Grants of up to £1,000 are available for community groups to fund projects that show strong community involvement and help bring people and communities together. These projects are supported by funds generated from the Graig Fatha Wind Farm located near Coedely, which is operated by Ripple Energy.

Your application should show how your project will support one or more of the following criteria:

• Show how you work together with other groups in your community; for example, to provide and promote a wider range of information and advice to the community.
• Supporting coproduction and community involvement, involving people and those with lived experience to be involved and have a voice.
• Provide ongoing support to people of all ages and abilities to keep safe, warm, fed and connected and with the cost of living generally.
• Improve accessibility and transport to activities and facilities, including those with mobility issues and people with disabilities.
• Projects or activities supporting children, young people and families.
• Planned Seasonal activities – which encourage community involvement
• Provide cost of living and other information and advice to your community; for example, how to manage money, how to maximise their income, how to cook on a budget.
• Help people access low cost food.
• Help with fuel poverty or improve energy efficiency in your community building.
• Projects which encourage communities to tackle climate change and make use of outdoor spaces
• Support people with access to information technology, such as SIM cards, putting in phone chargers, setting up Wi-Fi, etc…
• Volunteers’ expenses, rewards and recognition.
• Support not for profit community level trading and enterprise.
• Quality assurance schemes such as Cultural Competency, Trusted Charity or Investing in Volunteers. You must provide evidence of registration in the scheme.

Please note the following conditions:

• Grant applicants will normally be expected to meet with a member of the Interlink RCT Community Advice Team before submitting their application.
• Projects should not stigmatise people, and people should not have to provide evidence of need (unless required by an external funder).
• Relevant policies must be in place, and if needed, adopting them will be a condition of award. Support is available to write these if you don’t already have them.
• Any funded activities must be promoted on Connect RCT (we can help with this too!)
• We only fund groups that are members of Interlink RCT, which must be not for profit organisations. Activities must take place in RCT.
• We fund Community Interest Companies (CIC’s) but the fund does not cover salaries or payments to Company Directors.

To apply:

• Contact the Interlink RCT Community Advice Team at: communityadvice@interlinkrct.org.uk or call 01443 846200.