The LF Foundation

Please read the Essential Information before applying. 

What is the focus of the fund: The fund will support a wide range of charitable projects in St Helens and close surrounding area that support families in hardship or children’s educational development where financial hardship is a barrier.

 

Projects should focus on one of the following issues:

• Prevention/relief of poverty
• Education and training for children and young people

Who can apply: Registered charities, community interest companies (Limited by Guarantee), community groups with a constitution or set of rules in the group’s name. 

 

How much is available: Grants of up to £5,000 are available

 

Which areas are covered: St Helens. Applications can also be considered from areas bordering the St Helens Local Authority area within Merseyside and Lancashire (e.g. Widnes, Prescot, Whiston, and Skelmersdale) 

 

Examples of the sorts of projects that may be funded:

• Money management support sessions
• Projects that offer advice and guidance to people at risk of homelessness
• Projects to tackle hunger such as food banks, food pantries
• Crisis support
• Projects that help young people learn new skills and gain qualifications
• Activities for families who would not normally be able to engage with due to financial barriers 

Closing date: Friday 1^st March at 4pm

Decisions will be distributed by the end of April 2024

How to apply?

Please visit the Community Foundation for Merseyside’s website - www.cfmerseyside.org.uk and complete an online application form. Once you have submitted the online application you will need to send the documents listed below. If you do not submit all the relevant documents within 7 days your application will be withdrawn.  You can now attach the documents to your online application, email them to applications@cflm.email or post them to the address below.  Individual applicants should follow the link to complete an electronic application form which can be saved and emailed back to us. Supporting documents can either be emailed to us or posted to us.

 

Documents which need to be included with your application:

• A copy of your governing document or constitution
• A copy of your latest annual accounts or income/expenditure document
• A list of your current Trustees/Directors/Management Committee
• A copy of a recent bank statement for your group
• A copy of your current Safeguarding Policy. All applicants must ensure that they hold relevant policies and procedures in place to undertake activities, such as Disclosure Barring System (DBS) checks and/or a health and safety policy, depending on proposed activity. If unsure about what you need please contact the Community Foundation for help (details below)
• NB: If you have received a grant from us in the last 12 months and have already submitted copies of the above documents, you do not need to send them in again. However, a bank statement is required with every application.

 

The following items cannot be supported via the fund:

• Statutory organisations or work that is their responsibility
• National organisations, or groups with a head office located outside of Merseyside, that cannot demonstrate a permanent presence in Merseyside, and local governance and control of local finances,
• Commercial ventures
• Companies limited by shares
• Purchase/maintenance of vehicles
• Activities that will have already taken place before we offer you a grant
• Politically connected or exclusively religious activities
• Projects for personal profit
• Organisations that are set up for the benefit of animals or plants: environmental groups that work with animals or the environment for the benefit of people (such as city farms) are acceptable
• Groups comprising just one family or organisations that have less than 3 unrelated management committee members/Directors/Trustees
• Debts and other liabilities
• Reclaimable VAT
• Travel outside UK

 

What happens next?

All completed applications are assessed by Community Foundation staff to confirm eligibility. You may be contacted for more information after applying and a decision making panel will make recommendations based on the fund’s criteria and the budget available.

 

For further information, please contact us direct:

Community Foundation for Merseyside

Third Floor, Stanley Building,

43 Hanover Street,

Liverpool, L1 3DN

T: 0330 4404900 Email: applications@cflm.org.uk