Local grant-giving Trust launches new funding programme, asking: What can you do to help your community thrive?

Local grant-giving Trust launches new funding programme, asking “what can you do to help your community thrive?”

Turn2us, the national charity that helps people in financial hardship to gain access to welfare benefits and charitable grants, has been providing financial support to residents in Edinburgh for the past six years through its Edinburgh Trust.

Until now the Trust has focused on providing financial support to people needing short term help for themselves and their families. Now, with the launch of a new Community Programme, they are looking to fund projects that can provide more lasting and longer terms solutions to help improve lives, reduce poverty and get the best out of the people and resources in their community.

Hannah Lawson from the Edinburgh Trust will be leading the project from the charity’s office on Rose Street, and is looking forward to seeing what ideas people have.

Hannah says:  “This is a really exciting opportunity for people who may never have thought of applying for funding before to access some help to kick start their project. Although we’ll accept applications from small charities, we’re also really keen to hear from individuals, or small groups of people, who have got a great idea that they are wanting to turn into action. We’re going to be open minded about what that might mean, so it’s going to be interesting to see what ideas and proposals people have.

"We truly believe that by asking people within our communities to be at the heart of creating and delivering projects, we can help unlock the potential to bring people together and make communities stronger.  We can’t wait to see what people come up with – we’re ready to be inspired!”

The charity will be offering between four and six grants in its first round of funding, making payments in the region of £1,000 to £10,000 for each project, as well as hosting a series of workshops to support projects along the way. 

Full details and criteria can be found Edinburgh Trust Community Programme section of the Turn2us website (link no longer available) where you’ll be able to download an application form from Monday 6th March. 

Alison Taylor, Director of Operations for Turn2us tells us: "We see on a daily basis that financial hardship causes significant harm, affecting people’s health, their relationships, mental wellbeing and life chances. As a charity, we want to work with and support local people and groups to help tackle poverty and hardship within their communities. In putting this Programme together, we’ve received invaluable support through our Steering Group of local organisations; and we’ll be working with other charities and organisations in Edinburgh to ensure that the funded projects receive on-going support to help their communities to thrive.”

Applications will close on Friday 21 April 2017 and shortlisted projects will be invited to come and chat about their ideas in mid May.