Social Incubator Fund
A new £10 million Social Incubator Fund was launched on 24 July to grow the Social Investment market
Start-up social ventures will now be able to access intensive support to help them take advantage of social investment opportunities, so they can better serve communities and people most in need.
The Social Incubator Fund will be delivered by Big and will make grants to up to ten social incubators in three rounds of awards.
There are two elements to the funding available, and we expect the incubators to apply for both:
between £50,000 and £250,000 per year towards operating costs, for up to four years; and
between £100,000 and £750,000 per year to contribute to Incubators’ investment books, to be invested over 12 to 24 months.
The deadline for applications is 21 September after which short-listed incubators will be invited to secure match funding. Announcements about successful applicants will be made at end of January 2013.
Grant-making decisions will be made by an Advisory Board (chaired by the Cabinet Office). The other members of the Advisory Board are Big Lottery Fund, Big Society Capital and The Social Investment Business.
For more information please visit The Social Incubator Fund web page
Or alternatively you can email socialincubator@biglotteryfund.org.uk
Deadline fast approaching for Village SOS funding!
The deadline for submitting applications for Village SOS funding is 2pm on Wednesday 12th September. If your village has a truly enterprising idea and you’re thinking of submitting an application, don’t forget to apply in time.
Village SOS provides a fantastic opportunity for people to regenerate their villages, with awards of between £10,000 and £50,000 available. We’re looking to support inspiring business ideas that will bring people together to tackle the challenges they face. We want communities across the region to participate so if you live in a rural village or small rural town with a population of no more than 3000, this could be for you.
Visit the Village SOS website for more details – you will need to register on the site before you start. Once you are registered, you will have exclusive access to lots of handy tools and resources, good ideas and the opportunity to receive a regular newsletter. To find out if your village is eligible, you can also use our online postcode checker.
Call the dedicated advice line on 0845 434 9123 for more information.
Useful Evidence Seminar
Have you used the results of an evaluation to transform your fundraising strategy? Or successfully evidenced your outcomes using case studies? Perhaps you’ve set up a network to encourage best practice? Have you applied your own evidence to successfully lever funding? Could you share ways of how you have gathered cost-effective evidence, or perhaps details of how you have overcome challenges in this area?
BIG and the Alliance for Useful Evidence are planning a seminar on Useful Evidence in Newcastle in October for medium-sized organisations (less than £1m turnover p.a).
The half day seminar will show how practical and cost-effective evidence can aid the effectiveness of medium-level charities.
We would like to invite several BIG-funded organisations from the North East to speak for a few minutes on the day. We would like projects to tell us about how they have used evidence to improve their organisation, project, outcomes or campaign in some way.
Please get in touch with Emma Wales, Policy and Learning Officer, on 0191 376 1633 or email emma.wales@biglotteryfund.org.uk to find out more.
Peace Mix
Peace Mix is an initiative aimed at promoting publicly funded facilities and BIG funded organisations that exist for young musicians throughout the UK. It also celebrates young talent through a ground breaking, crowd-sourced collaboration track. It aims to promote a message of peace and unity to young people through music.
Local bands had the opportunity to go head to head in a showcase, resulting in a place in the finals at the Eden Project in Cornwall
Peace Mix arrived in Gateshead on Thursday 2 August at The Sage. The show was supported by Generator, Keyfund and Barnardo's, all of which have received BIG grants to deliver young people's projects.
The talent displayed by the young people was amazing, with 7 local acts performing live on stage.
The afternoon began with some dos and don'ts for aspiring music acts from Blastbeat. The was followed by advice on making the most of social media from Kwamz, then some top tips from Newcastle's own Smoove (Smoove and Turrell) based on his own experience in the music industry.
Next it was SHOWTIME! Mark, Sean and Ryan were the first acts to take to the stage, all put forward by Barnardo's. These 3 MC's showed masses of raw talent and demonstrated positive power of music. Phenzo from Generator followed next. Phenzo is an MC with a smooth sound whose self penned "Peace on the Streets" was a real hit with the audience. The fifth act was Louie Callow aka Louie Zico. This MC charmed the crowd with his energy and positive vibes. Following Louie were Mad & The Hatters put forward by Keyfund. This trio from Northumberland performed two of their own songs which had a bluesy/folk sound with a modern twist. Last up were Catalysts, also from Keyfund providing the perfect end to the showcase with their soulful singing and Grime MCing.
While the judges deliberated the winner, the audience was kept entertained by YT of NDF and Kwamz (who brought along his personal army of fans). Emerging singer songwriter Nick Celino also performed - such a soulful mature voice for a young man.
At last it was the moment all the performers had been anxiously awaiting - announcing the winning act! Guest judge Smoove took the stage and announced the winners in reverse order. 3rd was Louie Callow, 2nd was Phenzo and in 1st place and winning a place at the final at the Eden Project *drum roll* Mad & The Hatters.
Alas all good things must come to an end, so after posing for photographs and signing a few autographs our young performers headed out.
To see what happened on the rest of the tour, visit the Peace Mix website.
£100m Talent Match scheme to invest in young people
BIG has launched Talent Match, a £100 million investment aimed at tackling youth unemployment in areas of England hardest hit by the economic downturn.
BIG has been working with young people to plan ways of helping thousands of others just like them to lead fulfilling lives through employment and training.
Their hard work and research has led to Talent Match an investment that will target 21 areas across England where those aged 18-24 are finding it hardest to secure jobs or training opportunities. Hotspot areas within the North Eastern LEP and Tees Valley LEP are eligible in this region.
We will invest in a portfolio of activities lasting up to five years in those areas. In each area, a voluntary and community sector (VCS) organisation is leading on the development of a single, cross-sector partnership. The partnership will bring together young people, colleges, employers, VCS organisations, local authorities, Local Enterprise Partnerships and other agencies to develop locally-owned solutions that we can support. VONNE are doing this in the North Eastern LEP area and Middlesbrough Voluntary Development Agency are doing this in the Tees Valley LEP area.
To find out more about this investment visit the Talent Match page.
Multiple and Complex Needs
People struggling under a heavy load of severe problems - homelessness, reoffending, substance misuse and mental ill-health - are being given help to improve their lives through a BIG investment of up to £100 million.
It is estimated that there are 60,000 adults in England with multiple needs. Many of whom lack effective contact with services that meet not just one, but all their needs. These multiple issues exacerbate each other and can lead to a downward spiral of ill-health and harm to the individuals themselves, family and society as a whole.
With this investment, BIG will support these individuals by bringing different services together to prevent them rotating around various welfare and justice systems which can deepen the problems in their lives.
Supporting the initiative, Mitch Winehouse, who alongside family members established The Amy Winehouse Foundation last September, said: “Since losing my daughter Amy, I have been dedicated to supporting charities that help young people in need – in particular those struggling with an addiction or health issue. So I am extremely pleased to hear that the Big Lottery Fund is investing this money to bring organisations together to offer people of all ages more tailored support to deal with all the different needs that they may have.”
We are focussing on 15 areas where there is a significant concentration of people with multiple needs and where there are organisations with a track record able to take on the challenge of providing better connected support services. In the North East these areas are - parts of Teesside (Middlesbrough, Stockton and Darlington), and the Newcastle-Gateshead area.
Organisations tackling homelessness, reoffending, addiction and mental ill health, have been invited to create partnerships in each area, led by a voluntary and community sector organisation. Their aim will be to bring together other local services, fill gaps in local provision, share results and lessons and involve the beneficiaries in the delivery of the project. Partnerships who successfully apply for funding will receive between £4 million and £10 million for between five to eight years.
Visit our Multiple and Complex Needs webpage to find out more details about the programme
External News
Veteran's Prosthetic Panel - funding available
Dr. Andrew Murrison MD MP was commissioned by the Government in December 2010 to examine the future needs of veteran amputees, including how best to fund high-specification, evidence-based prosthetics services for them in the NHS.
In support of the recommendations of Dr Murrison’s report, "A better deal for military amputees", the Prime Minister announced that the government would invest up to £15 million over three years to improve prosthetics services for military veterans who have lost a limb due to activities while serving their country.
The London Armed Forces Network is administering this national programme on behalf of the Department of Health. Veterans in the North East can find out more information, including details about who qualifies for the funding and how to apply by visiting the NHS London website
The panel meets monthly and the next meeting is on Tuesday 18th September.
If you have any queries about the application process please email veterans.prosthetics@nhs.net or ring Sarah Stankiewicz 0208 3398194
National Lottery Awards 2012
National Lottery players raise £30 million for Good Causes across the UK every week. The Awards are a great way to highlight the impact of that funding. There are three finalists in each of the seven categories reflecting the different areas of National Lottery funding: arts, sport, heritage, health, environment, education and voluntary/charity.
Voting for the final winners in each category begins on 11 September and this year three of the finalists work in the North East region.
- BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art on the Gateshead Quays is a finalist in the Best Arts project. BALTIC was transformed from a derelict flour mill thanks to a Lottery grant in 2002.
- Lifelong Learning at Saltholm - at the RSPB Saltholm nature reserve is one of the finalists in the Best Education Project category. The project set out three years ago with a mission to preserve and protect the wildlife of Teesside with the help of Lottery funding.
- The BIG funded Community Space Challenge is in the running for an award in the Best Environmental project. The programme supports 70 projects around England, 10 of which are in the North East. The projects work with young people aged 8-17 at risk of offending, to improve their local community spaces.
To find out more or to cast your vote (from 9am on 11 September) visit The National Lottery Awards website
UnLtd Ventures
UnLtd Ventures provide intensive support to social entrepreneurs who are looking to raise investment to rapidly scale up their organisation to national or international level. These are exceptional individuals that they believe have the vision, skills and networks to plan and deliver an ambitious growth strategy.
There is a new award scheme being offered by UnLtd Ventures. They are offering cash awards of up to £20,000 and tailored business support around growth and investment-raising, including access to a one-to-one Development Manager, professional pro-bono support and powerful industry networks.
Their focus is on strategy development, business and financial management, replication/growth models, organisational structure and governance as well as introductions to investors, commissioners, successful entrepreneurs and corporate partners. This support is provided through their own in-house staff team as well as through an exclusive group of industry specialists and partnerships with external providers.
Over the last two years, UnLtd Ventures has worked with 75 social entrepreneurs and enabled them to leverage over £3 million in additional growth capital into their ventures.
For further information and an informal discussion contact Kevin Lloyd-Evans Tel: 07545933809 Email: kevinlloydevans@unltd.org.uk or visit the UnLtd Ventures website
Third Sector Knowledge Portal
The Third Sector Knowledge Portal is a new Big Lottery funded website packed with research and information on the voluntary, community and social enterprise sectors.
The website is hosted by The Third Sector Research Centre which is a collaboration of Birmingham and Southampton universities with additional input from Middlesex and Kent.
The content from the portal has been drawn from a range of sources including British Library collections and articles and Big Lottery Fund research such as ‘Where there is money there is influence’ exploring BIG’s impact on the third sector.
The research and information could allow groups and organisations to be better informed and assist in the development of services, together with strengthening funding applications and help improve project impact measurement.
For further details of research at BIG please visit our Research and Learning webpage
Engaging men in social projects
We commissioned the Young Foundation to investigate why social projects like those funded by BIG attract fewer men than women.
The report - Invisible Men - highlights some of the challenges that groups face in engaging men. It also presents a range of case studies of projects that have managed to do so, and reports on the imaginative approaches they have used.
We have also written a good practice guide to introduce groups to ideas about how to meet men’s needs more effectively.
Find out more on the "Engaging men in our projects" WebPages