The Community Foundation Northern Ireland is pleased to announce the AXA PARKS Fund, a new environmental grants programme to support local community projects that demonstrate a real commitment to improved outcomes for the environment and the communities’ wellbeing.
They will serve not only communities but will also look to help protect their native biodiversity – helping ensure that people, plants, and animals can thrive across the whole island.
Priorities
They anticipate that this will be a competitive grant round so proposals that include any of the following will be prioritized at the assessment stage:
- Organisations that have a strong community engagement track record.
- Projects that provide opportunities for community members to participate in the creation and/or enhancement of green spaces.
- Green spaces that aim to improve mental or physical health.
- Green spaces that allow for an educational element, such as allowing for workshops on biodiversity, planting, or citizen scientist projects etc.
- Projects that will be sustained beyond the life of this grant.
- Projects that adhere to environmentally friendly principles and use of sustainable materials.
Funding Information & Duration
Organisations can apply for funding between £3,000 and £20,000.
Funding should be spent by the end of August 2023.
In this grant round, over €250,000 is available for charitable organisations in Northern Ireland, and grants will be awarded proportionally across the whole of Ireland, based on population spread.
They anticipate that this round will be highly competitive and up to 100 grants will be awarded across the whole of Ireland.
Eligible Projects
- Must be to enhance/develop an outdoor physical space in the local community
- Must be accessible to the whole community or fit the specific cases above
- Must encourage community engagement and participation in the development and use of the space
- Must enhance or protect local biodiversity
Eligible organisations:
- Can be a registered charity or a local community/voluntary group
- Can be a non-fee paying school or non-profit pre-school
- Must have an annual income of less than £500,000
- Can be a local branch of a larger charity, provided the branch has an annual income of less than £500,000
- Must be embedded in the local community and must have a track record of responding to community needs
- Must have up to date and sufficient governing documents and financial accounts
Please note:
- The organisation must own the land or have permission from the landowner to develop the Green Space.
- Proposals to this fund can include the proportion of staff time or consultation costs specifically related to the project (e.g. Ecologist consultancy costs or surveyors).
- Budgets can include the costs of building materials, plants and flowers, equipment and furniture.
- Budgets can also include labor costs where an external company is contracted.
- Where possible, all materials purchased with this funding should be sustainable and environmentally friendly.
- Budgets can be larger than the funding available in this grant round, however, your application must cover at least 75% of the total project costs.
For more information click "LINK TO ORIGINAL" below.