Deadline: 11-Apr-23
The Prince’s Countryside Fund (PCF) has launched the Supporting Rural Communities grant programme to support projects that make a difference in rural communities across the UK.
PCF supports projects taking places in villages and towns in rurally isolated areas, where access to service is poor. Projects must be community led, pursuing solutions that improve the viability and resilience of their community.
Aims
Successful projects will achieve one or more of the following programme aims:
- Support people to resolve existing and emerging community issues, circumstances, and priorities in their locality.
- Build rural community resilience.
- Develop innovative and replicable projects.
- Enable leadership and community planning.
- Improve the economic or social resilience of a rural community.
- Reduce isolation for people living in rural areas through improving service provision.
- Create a self-sufficient rural community fit for the future.
Funding Information
You should apply for as much as you need to complete your project, to a maximum of £25,000, to be spent over a period of up to two years.
Outcomes
The outcomes PCF seek to achieve through its grant programme include:
- Reinvigorating or developing community networks.
- Improving the health and well-being of socially isolated people.
- Creating a legacy of support and promoting community spirit and cohesion.
- Communities supporting one another through volunteering opportunities.
- Promoting a greener economy by encouraging people to travel less and utilise locally grown and crafted products.
- Rural Communities are more resilient.
- Successful community-led solutions.
Eligibility Criteria
- PCF is open to applications from across the UK and particularly encourage applications from Wales and Northern Ireland. However, PCF accepts applications from all parts of the UK and applications will be assessed on their own merit.
- Applications are encouraged from properly constituted, not-for-profit and community-led organisations in rural areas with a turnover under £500,000 per year, that can demonstrate how beneficiaries will be drawn directly from the local rural community.
- PCF is only able to fund up to 15% of grant applications made to them in each funding round. PCF recognises that its strength lies in funding specific projects in rural areas for which PCF has the specialist knowledge and understanding to make informed funding decisions. PCF wants to be the most appropriate funder for its projects and be able to provide support to the recipients where required.
- PCF appreciates the time it takes to write funding applications, so PCF wants to be as transparent as possible with the criteria.
- With this in mind, PCF has updated the eligibility requirements as follows:
- Types of organisation that PCF is unable to fund. These include (but are not limited to):
- Care Farms or similar projects where the beneficiaries are drawn from a larger area than just the local community.
- Local Authorities, including Town and Parish Councils.
- Hospitals and Schools.
- Private companies and individuals.
- Youth clubs.
- Uniformed groups such as scouts, guides and sea cadets.
- Sports clubs and associations.
- Types of organisation that PCF is unable to fund. These include (but are not limited to):
For more information, visit The Prince’s Countryside Fund.