Wimbledon Foundation Community Fund - United Kingdom

Deadline: 06-Mar-23

The London Community Foundation is delighted to announce the Wimbledon Foundation Community Fund.

The fund has been set up to benefit the community and provide support for local organisations to meet local needs in the boroughs of Merton and Wandsworth.

The Wimbledon Foundation is the charity of the All England Lawn Tennis Club and The Championships. Its mission is to use the collective strength of The Club and The Championships to make a positive difference to people’s lives. One of its principal goals is to strengthen the local community by tackling social disadvantage in the boroughs of Merton and Wandsworth.

Fund Themes and Priorities

All organisations applying for funding should be seeking to deliver work which tackles social needs and supports local people facing disadvantage.
Applicant organisations should aim to achieve the fund objective by addressing one or more of the following themes:
- Projects which improve mental health and wellbeing
- Projects which provide access to learning, training and employment skills
- Projects which improve access to advocacy, specialist support and advice for vulnerable groups
- Projects which encourage participation in the community
They welcome applications from organisations supporting any groups facing disadvantage including:
- Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic groups
- Disability groups
- LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, intersex, asexual, +)
- Young people
- People not in education, employment or training
- Older people
In this round, priority will again be given to new applicants to the fund and those who haven’t received a past Wimbledon Foundation grant. They do also encourage applications from past WFCF grant recipients.

Funding Information

Organisations can apply for a grant of up to £10,000. They recommend that organisations do not apply for more than one-third of their most recent total annual income per year.

Outcomes

Improve community cohesion
Support vulnerable people
Reduce isolation
Aiding in Covid recovery
Strengthening the resilience of your organisation
Increase in beneficiaries’ access to services
Increase employability
Increase in beneficiary qualifications and skills
Increase opportunities for creativity
Improve health and wellbeing
Increase participation in life-long learning
Improve economic wellbeing
Improve access to volunteering
Reduce crime, violence & anti-social behaviour

Eligible Projects

Examples of projects that might be funded include:

Projects providing activities and/or support for people with learning or physical disabilities
Projects which encourage isolated individuals or marginalised groups to engage with the wider community or with other groups
Intergenerational projects, such as social groups for older people supported by young people
Projects supporting those who are, or at risk of becoming, homeless or in temporary housing
Healthy eating and nutrition cooking projects
Creative arts workshops supporting people with mental health issues
Advocacy, and projects improving residents’ access to services
Mentoring/counselling support such as vulnerable women’s groups
Projects addressing food and/or financial poverty
Community gardening
Employment and training opportunities
Befriending services, classes and activities for older people
Education support to help children catch up following disrupted education during the pandemic

Location

The Fund is open to organisations delivering work in Merton or Wandsworth.
Please note that organisations that are located outside of the two boroughs are unlikely to be prioritised for funding. If applying, these groups must demonstrate previous experience of delivering work in either of the two boroughs, and have key local partnerships in place.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligible Legal Structures – there must be a signed governing document in place appropriate to the legal structure which includes an asset lock (or equivalent clause), and the purpose of all funded activities must be charitable (not for profit):
- Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO)
- Company Limited by Guarantee (CLG) – may also be registered as a Charity or a Community Interest Company Limited by Guarantee (CICLG)
- Trust
- Unincorporated Association
- Community Benefit Societies (CBS). Ideally, the CBS will also be registered as charitable with HMRC, however, this is not essential.
Governance: You must have at least three unrelated members legally responsible for the governance of the organisation; Trustees/Directors/Management Committee as appropriate to your structure.
Bank account: A bank account in the same name as the organisation applying with a minimum of two unrelated signatories must be in place by the start of the grant.
Safeguarding: You must have a safeguarding policy in place that has been reviewed in the last two years.
Previous LCF funding: All conditions from any previous London Community Foundation grants must be completed and there is no current outstanding monitoring at the time of application.
Registration: If the income for charitable purposes is more than £5,000 at the point of application, organisations must have submitted an application to register to Charity Commission or the relevant regulator (e.g., Companies House, CIC regulator or Financial Conduct Authority).