Listed below are details of grants, awards, offers, competitions, training opportunities and other items of interest to parishes and schools in Bedfordshire and Luton. Some of these are time-sensitive, i.e. there are deadlines for getting applications in, and these will be removed just before the deadline expires, so if you see something that's disappeared next time you look, contact Brin !

24th November 2008 - Beds & Luton Community Foundation are administering Grassroots Grants, which were set up by the Office of the Third Sector to provide small grants to local voluntary and community groups between 2008 and 2011.
The aim of the scheme is to increase immediate grant funding and capacity building support to small voluntary and community groups and organisations throughout the area, enabling them to continue or expand their work.
Grants totalling up to £5,000 per organisation during the period July 1st 2008 to March 31st 2011 are available. 
For the criteria, go to their website and download the leaflet "grassroots grants criteria".  (As is often the case, one of the restrictions is "Applications that support the furtherance of any one religion or political party" so you have to present your project as something of general or community benefit.)
To apply for a grant under this scheme please complete one of the online application forms from the website - I can help you with this.
The BLCF also offer modest up-to-£500 grants for local groups, for projects dedicated to improving the quality of community life of Bedfordshire people, and in particular those in special need by reason of disability, age, financial or other disadvantage. Grants can be made for a wide range of purposes, including Buying Equipment, Training Staff & Volunteers, Printing & Publicity, Start Up Costs, Social Events and Running Costs. Grants will not be considered from individuals, Political Parties / Organisations, Statutory Groups and for the promotion of any one religion (so, as I often point out here, your parish project needs to have a clear "community benefit"). Contact the Foundation Director, Mark West at The Beds & Luton Community Foundation, The Barn, Buttercup Farm, Hockliffe Road, Tebworth, Beds, LU7 9QA. Tel/Fax: 01525 878142. For more information visit www.blcf.org.uk/grants/general.php . They also administer Sport Relief grants in Bedfordshire.

1st December - Fit for Funding workshop, 10-12am. By Mid-Beds CVS, 43 Bromham Road. Free. Ring Jan Warnier 01234 354366. 

NO DEADLINES KNOWN

South Bedfordshire District Council - Flagship Fund. The Flagship Fund will provide up to a maximum of £2,000 for a wide range of community based projects and up to £500 for Parish Plans in rural areas of South Bedfordshire.
There is no application form. Send a letter of application clearly showing how your project meets the criteria. Deadlines for applications are in January, May, August and November each year. For full criteria and details contact the Rural Community Development Officer, South Bedfordshire District Council, The District Offices, High Street North, Dunstable, Bedfordshire, LU6 1LF. Telephone: 01582 472222.

Community Funding Initiative - Voluntary and community organisations providing services for a wide range of people within Luton, Dunstable and Houghton Regis can apply to the CFI Small Grant Programme; this provides grants to local Voluntary Organisation and Community Groups between £50 – £10,000 . Please contact the CFI Administrator, Jean Myrie, on 01582 733418 for an application pack. Financed by a range of local councils and public agencies.

The Harpur Trust, now known as The Bedford Charity, is one of the bigger single-town charities, distributing around £1/2m each year to organisations operating in the borough of Bedford, and it now has an online application process as part of its extremely informative website at www.bedfordcharity.org.uk. Their priorities are education, relief of sickness or need, and recreational facilities with a social-welfare purpose. However, "No grants can be made for any project that relates primarily to the promotion of any religion." But so long as your parish project is for the good of people's bodies or minds, not just their souls, it's worth a go ! Two of the Catholic schools in Bedford benefitted from grants in 2004-05.

Alderman Newton's Educational Foundation - The Foundation is administered by Bedford Borough Council and offers one-off grants to young people (aged 13-25) who live in Bedford (certain areas to the north of the town are excluded, although it is hoped to increase the area to  include Kempston and the rural part of the Borough of Bedford). Grants are awarded for educational purposes, such as the cost of books needed in connection with courses.
For further details, please contact David Baker on 01234 227203. 

Bedfordshire Crimebeat  - A funding Initiative for young people. Anyone under 25 can apply. Small grants are available to support groups involving young people in helping to solve some of the problems that face communities - like solvent abuse, vandalism, shoplifting and bullying. 
Contact: Lionel Stewart, 15 Loveridge Avenue, Kempston, Bedford, MK42 8SF.And in similar vein...

Bedfordshire Police Partnership Trust - The Trust supports community initiatives in Bedfordshire that work in the following fields: crime prevention, community safety, drugs misuse and prevention, schools liaison or road safety. Grants of up to £1,000 are currently available. Tel: (01234) 842612, E-mail: brian.prickett@bedspolicepartnership.org or see the website.

There is a number of Community Liaison Forums which can make small grants of up to £500 available to local groups in the villages and smaller towns in Bedfordshire. Check out their section of the Mid Beds District Council website for contact details.

A commendably active local infrastructure body in the county is the Community and Voluntary Service, Mid and North Beds. We have affiliated so as to keep an eye on funding opportunities, but would encourage all our youth and voluntary groups in those areas to join up for networking, local knowledge and many benefits (see below). Ring 01234 354366.
One of the many things they offer is free loan of display boards. If your parish or school is mounting an exhibition of any kind and could do with more of these, enquire through me.

They have prepared, as part of a Fundraising Toolkit, a truly excellent Local Funders Guide, including all the above bodies and many more, which is freely downloadable from here - scroll down the page until you see "Local Funders". It includes contact-details for local Lions and Rotary groups who may be able to help with small amounts for groups or individuals.

To give credit where it's due, Voluntary and Community Action South Beds are equally active, especially in providing training opportunities. So do check out the Voluntaryworks "family of websites" which gets you to all the different CVS's and similar agencies in Luton & Bedfordshire, with a vast range of information. Another local-info website is Bedfordinfozone.