Let’s Do it Together - Funding available to support Covid recovery in your neighbourhood

Community groups are being invited to apply for Neighbourhood Pitch funding to support projects which will benefit their neighbourhood in the post-Covid recovery.

Grants totalling over £300,000 will be available to support organisations to build back better in line with our Let’s Do It strategy.

And local communities themselves will play the key role in deciding who gets the support, through an online and a public vote.

Councillor Richard Gold, cabinet member for communities, said: “The Covid-19 pandemic has presented the greatest challenge that our communities have faced.”

“Through our over-arching Let’s Do It strategy we have an opportunity to develop every neighbourhood in the borough to be better and stronger than before the pandemic; tackling the causes of inequality and ensuring good life chances for all by building back better.”

Neighbourhood Pitch monies have been made available to fund local groups to develop and deliver initiatives that address local opportunities to improve outcomes in our communities against the outcomes set out in the Let’s Do It Strategy, namely:
 

• Improved quality of life in terms of length of life and good health
• Improved support to children so that they are better prepared for school
• More young people getting the qualifications they need for the future
• Better support to adults who want to retrain and find new jobs
• Higher wage rates and business growth that benefits everyone
• Improvements to our environment by being carbon neutral by 2038
• Better access to digital services through how we connect to broadband and mobile networks, or through improving our skills to use digital products

Let’s Do It also sets out four principles:

• A focus on local neighbourhoods, providing communities with an opportunity to vote for projects that best address local needs and opportunities
• Enterprising spirit to drive inclusive growth
• Delivering together – and, as such, priority will be given to applications showing collaboration
• A strengths based approach through developing community capacity

The Neighbourhood Pitch allows voluntary organisations and social enterprises to apply for up to £5,000 to support Covid recovery. Applications are welcomed from any community group, local network or voluntary organisations based in or working with communities in each neighbourhood.

In keeping with the Let’s Do It principles, collaborative bids bringing community organisations and networks together are strongly encouraged. Bury Voluntary and Community Faith Alliance can assist in linking groups seeking to collaborate and can provide guidance on funding. Further information on the Bury VCFA, including a ‘Meet the Funder’ event to discuss Pitch proposals on the afternoon of the 2nd November, can be found at www.buryvcfa.org.ukor contact Sally Deith/ Hamaira Haroon by email funding@buryvcfa.org.uk

How to apply?

Visit www.bury.gov.uk/neighbourhoodpitchwhere you can find further information and submit an application.

What’s the deadline?

Applications are now open. The deadline for applying is 17^thNovember 2021.

What happens then?

Eligible bids will be published on the One Community website (www.onecommunitybury.co.uk). The public can then vote online, or in person at a series Neighbourhood Pitch Market Place events which will be held across the borough in early December – watch out for details on these in the coming weeks.