Funding help for charities and organisations in North Yorkshire

Cash-strapped North Yorkshire charities and organisations can get help from funding experts at this webinar

Support for charities and community groups in North Yorkshire will receive a boost this month at the county’s first online funding conference.

On September 30 ‘Funding the Future’ will take place, hosted by local charity Community First Yorkshire, and can help local groups find new revenue streams.

This event is for any community group or voluntary sector organisation in North Yorkshire, which delivers services in the county and wants to really get to grips with finding and securing the right funding.

“Without the right funding, many local charities have told us that they could close”

The conference will include an overview of long-term funding sustainability followed by practical seminars from local, regional and national funders, plus a chance to have questions answered. Keynote speakers are Debra Allcock Tyler, Chief Executive of The Directory of Social Change and Ben Cairns, Director at the Institute of Voluntary Action Research (IVAR). Funders attending include the National Heritage Lottery Fund, National Lottery Community Fund, Two Ridings Community Foundation, Sirius Minerals Foundation, Henry Smith Charity and many more.

Funding your organisation’s future

Community First Yorkshire provides support to local charities and community groups who are struggling to secure the funding they need. With this in mind, the charity wanted to create an opportunity where organisations have the chance to hear straight from the horse’s mouth what funders want from applications, what projects they support and practical tips to get that grant.

Jane Colthup, Chief Executive at Community First Yorkshire, said: “The voluntary and community sector has been hit really hard in the past 18 months, which in turn means that there is potentially less support for local people in our communities. Without the right funding, many local charities have told us that they could close.

“None of us want to see that happen; the impact on our communities would be devastating, not to mention the loss of all these vibrant organisations who are passionate about the support they give.

“Sometimes, organisations come to us for help and it’s just too late. It’s vital that they plan ahead in terms of their funding strategy and look at where their future funding will come from. ‘Funding the Future’ will help organisations plan ahead and gain essential insight from funders on what a successful application looks like.”

Tim Vasey, manager at Scarborough Disability Action Group (DAG), recently applied for and secured funding with help from Community First Yorkshire. He said: “Through our work with Community First Yorkshire, we’ve learned that you need to focus on what you do best when you apply for funding. ‘Funding the Future’ will be a great opportunity to give people the confidence to promote their organisation to a funder and submit a good application.”

The North Yorkshire Funding Summit: Funding the Future will run via Zoom from 10am – 4.30pm on Thursday, September 30, and is £5 per person. Book your place here.

The ‘Funding the Future’ event has been made possible thanks to funding from North Yorkshire County Council and NHS North Yorkshire.

Get in touch with Community First Yorkshire by email, contact them by phone on 01904 704177 or visit them online communityfirstyorkshire.org.uk