Better Tomorrows Fund

Better Tomorrows Fund Overview Grants for charitable, not-for-profit organisations for accredited training for youth workers via Cumbria Youth Alliance’s training programme. Please contact Annalee Holliday, Senior Grants & Programmes Officer (contact details below) before applying.

Background Set up by David Beeby, High Sheriff of Cumbria 2021-22, the Fund aims to invest approximately £1m over the next three years into quality youth work training and provision, with the ultimate objective of substantially increasing the number of young people having access to support from youth workers. It will encourage people within Cumbria to become accredited in youth work via Cumbria Youth Alliance’s training programme, along with funding youth work salaries through this open-access grant fund.

Donor David Beeby has personally committed a significant amount to the programme and has secured funding from charitable trusts and donors, including Francis C Scott Charitable Trust, the Four Acre Trust, LLWR, and Cumbria Community Foundation, LLWR, CCL Secure, Carr’s Group, CGP Publications, Iggesund, BAE and James Walker.

Frequently Asked Questions

We’re an existing youth project, would this fund the salary of an additional youth worker? The intention of this fund is to prioritise areas where there is currently no youth work being delivered, and give more young people access to quality youth work. An additional youth worker would need to support young people who aren’t currently engaged in any existing youth work services (i.e., in a different area to current provision).

We’re a volunteer led organisation, would this fund our first youth worker? Potentially yes, if the youth worker could significantly increase the number of young people they are engaged with.

We have an existing youth worker whose post runs out of funding soon, could we apply to this fund to cover the cost? No. This fund aims to increase the number of young people having access to support from new youth work avenues rather than cover existing overheads.

We have a new youth work post, which was previously a volunteer role. Would this be eligible? Only if the funded post is providing additional youth work opportunities to more young people. It would not be eligible if the volunteer previously delivered 10 hours of support each week and then wanted funding to cover salary costs delivering the same amount of hours.

We want to offer specialised youth work sessions (e.g. mental health support) over a limited period of time (e.g. 8 weeks) in different locations (e.g. school settings) to different groups of young people, would we be eligible? No. Sessions must take place regularly, such as once a week, and ideally be offered over a minimum of one year to encourage more young people to take part. The sessions should also be delivered in one location (although more will be considered if you are are delivering sessions at a number of village halls, for example).

We make grants to a wide range of organisations. We are particularly keen to help grassroots community groups and small-to-medium-sized voluntary organisations. We do not normally make grants to large UK-wide charities, but we might do so where there are strong relationships in our area and the proposal has the potential to achieve a substantial impact.

You do not have to be a registered charity to apply, but the work you ask us to support must be legally charitable.

The table below shows the requirements that must be met before considering an application:

Volunteer-led organisations, registered charities and CIOs must:

• Have a management committee with a minimum of three unrelated members
• Have a bank or building society account in the name of the organisation/group, with a minimum of two unrelated bank signatories.
• Have charitable aims, evidenced by the governing document.
• Provide evidence of good governance practices and sound financial management including being registered with the Charity Commission, Community Amateur Sports Club (CASC) or other governing body, depending on the size of the organisation, annual accounts
• • Register with the Charity Commission if your charitable organisation is based in England or Wales and has over £5,000 income per year.

Social enterprises, Community Interest Companies (CIC) and other companies must:

• Have a management committee with a minimum of three directors, or four directors if two are related. The majority of directors should be unpaid. Directors should have equal voting rights.
• Have a bank or building society account in the name of the organisation/company, with a minimum of two unrelated bank signatories.
• Have clear charitable purposes and a defined social benefit, evidenced by Articles of Association and community benefit statement. Please also supply your CIC 34 report (if this has been made available).
• Provide evidence of good governance practices and sound financial management, including having a recognised status (e.g. a company limited by guarantee), and be registered with the necessary relevant body (e.g. Companies House, CIC regulator, annual accounts.
• Ensure an Asset Lock body is named and has objectives both charitable and similar to the CIC, ensuring benefit to the community.

NB: We will ask you to provide evidence of the above as part of your funding application For most funds, you can apply whatever your income level. Some funds may have more specific requirements about the size and type of organisation eligible.

Please note if you have previously had a grant from us we will not consider any new application unless you have submitted any outstanding end of grant monitoring reports.

What we will fund:

• Projects where the majority of people who will benefit are disadvantaged
• Groups working with children where the majority are disadvantaged or have special needs
• Groups with 12 months or less running costs in unrestricted reserves
• Groups operating within the county of Cumbria (Except Beckburn Windfarm and Cumberland Building Society Community Fund – please refer to the fund pages for the full area of benefit)
• Groups with a registered address and/or local voluntary management committee or Board of Trustees in Cumbria (Except Beckburn Windfarm and Cumberland Building Society Community Fund – please refer to fund pages for the full area of benefit)
• Core costs and overheads for your organisation
• Salaries and equipment purchases
• Capital projects that meet our fund criteria

What we won’t fund:

• Animal welfare
• Contact boxing, except where donor-advised
• Businesses and personal profit
• Deficit funding
• General large appeals
• Medical research and equipment, except where donor-advised
• Activities that are normally the responsibility of central or local government
• Awards from the same fund in a 12 month period
• Projects which duplicate an existing service in an area
• Fundraisers and fundraising events
• Advancement of religion including buildings solely for religious purposes, except where donor-advised
• Party political activities
• Retrospective funding unless through a disaster appeal
• Purchase of vehicle, except where donor-advised
• Groups or individuals who have not returned their monitoring form
• Beautification projects, except where donor-advised
• National organisations that do not have a local presence within Cumbria

Safeguarding relates to the actions taken to promote the welfare and wellbeing of children, young people and vulnerable adults, and to protect them from harm, abuse and neglect.

The trustees of an organisation have the primary responsibility for safeguarding beneficiaries, staff and volunteers, and must take all the necessary steps to ensure that their organisation is operating in a safe and secure environment. This includes staff and volunteers receiving appropriate training and support to prevent safeguarding issues arising, or to spot signs of abuse; robust procedures for reporting abuse in a timely and objective manner, and clear accountability structures, including a named contact for any safeguarding issues.

Priority will be given to projects that: • provide access to youth work for additional young people • create additional opportunities in areas where there is limited or no youth work provision • seek to increase participation from young people from less affluent social economic groups and young people who might not usually take part in youth work their barriers and build their attainment, ambition and aspirations • put young people at the centre in terms of voice and decision making • support young people who are facing complex transitions, challenges, and barriers to accessing support and opportunities

What the Fund will not support in addition to our normal exclusions:

• existing or recent youth work posts • overhead costs e.g. rent, IT, publicity • individuals

How much can you apply for?

The maximum award will be no more than £25,000 per year. Multi-year funding may be considered for up to three years.

Cumbria Community Foundation takes the safeguarding of children and adults at risk seriously and we expect organisations applying for our funding to have a safeguarding policy that is up-to-date and relevant to their beneficiaries.