Organisations can apply for up to (and including) £10,000 per year.
We are unable to fund work supporting young people who have experienced Child Sexual Exploitation through our Small Grants Programme. If you are looking to apply for this type of work, please see our Main Grants.
Organisations may only apply for a Main Grants or a Small grant in this round, not both.
Eligible organisations will be able to apply for up to £10,000 per year. Organisations will not be able to apply for more than £30,000 in total.
All applications must be submitted via our Online Portal. Once you have logged in, you will be able to complete and submit your application for the Small Grants programme.
Uniting Opportunities is the small grants element of the Uniting Communities Programme. It aims to promote good relations and reconciliation through sport and creativity by addressing barriers to community participation that some young people face. It is targeted at the most vulnerable groups of young people in our society (aged 11-24), who would not normally avail of opportunities to participate.
The programme target groups are:
Young & Homeless
Young Migrants, Refugees & Asylum Seekers
Young People in Care
Young People with a Disability
Young People with Poor Mental Health
Young Offenders
Young People at risk of rural isolation
The programme objectives are:
Young people who experience barriers to participation in their communities will have increased confidence, self-esteem and social skills to get involved
Young people have the ability to build good relations in their communities by having a greater understanding of other religious, political, ethnic and marginalised communities
Young people are more actively involved in sport and creativity, and are presented with opportunities to sustain their involvement
Young people will have developed the appropriate attributes to enable further community engagement with the Uniting Communities through sport and creativity programme
Uniting Opportunities has been designed to support our core Uniting Communities programme. As such, it only seeks projects from where our core programme is being delivered, or is scheduled to be delivered. Our current delivery areas are:
Botanic (South Belfast)
Portadown and Lurgan
Black Mountain (West Belfast) and Castle (North Belfast)
The purpose of the Community Involvement grants is to provide an opportunity for residents and community groups to apply for funding for projects that will benefit Housing Executive Communities. The projects must fit in with one or more of the below themes;
1. Health & Wellbeing
2. The Environment
3. Intergenerational Practice
4. Digital Inclusion
Applications are welcome from community groups, tenants, residents and leaseholder groups who are active within Housing Executive areas across Northern Ireland and are involved in the Housing Community Network (HCN).
Where budget allocation is not fully utilised, consideration can be given to organisations within Housing Executive areas who are not involved in the Housing Community Network.
Your Good Relations Officer will be happy to assist you with this application. If you do not have contact details of your Good Relations Officer, please get in touch with your local office.
Applications will close on the 13th September 2021.
4Creating Connections Participatory Budgeting - Launch Mon 23rd Aug
Who can apply for the Creating Connections Participatory Budgeting fund?
Anyone aged 8 years old and over. If you are aged between 8 and 17 years you will need an adult signature to support your idea.
individuals or groups can submit an idea.
Groups do not have to be constituted.
A maximum of 2 bids can be submitted from each individual or group.
Schools can submit an idea if they are clearly supporting young people in
having control of the idea.
The money can be used to top-up resources already secured to deliver
your idea.
The criteria
Does your idea fit with the theme ‘Creating Connections’?
Do you support the Collaboration for Change Declaration for the Common
Good? (read the Declaration here https://www.cfctogether.org/about)
Can your idea be carried out within the island of Ireland?
Can you deliver your idea with £500 or less?
Can you deliver your idea by March 2022?
Is your idea safe and legal (remembering COVID restrictions)?
Will you share your experience and the outcome of your project at a
Celebration Event April 2022?
We welcome applications from individuals and local organisations – from amateur sports and senior citizens clubs; youth groups; community, residents, workers and health associations to schools and other educational bodies – across the entire County or close neighbouring areas (includes any town/village within the Causeway Coast & Glens Borough Council).
Individuals can apply for grants up to £250
Community Groups, Clubs, Associations can apply for grants up to £1,000
Occasionally, exceptions are made to these amounts
Derry City and Strabane District Council is currently seeking applications to support Arts and Cultural programming that will deliver an interpretation as part of its award winning and internationally acclaimed Derry Halloween Festival this October 2021 www.derryhalloween.com
We are keen to encourage Family Friendly initiatives and to support this, Council invite proposals from business, venue and organisations to offer extended programming which will enhance the visitor experience
Closing date for applications: 12:00 Noon Monday 6th September 2021
We are delighted to announce that this grant is now open for applications. The grant supports schools, community groups and Tree Warden Networks to plant trees, hedges and orchards. The projects must involve young people up to the age of 21.
Please ensure you have read the application guidance fully before you complete the application form. Ideally planting should take place within National Tree Week – 27 November to 5 December 2021 – but this is not essential.
Deadline for applications is Friday 17 December at 5pm. However we encourage early application to ensure availability of stock.
Final deadline for claims is 5pm on 31 March 2022.
We have launched our 2021 Rural Community Awards competition
The following awards are available this year.
Rural Community Spirit
The aim of this award is to focus on and reward those community groups who work together to make their village or small settlement a better place to live.
Consideration will be given to any aspect of community work which has been undertaken to improve the quality of life of residents at this time, with particular emphasis on facilities, services and activities which have been made available for specific groups within the community.
Community Champion
This is our first ever individual award and we have introduced it in recognition that very often, it takes the vision and perseverance of one extraordinary community member to make things happen. This person may regularly sacrifice free time to help others with no requirement for recompense or appreciation.
We see a community champion as someone who shares their time, skills and knowledge of a local community, to become a driving force to sustain and improve the community as a whole.
Cleaner & Greener
We have re-introduced our Cleaner & Greener Rural Community award which seeks to reward and encourage those rural communities who have come together to protect and enhance their built and natural environment and to promote sustainability with their residents.
In addition, we have two new categories which are aimed specifically at young people, our
Young Rural Volunteer award and
Budding Rural Photographer award
Prize money
There will be a £1,000 prize for the winners of the northern and southern, small and large village categories and £500 will be donated to the community groups nominating the highly commended winning applicants.
Plaques will be presented to individual(s) who have been deemed to be community champions.
Each category winners of the Young Rural Volunteer and Budding Rural Photographer awards will receive an Apple Ipad.
Prize money should be used to support and extend activities/projects which benefit the rural community. We will promote the competition throughout the year on our website and through relevant rural publications but community groups should also involve the Housing Executive in any publicity they carry out locally.
9State of the Sector (School Age Childcare) Survey 2021
The Covid-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on School Age Childcare (SAC). It has brought financial pressures, changes to practice and additional stress to the workforce. To ensure we have a better understanding of both the opportunities and challenges for School Age Childcare provision, PlayBoard is undertaking a State of the Sector survey.
This survey offers an opportunity to gather a range of information about practice, the characteristics of the workforce and, importantly, your views on the challenges facing the sector now and in the future. In addition, work is progressing on the development of an Executive Childcare Strategy for Northern Ireland. The results of this survey will help inform and facilitate policy discussions.
The closing date for completion of the survey is Monday 6 September at 4.00pm.
Carers NI are really excited to announce that our State of Caring 2021 Survey is now live!
As you know, the survey is hugely important for all of our work, particularly our policy/campaigns and support work. It remains the most comprehensive survey into carers lives.
We want as many carers as possible to complete the survey to help raise awareness of the issues facing carers in Northern Ireland and to help shape the areas we should be prioritising with decision-makers, planners and service providers.
11The National Lottery Community Fund are seeking people to join their Customer Panel
Are you interested in sharing your experience of working with The National Lottery Community Fund to help us improve our future work?
We have created a Customer Panel so we can work closely with our grant holders from across the UK to help us improve our services. It is important for us to get feedback from people who speak to us, use our website, apply for funding and manage National Lottery funded projects. Your feedback and suggestions help us to ensure customers remain at the heart of what we do and allows us to take your comments on board and act upon them.
It’s a great forum for our customers to get to know each other and to share honest feedback on how we work. For example, by giving feedback on our application materials, our website content and how we make decisions on funding applications.
We want to hear from organisations, large and small, who have received funding, been unsuccessful or had to withdraw an application.
To date the Customer Panel has helped us to make improvements in a range of areas including our web pages for funding programmes, our application materials and how we review the applications we receive.
You can get involved in a range of ways – either by phone, filling in a form, attending a virtual discussion or by testing some of the pages on our website.
If you would like to join the panel, it will be up to you how much time you would like to commit. We will contact you by email asking you to get involved in specific focus areas. It is entirely up to you to decide if you would like to participate or not. You can also opt out of being in the panel at any time too.
12 Project on Counterterrorism and Civic Space in Northern Ireland
Rights and Security International is a London-based NGO with over 30 years' experience in ensuring that measures taken in the name of national security respect and uphold our fundamental rights.
We are currently doing a lot of work internationally on how counterterrorism and national security measures impact civic space and on the work of valuable organisations such as yourselves, and we are in the process of planning a project localised in Northern Ireland, with the aim of restricting these bad practices.
To that end, we would be interested in discussing with you if you have any lived experiences of national security and/or counterterrorism measures, and how they are impacting your work. You may be unaware of some of these practices, or unaware that they are potentially unlawful, but common examples include surveillance, stereotyping by security actors, or content removal.
If you have experiences of this issue you are able to share, please contact Jacob Smith, Research and Advocacy Officer:
13AWARE workshops/courses September - December 2021
AWARE NI have free online wellbeing workshops/courses for adults 18+ between September – December. Registration is open and interested individuals can register via the AWARE NI website.
Living Life to the Full – Online Life Skills Programmes (via zoom)
We’re delighted to be able to offer a range of Living Life to the Full programmes online! The Living Life to the Full programme will be delivered via zoom over 6 sessions lasting approx. 2hrs each.
This is a programme that can make a big difference to your life. It can help you manage your feelings when you are stressed, worried or depressed and learn simple practical skills to help you cope with life’s challenges. It looks more closely at how mental health can be impacted by life events and unhelpful thinking styles which may also then affect our physical health and overall enjoyment of life. To register visit https://www.aware-ni.org/booking-living-life-to-the-full/
Mood Matters for Adults – Online Mental Health Awareness Sessions (via zoom)
We have some free online Mood Matters courses available during September-December The Mood Matters for Adults course is 2 hours long and is suitable for anyone (over 18) who would like to learn more about minding their mood. It can also help to manage feelings of stress & anxiety. For more info & to register, visit: www.aware-ni.org/booking-mood-matters-adults/
14Community Organisations offered study opportunities with The Open University
The Open University is partnering with local community organisations to enable them to offer university level education to those in their local area. The Community Partnerships Project (CPP) is a unique initiative which allows participants to study within a local learning space, with support from OU teaching staff. Former CPP participants have moved on to successfully complete university-level qualifications with the OU, as well as undertake other learning and employment opportunities in their community.
The Open University’s open access policy means that potential participants lack of previous qualifications, age or background does not hinder those who want to learn. Open to people, places, methods and ideas, The Open University works to widen access to higher education in unique and broad reaching ways. Participants who join the CPP will study an Access module, introducing them to subjects such as childhood studies, psychology, business and law. This course is an ideal introduction to university-level study and will build confidence and digital skills, as well as providing participants with the knowledge required to progress to degree-level study.
If you are a community organisation and are aware of people/groups in your local area who would benefit from participation in this programme, then get in touch with The Open University to express an interest.
15Free Impact of Alcohol on Self-harm & Crisis Intervention Training
Facilitated by Zest
This training is open to staff & volunteers of community & voluntary sector organisations operating within the Western Trust Area. Date: Wed 15th September 2021 Venue: On-Line Via Zoom Time: 9:30am – 1pm (Registration from 9.15am) Please book early to avoid disappointment
To apply for a place please read carefully the Booking and Cancellations Policy, complete a booking form and return via Email:clear@dhcni.com
or Post: Clear Project, Unit 13, Strabane Enterprise Agency, Orchard Road Industrial Estate, Strabane, BT82 9FR.
16Places available for ETHNIC & FACE ON Training Programmes in Malta & The Netherlands
The Inside Out Programme is looking to recruit five participants from UK (primarily from Northern Ireland but not exclusively so) to participate in two upcoming Training Courses:
'FACE ON: Quality of on-line facilitation'
The Netherlands
16th (Arr Day) - 21st (Dep Day) January, 2022 (2 participants)
The courses are being organised by TDM2000 Malta and Internationale Vrijwilligersprojecten. Both courses are scheduled to be in-person but will be subject to covid conditions and travel regulations.
Food and accommodationprovided for both programmes and a Travel Allowance of up to €360 (Malta) and €275 (The Netherlands) is also available, all of which is made possible with funding from the Erasmus+ Programme.
A small participation fee might apply but likely to be limited to no more than €50. We will keep you informed of this.
Participants should be aged 18 and over and resident in the UK. As The Inside Out Programme is based in Northern Ireland, we target participants primarily (but not exclusively) from across Northern Ireland. Applications are welcomed from across the UK.
For both programmes, we are looking to recruit participants that are involved in delivery of youth work. Applications are open to young leaders (aged 18-30), experienced youth work practitioners, or practitioners with a remit for young people but you must be willing to actively and fully participate in the full programme and be prepared to engage in post-programme activity including any local actions. You can be a paid employee or a volunteer.
Please note that participants are responsible for making their own travel arrangements as a demonstration of commitment to taking part but we can offer advice where necessary. You will be reimbursed for travel following completion of the programme.
How to Apply to Each Programme:
If you are interested then we would like to hear from you. YOU can download an Application Form by clicking hereand returning it to thelidprogramme@hotmail.com by midnight Friday 10th September 2021. Feel free to use the same e-mail address for any queries related to the courses.
For more information on The LID Programme click here and 'LID+' click here.
ASSIST NI - DOMESTIC AND SEXUAL ABUSE ADVOCACY SERVICE
A new and exciting partnership between three agencies (Belfast and Lisburn Women’s Aid, Foyle Family Justice Centre and the Men’s Advisory Project), has been set up to deliver an innovative Northern Ireland wide advocacy service to support qualifying victims of domestic and sexual violence and abuse. The service is available to all qualifying victims regardless of religious belief, political opinion, racial group, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, disability or dependents.
The overall purpose of the service is to provide co-ordinated and tailored support, responsive to individual needs, in partnership with well-established services. This service has been jointly commissioned by the Department of Justice and the PSNI.
We are seeking to recruit the following posts: Lead Advocate (2 posts) LA08/21 PSNI Station – Ballymoney and Derry/Londonderry
The Lead Advocate will the first point of contact for all referrals into the project and will be responsible for assessing risk, allocating referrals and monitoring progress. They will provide support and guidance to a team of Advocates.
For these posts we are looking for individuals with previous experience of providing a direct service to domestic and sexual violence and abuse victims. They will have an understanding of the dynamics, impact and scale of domestic and sexual violence and abuse and have the ability to provide direction and motivation to a team.
The salary for this post is £27,741 per annum
Advocates A08/21
Located in PSNI stations throughout NI (please refer to the job description for a list of locations)
As an Advocate you will provide a high-quality support service to qualifying victims of domestic and sexual violence and abuse. You will receive and follow up referrals, develop safety and support plans, work to reduce risk and make referrals to other appropriate agencies. You will also support victims through the Criminal Justice System.
For these posts we are looking for individuals with previous experience of providing support to those in crisis and with an understanding of the dynamics, impact and scale of domestic and sexual violence and abuse.
The salary for these posts is £22,183 per annum
There will be a work pattern reflective of demand, requiring staff to work some late shifts, weekends and bank holidays on a rota basis.
These are fixed term posts until the end of August 2024 (may be extended).
The Advocacy Service is an Equal Opportunities employer. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons.
As men and people from the LGTQ+ community are currently under represented in Advocacy Service, we would particularly welcome applications from these groups. We also welcome applicants willing to work in rural locations in NI. All appointments will, however be made on the basis of merit.
For full information and to apply for these posts please visit https://tinyurl.com/JobsASSISTNI and download the relevant forms, or send an e mail to advocacy@mapni.co.uk. CVs will not be accepted. Interviews for these posts are expected to take place week commencing 13 September 2021.
Closing date for the return of application information: Wednesday 1 September 2021.
20Independent Monitoring Board Members (Voluntary)
The Department of Justice is seeking to appoint new members to The Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) for Northern Ireland to monitor the treatment of prisoners and the conditions of their imprisonment.
Completed applications must be returned to the Department by 12 noon (UK time) on Thursday 9 September 2021.
21Win a team wellbeing day with Developing Healthy Communities
Do you know a group of colleagues who deserve a break?
What are we saying – of course you do. It’s been a tough year, and nowhere has that been truer than in the workplace. Whether it’s the stress of keeping children on track with their Zoom classes while working from home or picking up extra shifts to cover for self-isolating colleagues, it’s been hard on us all.
And if that rings a bell with you then you’re going to want to read on because we have some exciting news. We’re offering one team or organisation the opportunity to relax, reset and refresh with a free team wellbeing day.
Why? Partly because we know that there are workplaces out there who have been flat out over the pandemic, improving people’s lives or just keeping basic services functioning, and we want to give something back. But also because we, ourselves, know how different the world of work is going to be in the future and we’re experimenting to find new ways that our Health@WorkNI project can support workplaces to improve their employees’ health in the future.
What’s on offer is a wellbeing day for up to 12 people from the same workplace, tailored to the lucky team’s specific health needs by the experts from our Health@WorkNI project. And all you have to do to be considered is fill out some details on our websitebefore Wednesday 25 August.
But whether your team wins the wellbeing day or not, don’t forget to take a step back and consider what you’ve achieved over the past year and a half. And if you’re taking your summer break this month, enjoy it – you deserve it.
RT @FoyleHospice: Do you have a few hours to spare?
We are in urgent need of Volunteers to help out at the Summer Raffle Stalls in… https://t.co/BBKZ2RmOyZ —
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RT @NIAntiPov: @NWCN01
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RT @CRJDerry: This morning we attended a meeting organised by @NWCN01 with our local elected reps to discuss the potential impact… https://t.co/1u8zOTaRZY —
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