Deadline: 19-Mar-23
Apply for the Investing in Spaces and Places Asda Foundation’s higher value grant for local groups aimed at improving spaces in the heart of local communities.
The Asda Foundation knows small grass roots organisations play a vital role in their community, making positive change and improving people’s lives every day, but the challenge for many is having the appropriate space and place to bring people together to deliver this fantastic work.
Aims
- Create and/or develop safe and inclusive community spaces for groups to meet and bring people together
- They’re keen to support projects aiming to tackle issues such as crime and isolation, by creating safe and inclusive spaces within the heart of local communities.
- They’re looking for projects that encourage people from different backgrounds and those facing particular barriers to participate, projects that are open and accessible to the whole community, creating safe and positive places to be together.
- They’re interested in projects that build a sense of togetherness and belonging and break down barriers to connecting with others in the local community. Spaces and places for everyone to feel welcomed – sanctuaries in the heart of local communities.
- Create or improve spaces which can be used by a range groups and activities on a regular basis
- They’re interested in projects that increase the use of a space, encouraging a wide range of groups and activities to operate.
- They want to enable groups to improve community connections and reach new groups and people through their funded projects. They want to fund spaces enabling multiple groups to deliver their services and activities to holistically meet the needs in their local community.
- Support groups to deliver long-lasting projects focused on long-term community impact
- They want to support projects that will be sustained long after their funding ends. They’ll need to know what the forward plan is to ensure the project is maintained and continues after a grant is awarded from Asda Foundation. This could be through obtaining other sources of funding to continue the project or any project activities that could continue without further funding.
- You may plan to use sustainable materials to deliver your project, ensuring longevity of the space and place itself. Improving or creating a space or place might help to reduce bills and make your group and project more financially sustainable.
Categories
The grant criteria will focus on investing in community spaces and places and projects must fall into at least one of the following categories:
- Building Repairs
- This option is focussed on spaces and places which already exist but are in disrepair and therefore limit the usability, safety or level of expectations for others to use the space. The repair may be external or internal and may be due to age, vandalism, abandonment. It may also be more than one item/issue which needs repair. Examples include, but aren’t limited to:
- Roof repairs
- Doors and windows repairs/replacement
- Central heating replacement
- Electrical wiring upgrade
- Plumbing repairs/replacement
- This option is focussed on spaces and places which already exist but are in disrepair and therefore limit the usability, safety or level of expectations for others to use the space. The repair may be external or internal and may be due to age, vandalism, abandonment. It may also be more than one item/issue which needs repair. Examples include, but aren’t limited to:
- Building Development
- This option is focussed on enhancing a space already in use. The improvements will enhance the quality of the space or give more people/new groups the opportunity to use the space. Examples include, but aren’t limited to:
- New kitchen
- Improving toilet facilities
- Extension on a building
- Developing an unused internal space
- Improving disabled access and facilities
- Security features to keep the space and place secure
- This option is focussed on enhancing a space already in use. The improvements will enhance the quality of the space or give more people/new groups the opportunity to use the space. Examples include, but aren’t limited to:
- Outdoor Development
- This option is focussed on developing outside space for the benefit of the community. Evidence suggests communities with access to green space have improved mental wellbeing and outdoor space can also improve socialisation and reduced isolation. Since the pandemic, outdoor space has also adapted to become learning environments and conservation work to protect fauna and flora. They are looking for outdoor space which benefits everyone and can be accessed by large groups of people. Examples include, but aren’t limited to:
- Improving access to a community garden
- Transforming wasteland into usable space
- Upgrading a local play area development / upgrading safety features
- This option is focussed on developing outside space for the benefit of the community. Evidence suggests communities with access to green space have improved mental wellbeing and outdoor space can also improve socialisation and reduced isolation. Since the pandemic, outdoor space has also adapted to become learning environments and conservation work to protect fauna and flora. They are looking for outdoor space which benefits everyone and can be accessed by large groups of people. Examples include, but aren’t limited to:
Funding Information
- Asda Foundation will be investing £500,000+ for this grant in 2023 to support bigger community projects within local communities where local people can be together and thrive.
- Grants will be between £10,000 and £25,000.
What they do not Fund?
- They do not accept applications from groups which:
- Benefit people/communities outside of the UK
- Are based outside the UK
- Have animal welfare as their main focus
- Cannot demonstrate charitable work in the local community
- Have an annual income over £250,000
- Have unrestricted reserves above £100,000, without an explanation provided
- Have been successful for an Investing in Spaces and Places grant in 2022
- Are third party grant making organisations (grantees must directly deliver the service/activity) Grant money cannot be used for the following:
- Projects which don’t focus on a space and place to be together
- Insurance
- Utility bills
- Planning costs, including architect, plans and scoping costs
- Building regulation checks/applications
- Ongoing running costs of the group, including core staffing costs
- Equipment within a space or place, exclusively. The majority of the funding request should be for the space or place itself
- Transport
- To develop a space or place not owned or leased by the group applying
- Purchase of a space or place
- Space which has restricted access e.g. Behind a locked gate
- Space which is used infrequently or by a limited number of beneficiaries
- Project/phase which has already taken place or has already started
- Spaces or places usually considered a core state funded responsibility e.g. school building
- They also cannot fund:
- Projects which involve loans or social finance to fund any part of the project
- Projects which are only for the benefit of one individual person and/or one specific group, rather than the wider community
- Spaces and Places which charge high attendance or rental fees for people or groups
For more information, visit Asda Foundation.