Funding Opportunities for Local Projects

1. Funding Opportunities for Local Projects Andrew Meredith Tourism and Heritage Consultant A Meredith Associates Tourism ~ Heritage ~ Culture ~ Communities Consultation ~ Development ~ Funding ~ Research www.andrewmeredith.co.uk

2. “Captivate and Excite!” • Where is the money? • How can you get at it? • Why should someone let you spend their money? • Excite and captivate the potential funder –what is important, what’s it about, who’s it for - who will benefit, how can the area gain, – not just about the heritage & the process

3. Today • I’m assuming we are looking at larger sums of money for local projects in addition to any fundraising events such as a local fete or bric-a-brac sales • Potential sources of Funding • Examples/case studies • How to go about seeking funding • Tailoring your application – good practice

4. Potential Range of Funders • National Lottery – various good causes • AONB/National Park Sustainable Development Funds • Local Community Funds • National, Regional, Local, Thematic Charitable Trusts • Private Business’s environmental/community trusts

5. National Lottery Funders • 28p in the £ of lottery tickets goes to good causes – including Heritage and Big Lottery • The Big Lottery Fund is committed to improving communities and the lives of people most in need • Awards for All – part of Big Lottery – grants £300 to £10,000 for projects that improve communities, and the lives of people within them. For voluntary and community groups, schools and health organisations, parish and town councils • Heritage Lottery Fund grants wide range of projects - local, regional and national heritage

6. HLF wants to fund projects beyond the usual suspects Get people engaged in revealing and sharing the heritage to new audiences No “official” definition of heritage • HLF key criteria • Helping to conserve and enhance the UK’s diverse heritage • Ensuring that everyone can access, learn about and enjoy their heritage • Encouraging more people to be involved with their heritage

7. HLF -Young Roots • Organisations that work with young people aged 13 to 25 should be the lead body • Amount available: between £3,000 and £25,000 • A partnership with at least one heritage organisation • Encourage young people to lead and take part in creative and engaging activities • Develops partnerships between youth organisations and heritage organisations • Project must also create new opportunities for young people to either: • volunteer in heritage; or • gain skills in identifying, recording, interpreting or caring for heritage

8. HLF - Your Heritage • Any not for profit organisation, including statutory organisations • Amount available from £3,000 up to £50,000 grant for projects. It can be part of a larger funded scheme from other sources • Community involvement – how can you engage with the community you are working with • Creating opportunities for volunteering and training • What will happen afterwards to the information and resources you are creating or conserving • You may be able to get the services of a mentor for up to three days

9. Big Lottery Fund • www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/ • May tend to guide larger projects towards Heritage Lottery Fund • The Big Lottery Fund manages a number of funds. In fact it distributes 50% of all lottery funds for ‘good causes’ within the UK. • Unlike HLF it has no obvious programme to apply to • So a bit of creative thinking may be necessary around a social inclusion and/or community involvement project • www.awardsforall.org.uk/england/england_main.html

10. Some Case Studies

11. Northwick Manor Community Heritage Project • Worcestershire Young Archaeologists’ Club received almost £50,000 from HLF ‘Your Heritage’ • Encourage local people of all ages to engage with their historic environment • Series of events, training workshops, exhibitions and activities • Produced interpreted heritage trail - web and print - aspects of archaeological, natural and historic interest • Conservation and digitisation of historic maps • Art projects & exhibitions, workshops, talks, walks, fieldwork • Oral history recording and production of archive

13. Discovering Dorchester Community Archaeology Project • HLF Your Heritage Grant £32,300 • Project focuses on the unique archaeological importance of Dorchester-on-Thames, Oxfordshire • Two-year project - joint venture between the Dorchester Abbey Museum, The University of Oxford and Oxford Archaeology • Education officer post supported for public communication • Many open days, volunteers, events

14. Sustainable Development Fund- National Parks and AONBs • National Park Authorities (Peak Park) and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty • http://www.nationalparks.gov.uk/lookingafter/sustainable-development.htm • Encourages individuals and communities to find sustainable ways of living and working, whilst enhancing and conserving the local culture, wildlife and landscape • Projects receive money from the Sustainable Development Fund, upto 75% of total cost • Grant can be just a few hundred pounds upto many thousands • Applications can be made by individuals, businesses and community groups, in public, private or voluntary sector

15. Solway Coast AONB • http://www.solwaycoastaonb.org.uk/susfund.php • HolmeCultram Community Research Project - West Cumbria Archaeological Society • Volunteers worked alongside professional archaeologists on every aspect of the excavation • Chance for local people to learn new skills whist exploring and conserving • Results shared with the local community through active participation, taking guided tours exhibition creation, on-site interpretation panel, school visits.

16. Chilterns Conservation Board (AONB) • 2007 Chiltern Archaeology one year project using local volunteers to investigate the Roman archaeology of the Hambleden Valley • Grant of £3000 from the SDF helped Chiltern Archaeology to complete the research, produce a publication detailing the extensive discoveries of the project and give talks and workshops.

17. Cranborne Chase & West Wiltshire Downs AONB • Sixpenny Handley - The Story of Our Parish • Supported by AONB • Guide and social history of the village and parish of Sixpenny Handley, hidden deep in the Cranborne Chase AONB • Sold out (500 copies) in just 6 months! Gone to reprint

18. Mendip Hills Festival of Archaeology • Ran for the second year in 2011. • Supported by the Mendip Hills AONB Sustainable Development Fund • Collaborates with Somerset Wildlife Trust

19. Example of Local Sources - Sutton Coldfield Municipal Charities Makes grants of around £1 million annually to needy people and organisations within boundaries of former Borough of Sutton Coldfield Criteria include: • Improving quality of life • Improving local facilities • Increasing the local awareness and appreciation of the place/ location/environment • http://suttoncoldfieldmunicipalcharities.com/ • Look for similar local trusts where you are • In Shropshire the Walker Trust supports ‘Education’ which could cover public learning/ interpretation

20. Other Sources of Funding

21. ‘Directories’ • Heritage Funding Directory www.theheritagealliance.org.uk/fundingdirectory/main/fundinghome.php • Grantfinderwww.grantfinder.co.uk Database for searching for grants Subscription required, although many local authorities subscribe. • Directory of Social Change http://www.dsc.org.ukPublishes regular funding guides and organises training on writing good applications etc • Association of Charitable Foundations  www.acf.org.ukInformation about charitable trust funding in the UK and abroad.  It has links to mainly charitable trusts and foundations.

22. Examples of Potential Sources • Architectural Heritage Fund www.ahfund.org.uk • Esmée Fairbairn www.esmeefairbairn.org.uk/funding • Garfield Weston Foundation www.garfieldweston.org • Steel Charitable Trust www.steelcharitabletrust.org.uk/grant_policy.htm • Marsh Christian Trust www.marshchristiantrust.org • William & Jane Morris Fund www.sal.org.uk/grants/downloads/morris-form.doc • Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies www.romansociety.org/about/grants/funding-for-schools.html • Council for British Archaeology www.britarch.ac.uk/grants • The Community Fund www.community-fund.org.uk

23. Other Potential Trusts • Gannett Foundationwww.gannettfoundation.org/newsquest.htmWill consider local history projects, need to be near to Newsquest owned newspapers. Applications processed through local newspapers, up to £50,000 • Leche Trusthttp://www.lechetrust.org/Will consider funding charitable bodies/organisations associated with preservation of the nation's countryside, towns, villages and historic landscapes. Upto £5,000 Landfill Communities Fund • WREN / Biffa/ Sita - provides funding for community, heritage and environmental projects in areas close to landfill sites • Small £250-£3000 and large grants £5-50,000 • www.sitatrust.org.uk/ • www.wren.org.uk • www.biffaward.org/

24. Private Sponsors and Volunteers • Don’t forget – you can try to find Private Companies offering support – local or national sponsorship • What’s in it for them / make the link / benefit • Volunteer input can be matched as time with a cash value to Heritage Lottery • Several smaller donations from local organisations will soon add up and can influence larger donors

25. How to go about Seeking Funding

26. Finding the Funding • Can be a difficult task • Look to skills within your own group • Make the most of Contacts • Local Historic Environment/ Archaeology Service / Museum Development Officers • Defining the categories your project fits into so that you know what sort of funds you can apply for • Assumption – you are looking for local projects/smaller sources of funding

27. Start from Skills and Contacts Within Your Group • Written and verbal communication skills, enthusiasm, creativity, organisational abilities and commitment • Identify people in your group who have these skills – from past or current jobs/ posts/responsibilities • Identify any potentially helpful contacts your group already has (local businesses and philanthropic organisations – Lions, Round Table, etc.)

28. Making Applications – Plan Ahead • Plan ahead, don’t rush it at the last moment • Is your timescale of raising funds important - does the project have a fixed timetable e.g. an anniversary date, before something happens locally, or is it flexible? • Never assume that any organisation should give you money, even if they have a lot to give away • Before you start - agree on exactly what your project consists of & get an accurate figure of how much it will cost • It’s much better to delay doing anything until you have this information

29. Know What you Want and Say it • Don’t start writing funders vague letters : don’t show them you don’t really know what you need or what you are doing! • This doesn’t give a good impression = not bring success • You must put over your case so well that they are as excited by your project as you are • Present your key selling points - what is unique or different about the project • If you can do that you are more likely to be successful

30. Writing your bid • Make sure you fully understand the funder's application process • Some funders use application forms, others require a letter • Make sure your grant application is clear and concise, and involves key elements: • A good project • A good case for support • The credibility of your group • The people involved in the project • The interests and funding priorities of the funder being approached

31. Include the 7 W’s • Who you are • What you want to do • Why it is needed • Where you want to do it • Who is going to benefit, and in what ways • When you are going to do it • What it will cost And, depending on the nature of the project /funder; • How will you monitor and evaluate the success and impact • How the project will continue when the funding ends.

32. Tips on making applications • Remember – you’re not the only one seeking money • Funders are more interested in who will benefit from your project than the needs of your group or organisation • So be clear and articulate – keep your letter /application concise • Try to talk over the phone or in person before applying • Assume the funder has no prior knowledge of your group or area. What’s obvious to you may not be to the assessor • Talk to other heritage groups who have already gained funding and learn from their mistakes! Many are here today

33. Do’s • Research your funder’s criteria carefully - tailor your request to their priorities, identifying how your project fits  • Study the funder’s deadline/ meetings / grant decision timetable  • Read any application form very carefully before you begin filling it in • Copy it – make several copies of your application form – draft out in advance • Send all the information asked for in the guidelines • Get together copies of your constitution, the latest accounts, your aims and objectives, etc.

34. Do’s • Be positive – use confident, active words like: ‘increase’, ‘maximise’, ‘save’, ‘assist’, ‘decrease’, ‘learn’, ‘benefit’ • Include a budget in your application – this should be clear, comprehensive and realistic • Use any research to back up your point (and refer to the source) for credibility • Re-read your application carefully before posting it, to make sure you haven’t left anything out or made any mistakes - this damages your credibility • Even better, get someone from outside of your organisation to do it.

35. Don’ts • Address “Dear Sir/Madam” - your application should be addressed to a specific, named person • Spell their name incorrectly! • Send identical or ‘round robin’ letters to different funders • Use jargon, acronyms and abbreviations • Use vague statements, avoid using woolly words like: ‘would’, ‘could’, ‘should’ and ‘may’ – be specific • Don’t ask for more money than the guidelines suggest the funder will give.

36. Good luck! Have clear benefits – to funders, community and yourselves and your project

37. Andrew Meredith Tourism and Heritage Consultant A Meredith Associates 140 West Malvern Road 01684 575842 Malvern, Worcs WR14 4NJ 07941 609525 ameredithassociates@tiscali.co.uk Tourism ~ Heritage ~ Culture ~ Communities Consultation ~ Development ~ Funding ~ Research www.andrewmeredith.co.uk