The £130 million scheme, managed by the Community Development Foundation (CDF), launched in September 2008. It is aimed at helping small voluntary and community organisations provide much needed help in their communities, and reach out to the most vulnerable people.



Grants have been spent on a range of community activity from healthy food parcels for deprived communities to social activity for carers – helping communities to thrive and deal with the individual challenges that face each local community.



Small and local community groups with annual incomes below £30,000 can apply for the grants of between £250 and £5,000.



Angela Smith, Minister for the Third Sector, said:



“Grassroots Grants give the groups which are tackling local issues the support they need to make a difference. I am delighted that through this ground-breaking programme the Government has in the first year alone given charities and voluntary organisations over £33 million in grants, enabling them to reach out to the most vulnerable people in our communities.



“The programme is still open for applications and I encourage small local voluntary and community groups across the country to come forward and apply for this essential funding.”



Trevor Sleath, the Andover Food Bank Project Coordinator, said:



“We’ve seen a significant increase in people struggling with debt, both the unemployed and those in low-income employment. These are difficult times, and Andover being a rural community, many people living in villages and the surrounding areas are struggling to make ends meet. We are offering a vital service to people in need, and the Grassroots Grants funding will really help us continue to support them.”



Grassroots Grants includes a match fund where donations by business and individuals are matched by the Government. The money, which is then invested as an endowment, aims to provide financial support over the long term to charities and voluntary organisations; enabling even more grants to reach local good causes, for generations to come.



A total of 8515 businesses and individuals up and down the country have made donations, totaling over £13 million so far, which the Government then matched funded. This has already built endowments in every local area, worth £25million in total.



The innovative endowment match challenge is the first of its kind in the world, as far as we know, and offers businesses and individuals the chance to contribute directly to supporting and sustaining the communities in which they operate and upon which they rely.



Alison Seabrooke, Chief Executive of CDF:



“Even in this difficult economic climate, people across England have already given over £13million, which is matched by the government. The small-scale, local groups and projects that Grassroots Grants funds don’t need a lot of money to make a big difference to their work, so even a small donation will go a long way.   The Grassroots Grants endowment match challenge has provided a real incentive for businesses and individuals to give to their local communities.”



Ashley Taylor, Senior Manager, Group Communications for Friends Provident said:



"Friends Provident has a history of 'putting something back' into the local community. The Grassroots Grants match funding has enabled us to achieve more with our investment than would otherwise be possible."



If you would like to donate to the Grassroots Grants endowment in your local area please click here

If you would like to apply for a grant in your local area please click here



 3 Dec 2009