Voluntary Action Westminster

Grants of £5,000 to £20,000 for charities and voluntary groups working to lift Londoners out of poverty.  Apply by 05 May 2012.

The Evening Standard Dispossessed Fund makes grants of between £5,000 and £20,000 to support work with people who are excluded or disadvantaged through low income, social isolation, age, disability, race, sexuality or gender.

What are the funding priorities?

You can apply for funding towards work that addresses one or more of the following themes:

• Training and educating people who have dropped out of mainstream education
• Getting people into work such as through apprenticeship or mentor schemes
• Fighting gangs, knife and gun crime
• Improving mental and physical health and well-being, such as through sports clubs and helping carers
• Addressing other manifestations of poverty such as homelessness, pensioner poverty or working poor.

Who can apply?

To be eligible, you need to be: a non-profit organisation, run by local people; with an income of less than £250,000 a year; and be working in a disadvantaged area.  Priority will be given to small, locally based organisations that demonstrate a clear understanding of the needs of their community.

What kind of work can be funded?

Examples of the type of activities that might be funded include:

• Respite activities for carers
• Mentoring schemes
• Skills training to support people into work
• Running costs for self help groups

For more information

Download guidelines for the Evening Standard Dispossessed Fund

Visit the Dispossessed Fund website

Application information