Sue from Friends of Homerton Station is amazing. She's doing a fantastic project that will cheer up thousands of people as they catch the train every day. And she's done it all under her own steam, which has taken loads of initiative and resiliance. So as we needed to raise some cash (and fast) I met up with her to see if she could sprinkle a little fundraising magic on the Mabley Green Meadow. And she was a great help. So if you're looking for money to set up a community project too, here are her top tips:
Awards for All - As part of the Big Lottery Fund, they give out grants for all kinds of projects and if you ask nicely, you can get up to £10,000. It helps if you know someone who's successfully applied before, because apparently, if you word things in a certain way, you're much more likely to get the money. It takes a few months to process applications, but they're a great place to start.
www.awardsforall.org.uk
UnLtd - Rather than giving you money for your project, UnLtd grants are designed to support you as a social entrepreneur until your idea gets off the ground. How much they give you depends on your idea and your circumstances, but they give out anything from £500 for small projects to £15,000 for really big ones.
www.unltd.org.uk
Housing Associations - if you want to do something in an area where there are housing association flats, definitely get in touch. Housing associations often have a pot of money put aside for projects that will benefit the community, and make the area around their flats a nicer place to live. If you're not in an housing association place yourself, it might not be obvious which associations have flats in your area. But ask your neighbours, keep your eyes peeled for signage (new builds always have a sign saying whether or not they're housing association) or just get on the phone.
BTCV - A quick win this, but a good one. BCTV are an organisation that support people who work to improve their local environment - in lots of different ways. When you register with them, they'll give you £50 for your set up costs. Which is a good start, and when you apply for other grants it helps if you can show you've already been proactive and got support from other funders.
www.btcv.org
HCVS - These guys are well worth looking into. The Hackney Council Volunteering Service are a hub for anyone wanting to do community projects in Hackney. They can give you support and advice, but something that's really are the hundreds and hundreds of grants and funding bodies listed in their newsletter. Sign up, seriously. The last had enough listings to fill 80 (yes eighty) pages. You do have to trawl through a bit to find ones that are suitable for you, but it goes to show if you want to get something started, there are loads of people who want to help.
www.hcvs.org.uk
And one of my own: Hackney Council. Other councils are probably good too, but personally I couldn't think of a more helpful, supportive group of people than the team we're working with at Hackney Council. So special thanks goes out the people in the Parks Department, especially Sam Parry, Paul Foinette Andy Day.
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