm Hubs offer a welcoming space for any resident – but particularly those in hard to heat homes – to warm up, get a hot drink and receive energy and debt advice free of charge. Dozens of churches, libraries, cafes, and community centres have teamed up to provide these warm spaces, but we need volunteers to staff them.

The Warm Hub network will operate between 1st Nov – 28th Feb. Volunteers may have the opportunity for enhancing their skills, with free safeguarding training available via Surrey County Council (SCC), as well as NEA Energy Debt Training, which provides a City & Guilds level 2 qualification. Volunteers will need to be DBS checked, and Surrey County Council will cover the cost for successful volunteers who don’t have existing DBS checks.

Warm Hubs will be in 62 locations across the county.  Working alongside regular members of staff and other volunteers, your responsibilities will include:

  1. Making visitors feel welcome, and providing a friendly ear for those feeling isolated
  2. Providing hot drinks to visitors (and perhaps soup or warm meals in some locations)
  3. Organising and distributing ‘grab bags’, containing winter essentials such as flasks and hot water bottles
  4. Signposting visitors to SCC’s energy advice tool which provides information tailored to residents’ personal circumstances, and helping visitors to navigate the easy-to-use tool if they have obstacles to engaging with it
  5. Potentially leading activities at some of the spaces with a Warm Hub Plus offering

You can do as much or as little as you like!  For any further information or to register your support please contact warmhubs@surreycc.gov.uk

Sustainable Warmth Grant

Please see below details of the Sustainable Warmth Grant available to Guildford and Waverley residents.

The grant is for residents on low incomes, which often means fuel poor, especially with the current costs of energy. The grant provides them with an opportunity to have energy efficiency measures installed (such as insulation) within their homes for free.

Funding Alert from Voluntary Action South West Surrey

A range of grant schemes that fund voluntary and community groups brought to my attention by Voluntary Action South West Surrey.  If you apply for any of this funding, do let us know how you get on.

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Pocket Parks

On 7 November, the Department for Communities and Local Government launched a £1.5 million Pocket Parks programme. This is open to communities across England but outside London (which has recently completed its own pocket park programme). Applications  are invited from communities within deprived urban areas to apply for funding to support them with establishing up to 100 pocket parks.

Deadline for applications is 5:00pm on Thursday 10 December.

More information here –>  Pocket Parks.

Movember Foundation: Social Innovators Challenge Fund

Grants are available to community based organisations that have an innovative idea that could tackle some of the most pressing issues faced by men. Maximum value: £ 12,500

Application deadline: 09/12/2015:

More information here –> Movember Foundation

Ministry of Defence – Covenant Fund Small Grants

Grants are available for registered charities, community interest companies, statutory bodies, and armed forces units with a UIN for projects in the UK that support the armed forces community and meet the Ministry of Defence’s priorities. Maximum value: £ 20,000

Application deadline: 17/12/2015:

More information here –> Ministry of Defence – Covenant Fund Small Grants

Lankelly Chase Foundation

The Foundation is focused exclusively on bringing about change that will transform the quality of life of people who face severe and multiple disadvantage in the UK. By severe and multiple disadvantage the Foundation particularly means people who are experiencing a combination of severe social harms such as homelessness, substance misuse, mental illness, extreme poverty, and violence and abuse.

Funding: Maximum value: Discretionary

Application deadline: None specified.

More information here –> Lankelly Chase Foundation

Lloyds Bank Foundation

Smaller short term grants are available to strengthen charities and CIOs in England and Wales which work with people experiencing multiple disadvantage at one of the critical points in their life.

Grants are available for up to a total £15,000 over two years.

More information here –> Lloyds Bank Foundation Smaller short term grants

Peter Harrison Foundation – Opportunities through Sport Programme

Grants are available to charities within the UK running sports projects which provide opportunities for people who are disabled or otherwise disadvantaged to fulfil their potential and develop personal and life skills.

Maximum value: Discretionary

Application deadline: None specified

More information here –> Peter Harrison Foundation

Community Greenspace Grants to Launch Shortly Across Great Britain

Communities will soon be able to apply for grants of up to £12,000 for capital improvements to local community greenspaces.

The grants programme will be open to voluntary and community organisations, registered charities, health bodies, community councils, development trusts, local authorities and housing organisations.

Funding round 1 deadline 27 November 2015 Funding round 2: April / May 2016 Funding round 3: September / October 2016

For more details  click on  the link Community Greenspace Grants

Ernest Cook Trust

Grant for educational projects in the fields of the countryside and environment, environmental research and the arts, crafts and architecture.

Funding: Maximum value: £ 10,000

Application deadline: None specified

The Trust aims to encourage and support educational activities that are linked to the countryside or the arts.

More information here –> Ernest Cook Trust

Haberdashers’ Benevolent Foundation

A UK-wide collection of charities aimed generally at supporting those in need, distress or hardship. This includes the disabled, mentally and terminally ill people and youth development. Funding: Maximum value: £ 2,000

Application deadline: None specified

The Benevolent Fund aims to assist charities with the aim of relieving poverty.

Most grants range between £500 and £2,000 with larger amounts normally being proactively arranged by the company.  Most donations are one-off grants with no commitment for future support.

More information here –> Haberdashers Benevolent Foundation

Paul Hamlyn Foundation – Arts-based Learning Fund

Grants are available to encourage the development, use and sustainability of effective arts-based activities in education in order to have a positive effect on children’s lives and learning.

The Paul Hamlyn Foundation’s (PHF’s) mission is to “help people overcome disadvantage and lack of opportunity, so that they can realise their potential and enjoy fulfilling and creative lives”. The Foundation places particular focus on supporting both young people and the arts.

More information here –> Paul Hamlyn Foundation

If you’re looking for funding or struggling to complete an application form, we can help.  Our support and advice is free to not-for-profit organisations in South West Surrey. Call 01483 504626 or email info@vasws.org.uk