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James Brown & Sons Community Fund

Open or will open again Aged 26 - 59 years Aged 60+ Arts, culture and heritage Black and minority ethnic Children (0-12) Communities Community and neighbourhood development Dependants and carers environment Family and parenting good relations Health, wellbeing and sport Miscellaneous Poverty and deprivation social enterprise Social inclusion Social welfare and poverty Young people (13-25) Belfast City Micro (up to £1,000) Small (up to £10,000)

Overview

No matter how small or large your community initiative is, they would encourage you to apply for the James Brown & Sons Community Fund as they want to connect and engage with projects in their local communities to help them develop.

In these challenging economic times, they have established the James Brown & Sons Community Fund to help fund good causes provided by local charities and not-for profit organisations working for the benefit of people who live within two miles of an area in which James Brown & Sons operate.

Funding

Organisations can request the total cost of the project or a contribution towards the project up to a maximum of £2000.

They are seeking to fund projects that will run for a duration of six months or longer but will consider shorter projects where the organisation can demonstrate there will be ongoing community benefit after the project concludes.

What are they looking for?

Grants are available to fund local activities which improve the quality of life of residents and the wider community. Projects must align with one of more of the four fund categories

  1. Health
  2. Education
  3. Employment opportunities
  4. Poverty / Social Deprivation

The Fund aims to support ongoing activities that benefit residents of all ages and priority will be given to:

  1. Projects addressing the needs of the most disadvantaged in the local community
  2. Projects led by people who can demonstrate a clear understanding of community need and strong connections in that community

Examples of projects that might be funded – this list is not exhaustive

  • Health and wellbeing activities for older people e.g., exercise classes
  • Literacy or numeracy club
  • A charity supporting young people with specialist advice to manage mental health
  • Kitchen equipment for a youth project to set up a holiday club
  • Supporting a community centre wanting to start a regular lunch club
  • A healthy eating project that supports families to cook healthy meals on a budget
  • Projects that promote involvement in the local community e.g., volunteering

Who can apply?

The following not-for-profit organisations are eligible to apply:

  • Constituted community group
  • Registered charities
  • Social enterprises
  • Community Interest Companies (CICs) Limited by Guarantee - not CICs Limited by Shares
  • Faith based groups

Applicants must:

  • Demonstrate that the proposal is in response to identified community need
  • Have a minimum of 3 unrelated Trustees/Directors/Management Committee members
  • Have a Governing Document, i.e., a constitution or Memorandum & Articles Have a Bank Account in the name of the group, with at least 2 unrelated signatories - or provide details of another group who will be managing any grant awarded, with a copy of the partnership arrangement
  • Have Annual Accounts, or for smaller groups, an Income and Expenditure Sheet for the most recent financial period. If a group is new with no previous income, they will need to provide an Income & Expenditure forecast
  • Have a Safeguarding Policy if working with young people under the age of 18, and/or working with vulnerable adults. Groups will also need to have AccessNI checks in place where required
  • Have the relevant insurance in place, including public liability (if required) before delivering activity.

Key dates

Application deadline 16/02/2025
Application deadline 04/05/2025
Application deadline 27/07/2025