Groups across the Harrogate district are encouraged to apply for grants of up to £4,000 to support local charities and community groups.
Bettys and Taylors Coronavirus Community Fund aims to help organisations which are finding it hard to fund running costs due to the covid pandemic.
The grants are open to a range of groups, including voluntary groups, registered charities, co-operatives, social enterprises and community interest companies.
Examples of areas which the fund can help is rental, heating and lighting costs.
The fund, which is operated by Two Ridings Community Foundation, is focused on supporting those organisations which support health and wellbeing and reduce inequalities and loneliness.
Bettys said on its website:
“It is recognised that one of the most difficult things for many small charities and community groups is finding funding for the ‘business as usual’ every day running costs from heating and lighting to staffing and rent.
“This has become especially difficult at a time when the fundraising activities that would usually support these costs has been dramatically reduced and with much uncertainty around when it might be able to resume.”
Those successful could receive grants of between £500 and £5,000. Grants are available to groups across Yorkshire.
Applications close on 14 March, 2022.
For more information on eligibility and how to apply, visit the Two Ridings Community Foundation website here.
Harrogate lottery a ‘lifeline’ for charities during covidYorkshire’s only council-run lottery has been described as a “lifeline” for charities during the pandemic after thousands of pounds was raised for good causes in the Harrogate district.
Harrogate Borough Council launched the Local Lotto in 2018 despite some concerns over encouraging gambling and it has since raised more than £161,000 through the sale of £1 tickets with funds from each going to the buyer’s choice of charity.
This includes £56,000 raised over the past year when many charities have struggled to survive due to donations drying up during covid.
Ann Duncan, partnership and engagement manager at the council, told a cabinet meeting on Wednesday that the lottery had been a “lifeline” during this time. She said:
“The supporters of the Local Lotto have remained strong and this has been really important for those good causes because traditional fundraising methods have been limited.
“The Local Lotto provides unrestricted funding so there are no stipulations as to what the charities can spend the money on.
“They can spend it on their electricity or insurance, it’s up to them, so for some of the good causes it has been a real lifeline when funds have been quite desperate over the last 18 months.”
The council takes no income from the £1 ticket sales with 60p from each going to the buyer’s choice of charity, 20p into the prize fund, 17p to an external lottery manager and 3p to cover VAT.
Funds raised are paid to signed-up charities selling tickets and around £19,400 has been handed out in winnings over the past year.
Some buyers have won up to £2,000, although the top prize of £25,000 has yet to be claimed.
The Local Lotto is also linked to the council’s Local Fund – a pot of cash which charities can apply for grants from.
Councillor Stanley Lumley, a Conservative who represents the Pateley Bridge and Nidderdale Moors ward, described the council’s decision to launch the lottery as “controversial” but said it had proved to be a “great success”. He said:
Local Fund for the Harrogate District awards £85,000 to 29 community groups“We took a gamble, if you’d pardon the pun, three years ago when we introduced this. It was controversial and people were sceptical whether it would work.
“It clearly has worked and worked extremely well.
“The beauty of this lottery is that a person buying the ticket decides where they want a portion of the money to go.
“My ticket money goes to something close to my heart – Nidderdale Plus at Pateley Bridge which is a really good community hub that needs support.”
Representatives of about 30 voluntary organisations joined councillors and civic dignitaries this week to celebrate the Local Fund for the Harrogate District, which awarded £85,000 to 29 community groups this year.
The fund, which will be issuing more grants in the new year, awards up to £3,000 to small voluntary organisations that have a positive impact on the wellbeing of people in the Harrogate district.
It helped Resurrected Bites launch a community grocery store for low income people and enabled Wellspring Therapy and Training to offer reduced costs on counselling.
Other successful applicants this year included Harrogate Clothes Bank, Artizan International, the Wesley Centre, Masham Town Hall Community Charity, Harrogate Bowling Club, Chain Lane Community Centre and Harrogate & Knaresborough Toy Library, Nidderdale & Pateley Bridge Men’s Shed and Boroughbridge and District Community Care.
The fund is a three-way partnership between Harrogate Borough Council, Harrogate & District Community Action and Two Ridings Community Foundation.
At least 60% from each ticket sold on the Local Lotto, which has a weekly £25,000 jackpot, goes towards the fund.
Harrogate Borough Council has made a £200,000 endowment donation, which will help the fund provide sustainable long-term funding.
This week’s celebratory event at West Park Hotel.
Jan Garrill , chief executive of Two Ridings Community Foundation, told the gathering at Harrogate’s West Park Hotel that it would match fund any donations to the Local Fund by individuals or businesses.
Karen Weaver, strategic lead at HADCA, which supports charities in the district, said:
“The Local Fund is all about addressing the hidden needs in our district, like loneliness and mental health.
“It’s so important that there is a dependable fund for small groups that make such a massive impact in the district.”
Further details of the fund are available here.
First Harrogate Christmas Fayre set to showcase local charities
The new Harrogate Christmas Fayre is set to showcase local charities when the festive market comes to town next month.
Organisers Market Place Europe have set aside a stall for 10 charities, which they can use to raise awareness and fundraise.
Across the 10 days, Samaritans of Harrogate and District, Harrogate Town AFC Community Foundation, Bilton and Woodfield Community Library, Dementia Forward, Harrogate Skills 4 Living Centre, Harrogate Easier Living Project, Citizens Advice Craven and Harrogate Districts, Harrogate International Festivals, Harrogate Hospital and Community Charity and Horticap will also use the stall.
A press release today by Harrogate Borough Council, which is organising the event in partnership with Market Place Europe, said the charities ‘were identified through the council’s Local Lotto initiative’, which conducts weekly prize draws that generate money for local charities.
Nick Rhodes, chief executive of Market Place Europe, said:
“Almost 50 coach companies are set to arrive across the 10 days, along with the thousands of Harrogate district residents and regional visitors, so it is anticipated that traders, local businesses and charities are going to benefit from the additional footfall the fayre will bring.”
The organisers hope the stall will help fill the void left by the original Harrogate Christmas Market on Montpellier Hill, which over the last five events contributed more than £90,000 to local charities.
Gemma Rio, Harrogate Borough Council’s head of destination management, said:
“There is a lot of excitement building for the market, and we are anticipating thousands of people visiting Harrogate this festive period, so I’d like to thank Market Place Europe for donating a stall that will no doubt raise the profile of local charities and The Local Lotto.”
The Harrogate Christmas Fayre will feature around 50 stallholders on Cambridge Street, Market Place, Station Square and Cambridge Crescent.. They will be spaced out wider than usual to encourage social distancing.
Community groups in Ripon are being invited to apply for grants of up to £1,000.
Ripon City Council’s small grants scheme has £20,000 available for allocation in the 2021/2022 financial year.
The scheme is designed to be an easy way to access a source of funding for local organisations.
A council spokesperson said:
“The council recognises the disruption to our local groups and organisations caused by the covid pandemic.
“We aim to support as many different activities in the city as possible in the financial year.
“With this in mind, the scheme will not have a closing date in 2021/22 and will remain open until funds are exhausted.
“We will review the applications received at each meeting of the council.”
The Jennyruth Workshops charity provides training and work opportunities that help to build confidence (Photograph courtesy of Jennyruth Workshops)
Among those to receive an award last year was Jennyruth Workshops, which is a charity that provides work and life skills for adults with learning disabilities.
An award was also made to Ripon YMCA, which provides supported housing for young people aged 16-35.
Other grant recipients in the 2020/2021 financial year included Ripon Community Link, Ripon City AFC, Ripon City Photographic Society, Ripon City Panthers Junior Football Club Friends of Hell Wath and Abbeyfield Ripon and District Society Ltd.
If an applicant is not a wholly Ripon-based organisation it may be necessary to ringfence any grant from the council towards a Ripon-based event, project or activity.
Applications must clearly benefit Ripon people as the grants scheme has been funded by an increase in the precept – money collected through the council tax levied on Ripon residents.
The council will not consider applications from commercial organisations, individuals, political groups or for projects of a directly political nature.
All valid applications will be considered by full council. Further details are available here.
Ripon organisations can apply for £1,000 council grants
Ripon City Council has more than £17,000 ready to award to charities, not-for-profit and community organisations.
Town clerk Paula Benson, told the Stray Ferret:
“The council has a fund of £20,000 available in its small grants scheme
“However, just three organisations have made applications so far for awards totalling £2,567.”
This year the activities of many groups and organisations in Ripon have been either disrupted or put on hold because of the coronavirus crisis.
Organisations applying for grants need to be based in Ripon
With this in mind, the council has decided to keep the fund open beyond the original closing date and invite more applications for grants of up to £1,000.
Unlike in previous years, there will be no closing date and applications will be received by RCC at each meeting of the council for review and a decision.
The fund will remain open for applications until all of the £20,000 has been awarded.
Applications will be accepted from registered charities, not-for-profit and community organisations based in the city.
Organisations wishing to apply must have membership that is open, with no discrimination on the grounds of gender, race, religion or sexuality.
Funding applications must clearly be of benefit to the people of Ripon as the council’s small grants scheme has been funded by an increase in the precept – money collected through the council tax levied on Ripon residents.
The council will not consider applications from commercial organisations, individuals, political groups or for projects of a directly political nature.
If the applicant is not a wholly Ripon-based organisation it may be necessary to ringfence any grant from the council towards a Ripon-based event, project or activity.
All valid applications will be considered by full council and applicants will be contacted after their application has been reviewed at a meeting of council.
Further details area available on: http://riponcity.gov.uk/small-grants-scheme/index.html
Bettys and Taylors Family Fund offers grants of up to £4,000Not-for-profit organisations, including schools and parish councils, are being invited to apply for grants of between £500 and £4,000 for food projects that improve the lives of young people in Yorkshire.
The Bettys and Taylors Family Fund has provided funding for the initiative, which opened for applications this week.
Organisations have until November 9 to submit bids.
Examples of eligible projects include cookery courses, food hygiene training and healthy eating initiatives.
The fund supports food schemes because food is key to the business of Bettys and Taylors of Harrogate.
The guidance notes for organisations interested in applying say the fund “actively encourages applications to include costs for overheads (staff, rent, equipment, utilities etc.) that the project will incur”.
Organisations from all of Yorkshire can submit bids to York-based Two Ridings Community Foundation, which is distributing the funding.
Schools can only bid for projects that fall outside their curricular activities.
Contact Two Ridings Community Foundation on 01904 929500 for further information.
Charities and community groups in North Yorkshire fighting the impact of coronavirus are being invited to apply for grants of up to £10,000 and £50,000.
Two separate funders are offering the grants for organisations helping people overcome the effects of the pandemic.
Two Ridings Community Foundation will begin accepting applications for its coronavirus community fund on Monday. Applicants must demonstrate how they would use the grants, worth up to £10,000, to help beneficiaries become more self-sufficient and resilient in the wake of coronavirus.
Not-for-profit organisations in North Yorkshire, York, East Riding of Yorkshire or Hull can submit bids providing they meet the eligibility criteria, which include having a management committee with at least three unrelated members and a bank account in the group’s name.
Organisations can also apply in partnership with other not-for-profit groups for grants of up to £30,000. Applicants with annual income of less than £500,000 will be prioritised.
Two Ridings Community Foundation, which is based in York, is the local distribution partner in North and East Yorkshire for funds raised by the National Emergencies Trust. The trust was set up to provide a more co-ordinated national response to emergencies.
Its coronavirus appeal has distributed £56m nationally so far through local distributors, such as Two Ridings Community Foundation. Full application details are available here.
Small charities can also apply for grants of £50,000 from Lloyds Community Foundation’s covid recovery fund.
The fund, which opens on Monday, will offer the grants to 140 charities for initiatives that help people overcome complex social issues.
Carlos Chavez, the foundation’s manager for Yorkshire and the Humber, said many charities in the area “faced significant income losses and other challenges over the last six months” and it “wanted to support these charities to recover in the months and years to come so they can continue to be a lifeline to the people in their communities”.
More details are available here
Ripon hairdressers ready to cut hair and chat
Scissors, trimmers, combs and brushes, along with face shields, masks, hand and surface sanitisers, are at the ready as Ripon’s hairdressers prepare to cope with the pent up demand tomorrow..
For Sharon Bielby, who owns and runs a men’s barbers shop bearing her name and Deborah Chalmers, owner of Love Hair and Beauty Boutique, it’s going to be a busy weekend.
The new post-lockdown reality means no magazines to read, a strict one in, one out system and chat kept to the absolute minimum.
Both women,say it’s going to be strange re-acquainting themselves with customers who have become more like friends than clients, but they appreciate that the hygiene and social distancing measures are there to protect everybody.
Deborah Chalmers, in her hair and beauty boutique
Deborah, who has been involved in the beauty business since leaving Ripon Grammar School aged 15, told The Stray Ferret:
“We have had a refurbishment over the past few weeks and are doing everything we can to ensure the safety of our customers and staff.
“Unfortunately, that means no conversations while we cut and style hair, which will be difficult, because I haven’t been able to see customers face to face for ages.”
Sharon, whose North Street shop is approximately 100 yards down the road from Deborah’s, is booked to provide dozens of haircuts over the weekend. She said:
“It will be odd cutting hair while wearing a face shield and that in itself will make speaking difficult.”
In spite of being closed since 23rd March, her premises, have provided a shop window for bird houses and bee homes made by adults with learning disabilities at the Jennyruth Workshops charity.
Sharon, pointed out:
“Jennyruth had the shop before I took it over six years ago and I thought it would be nice to help them raise funds. I’m pleased to say that I have been able to sell quite a few during the lockdown, as people rang me to ask for them and I’ve delivered to their homes.”
For Deborah, the coronavirus crisis meant she has temporarily lost out on revenue that would have come from her core business of providing hairstyling and make up for brides and bridesmaids.
Since March, she has had 40 wedding postponements and though this was a devastating blow, she felt the need to give something back during the lockdown to her home city.
She turned her hand to supporting friends Annette and Nathan Kite, by volunteering to cook hot meals for 14 weeks, which were delivered to people in need around Ripon.
Deborah, added: “This gave me a purpose that helped me to get through these difficult months.”