BCP Food and Energy Support Fund Programme in the UK

Deadline: 11-Nov-2024

The Dorset Community Foundation has launched the BCP Food and Energy Support Fund Programme to cover a wide range of support for vulnerable and low-income households in the most need of support, including families with children of all ages, pensioners, unpaid carers, care leavers and disabled people, larger families, single-person households, and those struggling with one-off financial shocks or unforeseen events.

They particularly want to ensure there is support for older people this winter.

Priorities

• Grant funded activities should help those who are struggling to afford household essentials including energy and water bills, food, and wider essentials.
• They encourage applications from groups and organisations that are helping to support residents with:
  • Access to food, including providing free or low-cost food, community meals, food vouchers, cooking equipment or food skills initiatives (e.g. cooking on a budget)
  • Access to other household essentials relating to energy and water (e.g. clothing, hygiene products, household cleaning products)
  • Energy support, such as energy efficiency items that will help to reduce energy bills, or fuel payments made direct to providers (they cannot support cash awards), or to help those who may be missing out due to winter fuel allowance changes
  • Winter Warm spaces that are open at least once a week and provide a place to escape from the cold and connect with others
  • Distribution of ‘warmth packs’ to support vulnerable households (e.g. warm clothing, blankets, energy efficiency measures such as draft excluders)
  • Supplementing the above support with signposting and advice to maximise income
  • Advice or support services addressing longer term needs and more sustainable impact, such as support with income maximisation, debt, benefit and employment services
  • Other community initiatives that relate to helping with the cost-of-living challenge

Funding Information

• Grants of up to £10,00 are available

Duration

• The grant period will be from 1 December 2024 to 31 March 2025

Eligibility Criteria

• Organisations that can apply:
  • Groups must be local to Dorset. They do not fund national charities but can fund local branches if they have independent governance and are financially independent.
    • Registered Charities
    • Constituted Community and Voluntary Organisations
    • Community Interest Companies limited by guarantee
    • Companies limited by guarantee that have a clear not-for-profit clause in their governing document and clear charitable or social objectives
• To be eligible the organisation must have:
  • At least three unrelated people responsible for running the organisation (for registered charities these are your Trustees, for CICs/Social Enterprises these are your directors)
  • A written constitution or set of rules that sets out the purpose and management of the organisation
  • A bank account in the name of the organisation with at least two unrelated signatories required for payments

Ineligibility Criteria

• Exclusions:
  • Schools are not eligible but we can fund PTA groups if they meet the eligibility guidelines
  • We cannot fund the promotion of religion or political causes – faith based organisations should advise whether their service/activity will include elements that are designed to influence people’s religious choices
  • We cannot fund public bodies to carry out their statutory obligations
  • We cannot fund animal welfare organisations
  • We cannot offer retrospective funding for items already purchased or work completed
  • Organisations with more than 12 months’ unrestricted reserves are usually not funded

For more information, visit Dorset Community Foundation.