Gatwick Foundation Fund

28th November 2022

Grants are available from the Gatwick Foundation Fund for local projects that support young people, improve health and wellbeing, tackle social isolation and disadvantage, or raise aspirations and employment opportunities.

People working for local community projects in Tandridge, Reigate and Banstead and Mole Valley can now apply for funding from Gatwick Airport’s Foundation Fund, with projects receiving £100,000 in total across three rounds of funding.

The Fund is designed to distribute the economic benefits that the airport generates among local people and communities that may not benefit directly from other economic contributions the airport brings to the region.

Gatwick’s Foundation Fund was ordinally launched in late 2016 and – to date – a total of £1.2 million has been distributed in 236 grants, benefiting over 100,000 people across Sussex, Surrey and Kent.

Criteria for application

The Gatwick Foundation Fund has updated the criteria for the relaunched Fund which has been driven by a local needs analysis and local priorities piece of work that has been undertaken.

Building Better Communities	Strengthening social links and fighting social isolation and exclusion particularly in deprived neighbourhoods.

Enabling Social Mobility	Raising aspirations and increasing the skills and opportunities of those who face barriers to employment or those seeking career prospects.

Improving Health & Wellbeing	Improving health (physical and mental), wellbeing and safety.

Supporting Young People	Making a real difference to the lives of disadvantaged children and young people (up to 25)

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How to apply to the Gatwick Foundation Fund

The process starts with submitting an Expression of Interest (EOI) – this is a simple form where you can tell us what you need to fund. Don’t overthink it or spend too much time on it. Complete the EOI form by clicking the link below and the Grants Team will be pleased to advise you on whether we can invite an application.

Please visit our what we do and do not fund page for more information and our eligibility guidance.

Woking Council Community Fund

22nd August 2022

Applying for a community grant will get easier as Woking Borough Council is joining forces with the Community Foundation for Surrey to support the voluntary sector and vulnerable people from across the borough.

Purpose

The new partnership will take effect for grants in 2023/24 where the Community Foundation for Surrey (CFS) will take overall responsibility for receiving and processing community grant applications on behalf of Woking Borough Council. We are delighted to announce that this new fund will be called the Woking Council Community Fund.

This collaborative approach will be more efficient in enabling community groups to apply for funding through one single expression of interest, without the need for multiple applications. It will also enable groups to access wider funds that are not restricted solely to the council’s grants scheme.

On top of the partnership with CFS, Woking Borough Council will directly commission some charities that provide an essential service to local people using a Service Level Agreement (SLA) arrangement. Those charities will still be able to apply directly to CFS for our other funding but will not be eligible for this fund. As in past years, the Council will consider the level of grant funding available to be set aside in its Budget during the Autumn, which will be agreed formally at the Full Council meeting in February. It is anticipated that the available funding for the 2023/24 financial year will be in the order of between £100,000 and £200,000.

Woking Borough Council will set the annual budget for this Fund and agree the funding criteria to meet its strategic priorities.

A link to the Council’s press release is available here and includes an introductory video by Councillor Will Forster, Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for the Voluntary Sector.

Eligibility

The Community Foundation for Surrey Eligibility criteria apply – click here for details
Organisations benefitting residents of Woking Borough will be eligible to apply.

What we will fund – our strategic priorities

Healthier Communities

e.g. projects which support improving health outcomes in our communities in particular addressing health inequalities in our borough (Priorities: Mental Health, Living independently, carers, isolation and loneliness, obesity)
e.g. projects that encourage and increase active lifestyles and participation through the provision of varied cultural and sporting opportunities and amenities
e.g. projects supporting safer communities
e.g. projects to provide early support to improve residents health and wellbeing, or support residents to be more proactive about their health.
e.g. Support improved engagement in active lifestyles, in particular by under-represented groups/ages

Engaged Communities

e.g. projects which support the ability of communities to develop solutions to local needs and support those most disadvantaged in our communities
e.g. projects supporting older, vulnerable and disabled people in our community
e.g. projects supporting engagement in areas of the borough highlighted by the Indices of Multiple Deprivation, particularly with children, younger people and older people.

Greener Communities

e.g. projects which support access to green space for members of the community who wouldn’t normally be able to access.
e.g. projects which support the Borough in tackling climate change, noting the Council’s target of the Borough becoming carbon neutral by 2050.

Prospering Communities

e.g. projects which support our communities to improve skills and raise aspirations
e.g. projects which improve signposting of career opportunities to those seeking employment and training

What this fund will not support

Large capital projects such as buildings or purchase of vehicles.
Projects with beneficiaries not resident in Woking (if your work benefits a wider area, please tell us what percentage of your beneficiaries are resident in Woking).

Size of grants

The level of funding offered would normally be up to £10,000 for 1 year in the first instance, although this could vary depending on the grant award currently being received from the Council, the level of service provided in the Borough and any exceptional circumstance.

Download the priorities here

How to apply to the Woking Council Community Fund

Application to the Woking Borough Council Fund will now come through the normal Community Foundation’s application process. This is a two-stage process which in the first instance involves a short, online Expression of Interest (EOI) form. The Expression of Interest Form has been carefully designed to be as easy as possible to complete and will just need a high-level outline of what you would like funding for. You can submit an EOI at any time and this process gives applicants access to all 89 of the Community Foundation’s funds as well as the Woking Council Community Fund.

The EOIs are reviewed on a rolling basis and if eligible you will be invited to submit a full application.

The deadline for full applications will be 23^rd January 2023 and the Fund will make awards in May 2023.

Applications will be assessed against the strategic priorities set by the Council as set out in the Woking for All strategy, which informs the Fund priorities.

Woking Borough Council Members and Officers will sit on the grants panel along with Community Foundation for Surrey representatives.

Meet our Grants Team

We will be holding two Q&A session over Zoom where there will be the opportunity to meet representatives from the Foundation and the Council, receive further information about the process and ask any questions you might have. The sessions will be held on:

11am, Tuesday 6^th September
10am, Thursday 8^th December

You can register for the sessions on the Community Foundation for Surrey website

Focus on Local Philanthropy

10th August 2016

Our Deputy Director was recently interviewed by Martin Bamford, Managing Director of Informed Choice Independent Financial Planning. The podcast has local philanthropy as its focus, and the interview includes information on:

How you can make a difference here in Surrey; and
How the Community Foundation for Surrey can provide professional guidance and support to make your local giving effective and enjoyable.

Questions answered in the podcast include:

What are the Community Foundation for Surrey’s main aims and how does it work?
How does philanthropy differ from charity?
How can philanthropy fit into financial planning? Where would someone start if they were thinking about allocating some of their financial resources to important local causes?
What are the main issues facing Surrey’s community and how can philanthropy help?

Click below to listen:

Kaye Family Fund

28th April 2016

The Kaye Family Fund was established by a local family and is one of the Community Foundation for Surrey’s Endowment Funds, providing long-term support to local communities.

The income which is generated each quarter is used to award grants which meet the Fund criteria.

The Kaye Family Fund supports projects in West Surrey which improve facilities for leisure and recreation – particularly those relating to sport, for the benefit of local young people.

Examples of funded projects:

Walton Firs Foundation – £60,000

The Walton Firs Foundation is an outdoor activity centre that provides a superb environment for camping, skills training, games, nature and environmental studies, alongside other activities vital to young people, both individually and together.

This grant was awarded for the creation of a high ropes course, that will test and challenge young people to overcome their fears and help them to develop teamwork, self-confidence and communication skills.

Bagshot Infant School – £3,160

Bagshot Infant School is a special needs support centre in Surrey, supporting local children with special educational needs and disabilities, including those with physical disabilities, speech and language delays and autism.

Funding awarded allowed for horse riding lessons for a group of 8-10 vulnerable children experiencing emotional and behavioural challenges. The children in attendance of the riding group have a range of needs and this programme provided bespoke support to help each child reach their full potential. The lessons used aided communication for children both within the group and helped them thrive within the wider, mainstream school environment.

Explore some of our other Personal Funds

Orchid Environmental Trust Fund

The Orchid Environmental Trust Fund supports projects across Surrey which conserve or improve the wildlife value of an area; and/or raise awareness of and access to the environment

Community environmental projects which have been supported by this Fund include community gardens and wildlife areas, as well as community orchards.

Grants are prioritised to small, volunteer-led community groups.

The Donors to this Fund (a local Surrey couple) are also interested in supporting the start up costs of new initiatives.

Examples of funded projects:

Guildford Environmental Forum – £1,000

The Guildford Environmental Forum work to make Guildford a greener and more sustainable place – by educating, informing, cutting energy use, reducing ecological footprints, helping wildlife and tackling climate change.

A grant provided the group with purpose built swift nesting boxes around the area. Swifts have become much less common in the countryside and have become largely urban birds. As well as providing a safe place for the birds to nest, there was an increased boost in the wellbeing of residents in Guildford and Woking involved in the project.

Autism and Nature – £2,000

Local charity, Autism and Nature, strive to tackle the lack of opportunities for children with ARD to learn about and experience the outdoors.

Funding was awarded for the production and distribution of a colouring book created specifically for children with autism & related disabilities (ARD), in order to help them engage with nature.

An initial grant helped produce ‘Alex and Rosie’s Adventures in Surrey’ – a pilot storybook that was found successful in helping parents and teachers in Surrey encourage autistic children to engage with the natural environment.

The books are aimed at children aged 5-11 and have been designed to improve communication with ARD children, encouraging them to stay calm, be self-expressive, aid in the development of motor skills and help them better relate to their surroundings.

Explore some of our other Personal Funds

Cyrus Fund

The Cyrus Fund, just like the Community Foundation for Surrey’s other Funds, was established by a local Donor.

The Fund awards grants to support local grassroots organisations to do things that they would otherwise not have the opportunity to do.

Grants are targeted to enable local groups to grow and develop, or improve the services they offer to local people.

Grants are focused in Waverley, and particularly around the Godalming area and fund capital costs or one-off items to improve or extend existing services and infrastructure, or to help develop a new initiative.

Examples of funded projects:

1275 Godalming Air Cadets – £2,000

The Air Training Corps is a voluntary uniformed youth organisation which is supported, in part, by the Royal Air Force. It provides the opportunity to learn valuable skills, receive training and gain personal development for young men and women aged 12-20.

Funding supported the purchase of a flight simulator to assist the Air Cadet Squadron in providing training for young air cadets. The simulator offered an opportunity to learn practical aviation skills alongside an established training process resulting in a BTEC in Aviation Studies. It facilitated better learning through physical and realistic demonstrations, as as acting as an exciting addition to the training programme.

Elstead Sharks Youth Football Club – £1,275

Elstead Sharks Football Club (ES) started operating in 2008 and is a youth football club that caters for 206 children from the Elstead area and surrounds.

Funding was awarded to replace the clubs 20 year old rusted steel goals. New FA approved aluminium goals were purchased in order to improve the safety of the children aged 13-18 that attend the club. Thick, but lightweight these goals also benefit other local teams such as the Elstead Ladies, Men’s and Vets teams.

Helping carers to get the support they need

27th April 2016

Grants of over £9,000 have supported Crossroads Care Surrey, a local provider of respite breaks for Carers and the people they care for in Surrey. There are over 100,000 people in Surrey who provide unpaid care for loved-ones with a serious health condition or disability. Crossroads helps carers make a life of their own outside of caring.

Outings Club gives carers a much needed break knowing their loved ones are in safe hands

A £2,500 grant from our Bexington Fund supported Crossroads Care Surrey’s Saturday Outings Club. The club runs fun outings for young people with varying disabilities, including Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Dyslexia, and Epilepsy. The Outings Club gives carers a much needed break knowing their loved ones are in safe hands.

Matthew has some very difficult and challenging behaviour and last year was nearly excluded from Crossroads Care Surrey’s Saturday Outings Club due to his extreme behavioural problems. After much discussion Matthew was invited to join the Outings Club to go bowling and WOW what a trip he had! He interacted with staff like never before, bowled a strike, joined in with the group and during the refreshment break he even shared a drink with other group members. “The change in him was amazing and brought tears to our eyes.”