Community groups tackling loneliness to benefit from £4m fund
Local Connections Fund will be open to charities and interest groups that reduce social isolation.
The Local Connections Fund – made up of £2 million from the Government and £2 million from The National Lottery Community Fund – will be used for hundreds of small grants worth between £300 and £2,500.
These investments are designed to help local organisations bring people and communities together as the country recovers from the coronavirus pandemic.
The Local Connections Fund will be split into two rounds of funding – each with its own application window, one in January 2021 and one in the summer 2021.
Funding will be available to small charities and community groups in England with an annual income of £50,000 or less, which are working to reduce loneliness by helping people feel more connected.
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport will provide the first round of funding, totalling £2 million, and this will open for applications on 5 January 2021. The deadline will be the 26th January – however we would encourage you to apply as early as possible once the round opens!
Organisations should apply via The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest funder of community activity in the UK. Grants from this round will be distributed and spent by the end of the financial year.
Throughout December, the Let’s Talk Loneliness advent calendar is sharing practical advice, inspiring stories, and support routes to
encourage people to take the first steps to alleviate loneliness in themselves and others.
In Scotland SMSA have secured funding to support Sheds with grants and whilst similar funds do not seem to be available yet in Wales and Northern Ireland, we will promote them if and when they arise.