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 grants are supported by Ripple Energy through funds generated from the Graig Fatha Wind farm.

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

• 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.
• Supports coproduction and community involvement, involving people and those with lived experience to be involved and have a voice.
• Provide ongoing support, information and advice to people of all ages and abilities in the community to keep safe, warm, fed and connected and with the cost of living generally, e.g. managing money, cooking on a budget, access to low cost food.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Start-up grants or pilot projects based on an identified community need.
• Last resort funding – where it is unlikely another funder can help at short notice, such as a gap in match funding, legal fees or you require urgent help.
• Volunteers’ expenses and recognition. This includes activities/celebrations for Volunteers Week 2024.
• Projects promoting involvement in or access to the Eisteddfod or similar artistic / cultural activities and events.
• Planned Seasonal activities will only be supported where they meet one or more of the above criteria and can demonstrate a longer-term benefit

Organisations can apply twice a year for £1,000. This round we are particularly encouraging supporting organisations with:

Themes:

• Cost of living
• Climate change
• Quality marks such as Trusted-standard
• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and the Cultural-competence-certification-scheme
• Neurodiversity

Events – Interlink will focus on two big events later in the year:

• Volunteers’ Week 2024 – between the 3 – 9^th June as we celebrate 40 years of Volunteers Week – we will be focusing on volunteering for climate change, from food to reuse.
• RCT Eisteddfod 3 – 10^th August 24 – cultural events linked to or in the run up to the main Event Eisteddfod Event.

Please note the following conditions:

• Grant applicants are required 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, we support you to put them in place if needed.
• 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.
• You need to have in adequate public and/or employers liability insurance in place – Do I need liability-insurance?
• All activities must be risk assessed
• Safeguards must in place to protect and safeguard children and vulnerable adults Guidance on safeguarding – https://www.ncvo.org.uk/help-and-guidance/safeguarding/
• 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.