South West Foundation in Partnership with the Learning Curve and the Skills Funding Agency, has opened a new grant programme for the South West. The Community Grants programme, funded by the European Social Fund and the Skills Funding Agency, is aimed at supporting voluntary and community organisations with charitable aims, to deliver projects that will help and support people furthest removed from the labour market to pick up the skills and confidence that will enable them to move toward employment.

Around £10,000 will be made available to projects that improve facilities for cyclists within the Dorset AONB. It is essential that bids will directly benefit visitors and / or the wider cycling public.The grant will cover up to 50% of costs, paid in arrears.

For more information

If you would like more information or are interested in applying and want to discuss your idea further, please contact Ian Rees, Dorset AONB Countryside Officer on 01305 228235 or i.rees@dorsetcc.gov.uk..

EDF Energy's Green Fund is now open to applications from community, non-profit, charitable and educational organisations across the UK. The Green Fund is made up with a small premium that EDF Green Tariff customers pay, EDF match these contributions and use it to help support renewable energy projects across England, Scotland and Wales.

The Fund offers grants of up to £30,000 to help cover the cost of renewable energy technology that can be used to produce green energy from the sun, wind, water, wood and other renewable sources.

£15 million in risk funding for community renewable energy projects has just been announced as part of the Chancellor’s autumn statement. This will mean Government support for communities to meet the upfront cost of developing renewable energy projects and thus remove a major barrier to community-driven renewable energy project development.

The brief statement can be found in the Autumn Statement document (paragraph A.117, page 64): http://cdn.hm-treasury.gov.uk/autumn_statement.pdf