Greener Leith

Community Food And Health Scotland has announced that it is looking for applications to its small grant fund for 2008. Last year the organisation gave 56 grants out between £500 and £3,000.

Initiaitves they are keen to fund should tackle the barriers that stop people from accessing or taking up healthy balanced diet. This could mean projects that make sure healthy foods are available, affordable, and that people have the skills to budget, shop for, and cook healthy food. Projects could also seek to tackle 'long ingrained' cultural habits of poor diet.

You can get more information from here.

We've recently been alerted to slight changes to the funding programme run by the HBOS foundation.  Notably, for groups interested in green space improvements, they have a Community Action Programme, that is open to non-profit community groups and charities. Grants of up to £10,000 are available, but sadly they seem unlikely to fund salaries or core costs.

Best of all, you can download an application pack from here. 

Councillors in North and East Edinburgh are being urged to back a bid for cash from a new Scottish Government initiative. The cash, which has been made available to establish "Travel Demonstration Towns", could be used to support improvements to the Leith Links - Portobello Cycle Path, an issue that Greener Leith has been campaigning on for some time. It could also support a whole host of other activities from 'Green Travel Maps' to improving pedestrian walkways and greenspaces.

There will be a huge amount of competition for the money from other local authorities, so we're really hoping that our elected officials will agree to support a bid for Leith and that the City of Edinburgh council officials will work with local groups throughout North and East Edinburgh to put together an exciting proposal.

 For the young at heart - details of a new round of potential funding:

Save the Children and British Gas are pleased to announce the next funding round of the Help Yourselves Awards . You tell us what would change the lives of children and young people in your community and apply for a Help Yourselves Award of £1,000 . Higher-level Awards of up to £5,000 and £10,000 will be available in future funding rounds - so keep an eye on our website at www.helpyouselves.org.uk for updates.

The £1,000 Help Yourselves Awards will fund projects that have a positive impact on the circumstances and experiences of children and young people:

· through the improvement of life chances

· that are strongly young-person led

· that benefit vulnerable and disadvantaged groups

The next deadline for completed applications is FRIDAY 28 MARCH 2008 - with £1,000 funded projects expected to take place between June and the end of August 200 8 . The website at www.helpyourselves.org.uk, has full details of the Help Yourselves Awards - where you can find a set of guidance notes, an online application process, or the option to download a hard-copy of the application form.

All enquiries about the Help Yourselves Awards can be e-mailed to : helpyourselves@savethechildren.org.uk

Greenspace, an independent charity, not to be confused with Greenspace Scotland (who are completely different), are running an 'Ask the Expert' week on the activity that eveyone loves to hate - fundraising. David Hewitt, their fundraising officer will be responding to queries posted to the discussion board on their website between the 11th and 15th of February. If you feel like you're struggling to get funding for your plans, perhaps this could be a good place to turn to for advice?

You could also try our Funding For Greenspace  page.