The Mole Valley Community Fund is a Fund dedicated to Mole Valley that provides support to local projects which tackle need and disadvantage across the borough, it is the latest in the network of local area funds supported by the Community Foundation for Surrey and is run by volunteers from the local communities in Mole Valley.
Our ambition is to provide a significant level of sustainable funding to support and benefit local residents, community projects and voluntary groups in the District of Mole Valley, by bringing together local donors and stakeholders who are passionate about their local community, who can together make a difference to the area in which they live.
This fund is one of a number of borough/district Area Funds across the county managed by the Community Foundation for Surrey, developed in partnership with representatives from the local area. This model has successfully worked in other areas of the county and provides an important local emphasis for funding in Mole Valley.
The Mole Valley Community Fund is a long-term fund that people who are passionate about the area can donate to now, or leave a legacy to in the future.
If you want to get involved, find out more by downloading the information document here.
How we help people
The aim of the Mole Valley Community Fund is to establish a permanent community fund to support and benefit local residents, community projects and voluntary groups in the district. With your help we can help build a stronger community by supporting local causes that can make impact and that will empower Mole Valley to help itself now and in the future.
Fund objectives
The key objectives of the fund are:
To create a permanent source of community capital to support and benefit voluntary and community groups, charities and local residents in Mole Valley
To encourage local philanthropy and raise the level of local giving from residents and local businesses
The Fund will award grants to non-profit organisations including charities, social enterprises, community groups and voluntary organisations in the District of Mole Valley.
Mike is the owner of the Stonar Brighter Futures Fund.
Even though he moved to various locations across the UK and now lives overseas, Surrey is where his family’s home was, and it is still where he considers his roots to be.
“I hope that by giving back I may be able to help others enjoy some of the same opportunities that I had when growing up in this wonderful area.”
Both Mike’s Dad and Mum supported charities throughout their lives. Sadly Mike’s parents are no longer with us and the Fund is a fitting honour to their lives.
Via a Deed of Variation, Mike was able to plan a flexible, tax-effective way to create a charitable giving fund from the inheritance that he had received. A Deed of Variation is a simple and effective way to pass on an inheritance. You should be clear first on what you want to achieve. Then talk it through with a solicitor who will be able to provide any additional advice, including possible tax benefits, and complete the administration which should be quite straightforward.
How the Fund is changing people’s lives
Grants awarded by the Stonar Brighter Futures Fund focus on non-profit organisations, including charities and voluntary groups who are providing support to enable disadvantaged young people (under age 25) with the opportunity to undertake activities that promote their ability to contribute to society. Examples of this might include, but not be limited to:
Education
Sport, music or other pastimes that develop worthwhile skills
Animal welfare
Environmental initiatives
Addressing underprivilege or crime reduction
Leadership development
Charitable work
Mike likes to be involved and build a relationship with the charities he funds and visits them whenever possible.
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.
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)
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.
The Cubitt & West Emergency Fund will make grants to support charities and not-for-profit organisations helping to support families and children facing financial hardship during the winter of 2022-23. Grants will be made to fund foodbanks serving people in areas where the estate agent’s branch offices are located. These are: Banstead, Cranleigh, Dorking, Horley, Leatherhead, Reigate, Redhill and Caterham.
Successful grantees will be asked to contact their local branches and where possible, make a visit with them. This aims to connect staff teams with local organisations and to share publicity about these grants.
We are seeking to fast track these awards. Start your expression of interest here. Our normal guidance applies to this funding.
In January 2022, Shepperton Studios launched a £500,000 community fund to support local individuals, non-profit and voluntary organisations including charities, social enterprises, and community groups.
Working together with the Community Foundation for Surrey (CFSurrey), the Shepperton Studios Community Fund is being distributed through the provision of grants over ten years to benefit the Shepperton area and wider borough of Spelthorne. Areas of focus include:
Youth Development
Community Development
Supporting under privileged and disadvantaged individuals and communities
The Fund forms part of the Studios’ ‘Set For More’ programme which is a long-term commitment that focuses on creating opportunities for young people, investing in the local community and supporting underprivileged groups. This is in addition to the community benefits already pledged by Shepperton Studios as part of its plans to expand and improve the world-renowned facility.
Shepperton Studios approached the Community Foundation for Surrey with the ambition to set up a fund that could draw on relevant experience and knowledge of existing projects in the local area. With this knowledge, the Foundation will make well-informed grant award decisions and oversee the implementation and monitoring of projects.
“We’re excited to be delivering the Shepperton Studios Community Fund to help bridge some of the gaps presented across young people and communities within Shepperton and surrounding areas. This funding will make a real and lasting difference to those within those communities who need it most. We are most grateful to Pinewood Group Limited for helping us to achieve this.”
Rebecca Bowden, Chief Executive, Community Foundation for Surrey,
Please note, grants will be awarded subject to meeting the Fund Criteria.
For general enquiries, please contact the Community Foundation for Surrey on 01483 478092.
Mental Health Scale Up Fund
“Children and young people who have good mental health are more resilient, more likely to have positive relationships, are physically healthier, achieve more educationally and have better social outcomes.”*
In recognition of an unprecedented level of need for support for young people’s mental health in Surrey the Community Foundation for Surrey launched a new fund in 2021 based on the following:
Identification of a need for step change in provision. This Fund will provide funding of up to £50,000 per year for up to 5 years in the first instance.
Desire to grow and develop programmes that can evidence they are working in young people from birth up to the age of 30.
Stop the ‘postcode lottery’ – help should be available to all who need it in Surrey when and where they need it.
We would like to support wrap-around support for the long-term, that grows and develops as the needs of the young person and their family change over time – including organisations with differing expertise working together in partnership or in a collaborative model.
CFSurrey funding supports community groups, charities, and other members of the VCSE sector but not the public sector or private companies. See eligibility criteria.
Round 3 now closed to applications of interest.
Deadline for Expressions of Interest – 9am on Monday 5th February 2024 -CLOSED
Funding Priority – Perinatal and pre-school support.
See attached for more info on funding criteria.
We particularly want to fund projects which demonstrate clear, measurable impact in young people and have the ability to scale up to reach:
More beneficiaries, or,
Beneficiaries in cohorts that are experiencing particular challenges in mental health, or,
Beneficiaries that struggle to access support, or,
Beneficiaries across a wider geographic area.
As part of scoping our Fund we commissioned a major listening exercise to hear from stakeholders, the report – Community Foundation for Surrey Mental Health Scale Up: The Listening Phase – makes stark reading and highlights some key strengths of current provision, as well as some barriers we will need to overcome if we are to achieve our aim of making a step-change in provision. We are well aware that the listening must continue throughout our programme if we are all to learn together how to better support young people’s mental health.
We are delighted to report that we have now made three grant awards from the Fund. Each five- year grant will support the development and expansion of vital support for young people.
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.
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.
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 23rd 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 6th September
10am, Thursday 8th December
You can register for the sessions on the Community Foundation for Surrey website
Surrey Strategic Transformation Programme
15th July 2022
The Community Foundation for Surrey is pleased to announce that a number of our Donor Funds have come together to support the sustainability and resilience of our voluntary sector organisations.
Pandemic working has necessitated many charities and community groups working more closely together with other groups to deliver services together and change services to new ways of delivery.
In the current economic climate, coming out of a period when many funders gave an unprecedented amount, the funding environment is bleak. Many public sector contracts have been frozen and public grants programmes either cancelled or drastically cut back. Increasingly charities are looking to respond to the urgent need to cut costs by looking for new ways of working, cementing partnership working or even merging. In addition, many are looking to change their business model in order to achieve greater financial sustainability in the longer-term. On the positive side many are building on what they have learned during the pandemic which enabled them to re-imagine the services they provide to beneficiaries.
In response, CFS has created the Surrey Strategic Transformation Programme. The focus of this funding will be to support local voluntary and community organisations to become more resilient. It will help organisations to plan and adapt to change and be better equipped to survive and thrive through challenges and opportunities that may arise.
What sorts of things would we support?
Work to carry out a feasibility study for premises move or new merger/partnership.
Strengthening an organisation’s leadership and governance, ensuring it has the right skills available to maintain and develop its work including set up of new partnerships/merger or improving strategic planning.
Building the capacity of an organisation’s digital/IT infrastructure to help deliver services and reach the communities it serves more efficiently and effectively.
Small capital work to adapt or refurbish existing premises for new purpose or support move to new premises.
Work to design and implement new systems to enable two organisations to work more closely together.
Analysis of potential demand for services/needs including analysis of potential partner organisations.
Reviewing structure and governance models.
Reviewing income and fundraising options or impact measurement.
Work to Improve capacity e.g. strengthen impact, effectiveness or sustainability.
Increasing the involvement of service users/communities in the design, development and/or delivery of services.
Feasibility study or provision of expert advice on installation of sustainable energy solutions to community buildings
Improvement in provision of WiFi to community buildings or charities
The Programme will not consider
Applications to support ‘business as usual’ – these can be made through our usual grant rounds, but this fund is specifically to fund ‘business change’
Applications for core/running costs.
Applications from individuals, political or sectarian organisations, mainstream schools and colleges, playgroups, community centres, sports clubs. Religious groups can apply but their services must be open to all and the grants cannot be used for the promotion of religion.
The Programme will support registered charities that have been in existence for at least 3 years with a demonstrably strong track record.
We will prioritise supporting organisations whose primary function and service is supporting people and communities that face the greatest disadvantages and exclusion or have been greatest impacted by the pandemic. Organisations must be focussed on Surrey.
Partnership bids are welcome. For partnership applications, we will expect the applicant to demonstrate what additional benefits will be delivered by working together. To be considered as a ‘partnership’, each organisation must be actively involved in the partnership and have a clear role within it. It is expected that there will be some form of partnership agreement or at least evidence of an agreement between partner organisations.
Successful applicants to the Strategic Transformation Programme will be offered support (where required) from skilled volunteers to assist with financial management, governance or merger discussions
How to apply
Groups can start their application by submitting an Expression of Interest when we reopen to EOI on 1st March
This will be a rolling programme with no deadlines.
Example Grant awards
Investment in an online booking system for a charity providing play-schemes for disadvantaged areas of Westborough, Park Barn and Stoke to improve efficiency and revenue generation.
Funding for a feasibility study regarding the relocation of a charity providing an outdoor learning environment for vulnerable young people.
Installation of two prefabricated cabins to provide flexible expansion of space for service provision and income generation for a charity supporting people with mental health needs.
Computer equipment to enable people with brain injury to be supported more efficiently.
IT System upgrade for a charity which supports disabled people to live independently to improve efficiency and service delivery.
Investment in a consolidated CRM system to manage member data and services more effectively.
Funding support for the merger of five local Community Mediation services to increase efficiency and sustainability; to improve service delivery and to create opportunity for growth, in terms of reaching more people across Surrey.
Contact Amy Lee, Fund Development Manager
