Stuart Anderson MP is delighted that several organisations in Wolverhampton South West have been awarded funding as part of the Government’s Community Organisations Cost of Living Fund (CCLF), being delivered by the National Lottery Community Fund. Over 100 charities and community organisations in the West Midlands have been awarded more than £4 million to help with the pressures of increased demand on their services.
The £76 million fund is part of the £101.5 million package of support for charities and community organisations across England announced by the Chancellor in the Spring Budget. It provides grants to charities and community organisations delivering critical frontline services, and which are most impacted by increased demand and increased delivery costs.
The funding aims to maintain and expand support for people and communities under severe pressure because of the increased cost of living, with grants worth between £10,000 and £75,000 being allocated to cover project and core costs - including for premise rent, utilities, staff, and volunteers. The funding can assist with continuing existing provision, expanding the capacity of services to meet demand, or adapting services to respond to new needs in local communities. Organisations to receive funding in Stuart’s constituency of Wolverhampton South West include:
- African Caribbean Community Initiative: £73,678.00
- Wolverhampton Youth Zone: £72,260.00
- Good Shepherd Services CIO: £31,701.81
- The Haven Wolverhampton: £66,162.00
- Wolverhampton Muslim Forum: £37,559.00
The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest community funder in the UK, is administering the Fund. Applications closed on 16 October 2023 and decisions are still being made on the thousands of applications received. They will continue to make awards throughout December and January. Additional support to improve the energy efficiency of community organisations is available. Applications for the £25.5 million VCSE Energy Efficiency Scheme, which is the second part of the £101.5 million package of support.
Via independent energy assessments, organisations will be able to identify how to reduce bills through measures such as improving or installing new energy features in the building, such as insulation, heating and lighting systems. This will help the long term energy and financial resilience of the sector as well as supporting the Government’s commitment to meeting a net zero target by 2050. The Fund is being administered by community charity Groundwork. Eligible organisations can apply at www.groundwork.org.uk/vcseenergyefficiency.
Stuart Anderson MP said: I am delighted that several community organisations across Wolverhampton South West have been recognised with this well-deserved funding as part of the Government’s Community Organisations Cost of Living Fund. They all offer critical services to low income households and individuals in our city and now join more than 100 other such organisations throughout the West Midlands to have received over £4 million from this fund to help meet the increased demand on their vital frontline services.
Society Stuart Andrew said: Charities and community organisations are on the frontline helping the most vulnerable in society, and we are allocating £100 million in recognition that they are struggling too, as demand and costs both increase. Over 800 charities have already been awarded these significant grants, meaning they can continue to help those in need and we will continue to roll out funding at pace.