Grants of up to £5,000 are available to Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) groups that work with or support vulnerable adults who have been disproportionately affected by the COVID Pandemic.
Grants of up to £10,000 may be considered where a group can show that they can work across a larger geographical area or can reach high numbers of local residents.
BackgroundBuilding Life Chances is a multi-agency programme addressing the impact of Covid-19 on those Hertfordshire residents already vulnerable, whose life chances have worsened during the pandemic.
This grant fund is part of Hertfordshire County Council's commitment to ensure that all Hertfordshire residents adversely impacted during the pandemic are supported, that any inequalities are addressed, and actions are taken to narrow gaps.
Who can apply? Any Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise (VSFSE) groups working with the following groups:
- ethnic minorities including BAME, Gypsy & traveller communities and other groups
- harder to reach vulnerable adults with sensory or neurodiverse needs
- people with limited eligibility for public support such as refugees and asylum seekers.
What you can apply for- You can apply to fund work which helps to address inequalities through providing support and also by ensuring service users have access to essential services. Support and services can address inequalities in for example health, food security, financial insecurity, access to work and education. It is important that you know where to refer people for further support or work in partnership with other organisations
- You can apply for a range costs including staff, training, volunteer costs, operational costs (eg food and fuel) and a contribution to running costs.
- You are allowed to apply to this fund in addition to other programmes run by HCF including the Household Fund as long as the costs for the work are not duplicated.
- Grants can fund projects for up to one year.
Applications are welcome from charities, community and voluntary groups and not for profits of all sizes. However priority will be given to local groups with an in depth knowledge of the issues they are dealing with and the communities they serve. Ideally, applicants will be organisations that are embedded within the local community with a proven track record of supporting vulnerable people and who understand the challenges of engaging BAME, Gypsy/traveller communities and other minorities groups within their locality.
Help with applyingThere are guidance notes with more detail about criteria and eligibility
here If you are unsure of your eligibility please contact us at
grants@hertscf.org.uk in the first instance.
There are two videos of Grants Manager Georgina talking about how to fill in the application form. The first one is about what happens when you click 'Apply Here' and the second is about the main part of the form explained. (see big blue box below)
Click here to see first video about what happens when you click on 'Apply here'
The application form has help notes and you can return to it as many times as you like, saving it as you go. You can also share it with colleagues to fill in. To make an application:
APPLY HERE
Click on video below to see how to fill in main part of application form.