Neath Port Talbot Council for Voluntary Service

The Local Investment Fund South West Wales are holding a free Business Breakfast where you can find out more about: Local Investment Fund South West Wales (LIF), Flexible Support for Business Regional Centre Service, The Welsh Assembly Government Single Investment Fund. It is to be held on Wednesday 7th October 2009, 7.45am – 10.30am at The Towers Hotel & Spa, Swansea Bay. For further details or to register, contact West Wales Chamber of Commerce on (01792) 653297 or email libby@wwcc.co.uk

Businesses across Neath Port Talbot can tap into a £17,500 grant pot to open up their toilet facilities to encourage the public to use them. This year’s Public Facilities Grant Scheme will give businesses a one off payment of up to £500 per premises to allow the public to use them.  If any business or community run facility is interested in applying for this grant or you need more information please contact Ken Harding, Facilities Manager on 01639 686996 or e-mail k.harding@npt.gov.uk by the end of September.

This year’s third sector funding conference is focused on four key themes:

• Procurement and tendering
• Funders and funding streams,
• Assets and enterprise
• Smarter working.

Book early to secure your place. For a copy of the booking form please go to the wcva website.

Grant Applications are now being taken by NPTCBC to support community groups who organise firework displays in celebration of Guy Fawkes Night.  Eligible community groups can now apply for grants of up to £500 to organise their own firework displays and also receive help and advice on safety at the event.  Groups can find out more about this scheme by contacting Kerry Jones or Suzette Phillips on 01639 860008 or preferably via email at specialevents@npt.gov.uk.  The closing date for receipt of applications is 25th September 2009. For more information visit www.npt.gov.uk

Charities and fundraising suppliers across Wales are being urged to demonstrate their commitment to best practice in fundraising by signing up to self-regulation.  The self-regulatory scheme for fundraising is run by the independent Fundraising Standards Board (FRSB).  It requires members to make a public commitment to best practice in fundraising.  The FRSB has also opened an office to support charities in Wales, with the appointment of Simon Boex as Manager for Wales.  Boex’s role is to recruit more charities in Wales to the scheme, raise awareness of the high standards that member charities commit to and build public confidence in charitable giving.

To view the complete article please look under the Funding section of our website.

The Big Lottery Fund (BIG) in Wales is launching a package of measures to assist communities and to support third sector organisations during the recession. New funding of £2.5 million in Wales has been allocated by BIG’s UK Board. The three elements of the package are as follows:

New Awards.  A new ‘fast track’ stream of BIG’s People & Places programme specifically dedicated to the recession will be launched, offering grants of up to £50,000 over two years to third sector organisations currently providing advice services.  Applications will be invited from organisations providing advice services including, but not limited to, the following areas: Income maximisation – benefits advice, Financial literacy, Debt advice, Mental health, Domestic violence

Flexible Grant Management.  BIG is currently monitoring existing grant holders for any sign that the outcomes of their projects may be at risk because of the impact of the recession.  Only two projects in Wales are currently reporting difficulties.  BIG’s grant management processes are already very flexible, and BIG’s staff are aware of the need to exercise the full flexibility available under existing tolerances if projects are encountering difficulties.  In addition, BIG will introduce the provision of additional funds to top-up awards to existing grant-holders where projects are demonstrably at risk as a direct result of the recession, with up to £500,000 made available for this purpose. We will be shortly be contacting grant holders with more detailed information about how this will work.

Priority for Projects Mitigating the Impact of the Recession.  The final element of the package is to make use of the flexibility of BIG’s existing People & Places demand-led programme.  The award-making Committee has agreed to prioritise applications for projects which are likely to support communities withstand the impact of the recession.  This will be implemented from the Committee’s September meeting and it is estimated that this should result in grants of up to £3 million being made available to projects which will provide direct support to communities most affected by the recession.

For further information about BIG’s recession package please visit www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/wales or contact our information line on 01686 611 700. Information will be available on online from Friday 14^th August.

From Neath Port Talbot CBC website:

Grant funding totalling more than £2.5 million has been approved for Neath Port Talbot Council by the Welsh Assembly Government. The funding is part of a group of projects submitted by the authority under the Assembly’s Western Valleys Strategic Regeneration Area (SRA) programme  which aims to target regeneration funding to areas of greatest need. For more information please go to the Neath Port Talbot CBC website.

The Big Lottery Fund (BIG) and the Welsh Assembly Government today announced an agreement to deliver a new £13 million programme to help community groups in Wales to acquire public buildings, land and facilities and refurbish them to transform their communities for the better.

On Wednesday August 5, the Deputy Minister for Regeneration, Leighton Andrews AM, and Wales Chair of the Big Lottery Fund, Huw Vaughan Thomas, announced an agreement between the Welsh Assembly Government and BIG to deliver a new Community Asset Transfer Programme.

The aim of the programme is to help community groups acquire public buildings, land and facilities, and to regenerate and reinvigorate them to suit their own needs. BIG will administer the programme, which will provide revenue and capital funding. Organisations will be able to make applications from mid October this year.

Public Enquiries Line: 08454 102030

Full details of the Big Lottery Fund programmes and grant awards are available on the website.

The COSTAL Project are seeking to invite suitably qualified organisations to tender for the delivery of an Independent Travel Training Course to assist adults with a learning disability to be able to use public transport.  For more information go to the Sell2Wales website.

If you are 16-25 and passionate about making your community a better place then visit the Big Challenge website to be in with a chance of winning part of the £65 000 prize fund to implement your campaign idea! For further information and to apply go to the Big Challenge website.  The deadline is 28^th September.