East Riding of Yorkshire Council has committed a further £500,000 to support local community activity across the area.
The Do It For East Yorkshire Community Grant 2024 is now open to voluntary and community groups in the East Riding, as well as Town and Parish Councils. Grants are available for amounts between £1,500 and £5,000 per group, and up to £10,000 for capital projects. Applications need to be made by 30 September 2024 and projects delivered by 31 December 2024.
This grant specifically supports activity that will allow community activities to improve health and wellbeing; improve access to local resources and services; and reduce social isolation. The fund will also support activity that will enhance pride of place to contribute to better use of community services, and it encourages pilot projects to trial their future potential as sustainable activities.
The fund is to help support new or additional activity, rather than activity that already exists.
Between 2021 and March 2023, the Do It For East Yorkshire Community Grant (DIFEY) awarded grants to 172 projects, with a total of over £500,000 going to East Riding community groups, and Town and Parish Councils.
These awards saw over 25,000 people attending projects funded through the Do It For East Yorkshire Community Grant and, since April 2023, a further 91 projects have been awarded, totalling over £300,000.
Grants have been awarded for projects and activities including one-off new community events, lunch clubs, welcoming place activities, activity groups, youth initiatives, and enhancements to green spaces.
For example, a community centre in Bridlington secured £4069.36 of Do It For East Yorkshire funding to run a Friday Community Lunch Club. The club provided a variety of hot meals to residents free of charge, while creating an opportunity for the community to come together and socialise. The project has allowed residents to make new friends and suggest other activities, bringing the community together. One participant said: “The best thing has been the company, the food and not having to wash up!”
Councillor Anne Handley, leader of East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said : “The relaunch of the DIFEY Community Grant is great news for organisations right across the East Riding, and will help to make a real difference to our voluntary and community sector, as well as helping our Town and Parish Councils. I am very pleased indeed that we as a council have been able to make this funding available once again and would encourage organisations to apply.”
Applications can be made now to the following themes:
- Supporting cultural, heritage or arts activities
- Supporting social infrastructure, community projects and volunteering
- Supporting infrastructure improvements to increase accessibility
- Supporting activity and improvements which ‘design out crime’.
Funding can be awarded for activities which:
- are new events and festivals (including insurance, licenses, and road closures)
- improve access to services
- are community activities, such as a lunch club, activity groups
- focus on encouraging people to join community activities.
- require sessional staff (reasonable costs)
- encourage local people to get more involved in an organisation
- include the purchase of small equipment for project activity
- encourage volunteering
- include activities for young people
- include outdoor and green space activity
- need match funding to assist with the delivery of commuted sums activity.
- are welcoming place activity (activity must be regular, venues can also claim a contribution towards their energy costs, costs of running activity and food/drink costs).
For full details of who can apply, and hints and tips for completing applications, visit https://www.doitforeastyorkshire.co.uk/
The first step is to complete an Expression of Interest form, which will be checked for eligibility.
Organisations needing advice and guidance about setting up as an organisation, having appropriate governance in place (constitution, risk assessments, safeguarding policies etc), running events, or licenses should visit https://howtodoitforeastyorkshire.org/
Community groups or organisations in the East Riding are encouraged to visit: https://eastridingvoluntarysectorengagement.commonplace.is/
Once online, they can sign up and fill in the information to help the council understand their group’s structure and future needs. Their answers will help shape the best possible support from the council for the vital services such organisations provide to East Riding communities. The council will then keep them updated with what it has done with the information and any next steps.
