Hill Dickinson Foundation – Merseyside
About the Fund
The Hill Dickinson Foundation is a fund administered and managed by the Community Foundation for Lancashire and Merseyside. Hill Dickinson is an international law firm which has been headquartered in Liverpool for over 200 years.
The Hill Dickinson Foundation aims to make a positive contribution to the communities in which the firm operates by supporting local grassroots organisations and projects.
Fund Criteria
Mental Health
Projects that assist those suffering from ill mental health and or encourage positive mental wellbeing, including for people with Neurodivergent conditions and for people living with disabilities.
Employability (Access to Work)
Projects that support access to work for those who have either found themselves unemployed or are aspiring to rejoin the workforce through other reasons
Food Poverty
Projects that seek to alleviate food poverty, and/or contribute towards food security in a sustainable way
Homelessness
Projects that tackle the issues of homelessness (cause or effect)
Specific eligibility criteria
- The programme is aimed at small grassroots groups with an income level of under £250,000.
- Hill Dickinson would prefer to fund a specific project and be the principal funder rather than a contributor towards a much larger project cost.
- Community Foundation for Lancashire and Merseyside supports the Real Living Wage, therefore, we would encourage applications which pay staff at the current Real Living Wage of £12 per hour as a minimum – What is it? | Living Wage Foundation
- Applicants should ensure they demonstrate how their proposed project meets the Hill Dickinson Foundation priorities above and beneficiaries should be from the Merseyside area.
- Applications should demonstrate a real need for their project and clearly show the impact of their project and what difference it will make to its beneficiaries.
Examples of projects that may be funded
Projects that offer advice and guidance to people at risk of homelessness
Peer mentoring projects that focus on improving mental health and wellbeing
Confidence building and education sessions to homeless people to help them move on and gain employment
Drop-in center’s for homeless people
Food banks and social supermarket projects
Support groups and helpline/counselling services for people with mental health issues
Projects that look to achieve a positive mind-set change around mental health, e.g. self-confidence and or awareness raising projects
Projects that offer advice and guidance for people who have become unemployed
Confidence building and education sessions to those who have become unemployed
Projects to offer mock interviews or retraining opportunities to those who are unemployed
Employability projects across the board
Amount Available
Grants of up to £2,500.
The total budget available is £10,000 therefore we expect to provide between 4 – 6 grants across Merseyside.
What cannot be funded?
- Statutory organisations or work that is their responsibility
- National organizations that cannot demonstrate local governance and control of local finances
- Private Businesses or Companies Limited by Shares
- Organisations with fewer than three unrelated Trustees/Directors/Management Committee members
- Commercial ventures
- 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
- Trophies and medals
- CCTV/Security measures
- Organisations that are set up for the benefit of animals or plants: environmental group that work with animals or the environment (such as city farms) are acceptable
- Groups comprising just one family
- Debts and other liabilities
- Reclaimable VAT
- Travel outside UK
- Gifts or projects exclusively for the purpose of entertaining – social events can be funded where there is a clear community benefit
How to Apply?
An online application form can be completed via the “Apply Now” button below. You can attach supporting documents to your online application, or email them to us at applications@cflm.org.uk.
Due to the limited budget available and as we do not wish to disappoint too many groups, the fund may close earlier if a sufficient number of applications are received.
Documents which need to be included with your application:
- A copy of your governing document.
- A copy of your latest annual accounts or income/expenditure document.
- A copy of a recent bank statement for your group. If you do not have a bank account in place, you must be able to nominate another organisation to hold the funds (CVS, another local charity, church etc.).
- A list of your Trustees/Directors/Management Committee members. A minimum of three un-related must be in place.
- 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 Criminal Records Bureau checks and/or a health and safety policy, depending on proposed activity. If unsure, we recommend taking advice from your local CVS.
If you have applied to us within the last 12 months and provided this information, we do not need you to send it again, although we may require a more recent bank statement.
Completed applications are considered by Community Foundation staff to check 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.