Awards For All in Detail
Awards for All was re-launched 4th July 2000, after a successful phase of the Millennium Festival Awards for All. Sport England, Community Fund, Arts Council of England, Heritage Lottery Fund, and the New Opportunities Fund have now committed to a joint pot scheme from April 2002.
It is a natural progression for the programme, enabling it to become a more efficient and effective funder of small groups. Put simply, joint pot means Awards for All five distributors pool their grant making budgets. Rather than each distributor funding projects that fall within their remit, all distributors make awards jointly.
The joint pot will help Awards for All to become more open and transparent, whilst the application pack materials have been made simpler.
The fund remains geared towards small groups with a community focus, the programme aims to provide:
- Small grants for small, local groups, schools and health bodies
- Grants from £500 to £5000 with priority given to organisations with an annual income of less than £20,000 (schools and health bodies exempt)
- All year round applications with no deadlines
- No partnership funding required in cash
- Contributions of time, effort or materials will be accepted
- You will be told if you are successful or not within 3 months
Is it for you?
Do you want to develop existing opportunities in your community or start something new?
Are you a voluntary sports organisation?
This could include a local sports club, a county association or a local sports council encouraging new groups to take part in sport.
Are you a voluntary group?
This could include a youth club or uniformed organisation, disability group, womens organisation, ethnic community group or neighbourhood association playing or planning to play sport.
Are you a school or college linking with a local sports club?
This could include projects such as a local judo club providing coaches and equipment for come and try sessions for students.
Awards for all wants to fund projects that support community activity. The aims of the Awards for All are to:
- Extend access and participation. Awards for All would like to see funds used to provide more opportunities for people to enjoy a chosen activity or activities. For example, Awards for All aims to encourage disability groups to take part in sport. A disability club may wish to integrate with a local swimming club. An Awards for All grant could be used to pay for the hire of transport, additional pool time and specialist training for coaches and carers.
- Increase skill and creativity. Awards for All are interested in helping local groups raise the quality of their sport and improve standards. For example, Awards for All aims to encourage more people from the ethnic communities to take part in sport. A community group may be starting a junior team to play a district league. Awards for All funding could be used to pay for equipment costs, training courses for coaches and the first six months hire of facilities.
- Improve the quality of life. Awards for All would like to see projects that improve peoples opportunities, welfare or environment, especially those more disadvantaged in society. For example, Awards for All aims to encourage more young people to take part in sporting activities. A group of youth clubs in an area may apply for funding to organize an annual event with a range of activities available.
How to apply?
You can obtain an application form by calling 0845 600 2040 or by looking on their website: http://www.awardsforall.org.uk