Sir George Earle Benevolent Fund & The Older People’s Fund

Overview

Who Can Apply?

• Registered NI and UK charities
• Charitable Incorporated Organisations
• Companies Limited by Guarantee
• Community Interest Companies
• Co-operatives
• Credit Unions
• Social Enterprises, as long as they have a management board and are not for private profit.
• Constituted community groups, e.g. small community group including scouts, guides, brownies and cubs, singing groups, gardening clubs, Sports and recreation clubs.
• Schools who have “out of school hour” projects which have a wider community benefit.

Project Objectives and Eligibility

To work with local communities and projects which support older people, particularly projects which aim to reduce loneliness or isolation in Northern Ireland.

The intended difference this programme will make is as follows:

• Improve older people’s access to social activity.
• Reduce feelings of loneliness or isolation in older people.
• Increase the availability of local projects or activity which supports older people.
• Respond to local social or economic needs.

Projects can cover a small geographic area, e.g. housing estate/village, or larger areas, e.g. town/borough where there is evidence of community involvement.

Community groups that can draw in match funding are encouraged to apply. Match funding should be considered for costs that the fund cannot fund, e.g. large-scale capital costs.

Example Projects

Daytime opportunities which address problems of isolation and/or loneliness:

• Drop in centres
• Befriending schemes
• Lunch clubs
• Support groups
• Respite activities for carers
• Running costs for self-help groups

They Will Fund

• Core Project costs: for running and facility costs; office equipment, supplies, travel and accommodation, printing, etc;
• Core salary costs: for those organisations who are focussed on working with older people, and who employ fewer than 3 full time employees;
• Volunteer expenses: e.g. telephone calls, travel and meals;
• Activity costs: resources to facilitate a project/activity; costs that fall outside capital, volunteer staffing costs, e.g. catering, insurance;
• Temporary/sessional staff costs: external consultants and sessional staff that are employed for the specific project/activity that is being funded;
• Small scale capital costs: for small-scale set up costs including one-off expenses for equipment or fixed assets that may have use or benefit beyond the life of the grant/one financial year, such as computer hardware. This can also include perishable capital, which are items that are required for the delivery of a project, such as paint, paintbrushes and gardening equipment;
• New organisations: if they can demonstrate a well-planned project with evidence of need, they don’t need to have an existing track record.

Amount Available

Grants between £500 to £3,000