One of the unique strengths of OWW is that it is not about ‘raising money for charity’ but about changing people’s attitudes. However, if it suits your group, acquiring more funds can widen the scope of your events without compromising your voluntary ethos.
On this page you will find links to various funding opportunities that your group can apply for to help with the costs of an OWW event. We will do our best to inform you of any new grants that become available, and please don’t hesitate to contact us if you know of any other funding opportunities whether local or national.
"We want to fund projects which address the issues, needs and aspirations of local communities and people. We will fund a wide range of community projects aimed at developing skills, improving health, revitalising the local environment and enabling people to become more active citizens." (My emphasis)
This is certainly what OWW seeks to do, so if you are planning something big you need to apply in good time (advice is 4 months in advance of the event or activity)
There are programmes for all parts of the UK, each with different funding ranges:
Awards for All England (£300 - £10,000 )
Awards for All Northern Ireland (£500 - £10,000 )
Awards for All Scotland (£500 - £10,000 )
Awards for All Wales (£500 - £5,000 )
N.B. - Portsmouth OWW applied to the Big Lottery's Celebrate fund in mid June 2016 and heard by the end of August that they had been awarded the full amount (£1200) they had requested. So it's well worth doing.
OWW shares many values with the Co-operative movement. They may be able to provide you with vouchers for food for local events - Apply in writing (give at least 2 weeks notice) to the Manager of your local branch. Some Co-op Societies offer grants to local organisation for projects in the local community - your event might qualify.
NB - you needed to apply by 27 Feb for 2017 but it would be worth exploring this site later in the year with a view to applying for the 2018 round. But do read their criteria first - download a PDF copy here - to make sure you are eligible.
Near Neighbours is a charity set up to bring people together who are near neighbours in communities that are religiously and ethnically diverse, so that they can get to know each other better, build relationships of trust and collaborate together on initiatives that improve the local community they live in.
The grants programme which is part of Near Neighbours is being administered by our partner organisation, Church Urban Fund. Near Neighbours is funded by the Department for Communities and Local Government. They will work with those of any faith or none.
The overall aim of the fund is to encourage stronger civil society in areas that are multi-religious and multi-ethnic by creating association, friendship and neighbourliness. It intends to bring people of different faiths and of no faiths to work together to transform local communities for the better.
As this is a major part of what OWW events aim to do you might well be able to get a grant to help you with your event IF you live in an eligible area. The first type of project "First Encounters " might apply to OWW events (see below).
All Near Neighbours projects are designed to change hearts and minds by bringing together different communities within a neighbourhood so that they can work together on issues of shared concern and common values.
"We consider projects to fall into three broad categories. A project need not fit itself to just one, and we recognise that activities may naturally cover two or all three of the following:
First Encounters that develop new relationships between people of different ethnic and faith communities and encourage the development of mutual understanding – initiatives which begin the process of developing friendship and neighbourliness.
Everyday Interactions that support regular interactions, repeatedly bringing people together and encouraging families and individuals to come together to share life – building flourishing and sustainable friendships and relationships.
Civil Engagement which brings together people from different ethnic and faith communities to work together to change their neighbourhoods for the better – enabling diverse communities to transform their neighbourhoods."
Has your local organising committee thought of applying to your local Waitrose Store for funding for your local event? If you stress your role in bringing the local community together to explore how to build a more sustainable and fairer world, you stand a chance of being selected. There is often a long lead-in time though so apply early and keep it general, as you might not get it in time for this year's theme but maybe next year!
This is from the Waitrose website: To be considered for a donation, good causes and charities should contact their local Waitrose branch store. Partners (Waitrose employees) will then vote which three causes to support each month at their branch's 'PartnerVoice' forum, a means of voicing opinion on branch issues. Customers and Partners can also put forward the names of organisations they would like their local branch to support by filling out a leaflet in store.
Shoppers then get to help decide how the sum is divided amongst the three selected organisations. They will be given a token at the checkout, which they can place in one of three boxes at the store exit, each allocated to a different cause. The amount a cause receives is directly proportional to the number of tokens they receive from customers.
A wide range of supermarkets offer grants for local community activities - see a recently compiled guide here
Many Councillors have a pot of money from which they can make small grants so it's worth applying for funds to help you with your OWW event that will enhance community relations and promote active citizenship.