BIG Lottery is awarding over £1m to the Plunkett Foundation for woodland social enterprises . Fifty communities across the UK will receive support to transform unmanaged woodland into opportunities for jobs, leisure, education and services and to improve the health and wellbeing of local people. Find out more here. [Source: Big Lottery]
Our Place applications extended until 5 June
Additional places are now available on the Our Place programme, so we applications deadline has been extended until Friday 5 June.
Our Place gives communities control over local services – it helps bring communities together in partnership with local organisations and service providers to look at the issues that most matter to them.
If you have expressed an interest in the programme (by completing the first stage of the application process, the eligibility checker), but have not yet applied, you now have time to complete your application or get advice from the My Community team on how to apply. [Source: MyCommunity web site]
Why grassroots campaigners should be supported
2014 saw some notable successes for grassroots campaigns. Joseph Blake, a member of Edge Fund, argues that a tiny increase in the share of charitable giving going to small independent groups would deliver disproportionate benefits.
Read more: The Guardian Voluntary Sector Network, 27 January 2015
Ideas for change: Community-led self-help housing
Over the last two years great strides have been made in putting community-led self-help housing back on the map. Jon Fitzmaurice, who set up self-help-housing.org, writes about some of the new housing organisations that are taking on empty properties and helping re-build communities. The article includes plenty of examples. Read more in New Start, 6 November 2014
Big Local gives communities spending power
Although Big Local is still in its early stages, with the majority of the £1m in each of the 150 Big Local areas yet to be spent, already there are examples of how it is helping new cooperatives and social enterprises spring up around the UK and resident decision-makers gain confidence in public speaking, accounting and community consultation. Read more in Positive News, 4 November 2014
