Hill Dickinson Foundation Tower Hamlets

Please read the Essential Information before applying. 

Background Information: The Hill Dickinson Foundation is a fund administered and managed by the Community Foundation for 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.

Applicants should ensure they demonstrate how their proposed project meets the Hill Dickinson Foundation priorities below and beneficiaries should be from the Tower Hamlets area of London.  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.

How much is available:  The maximum amount you can apply for is £2,500.  The total budget available is £10,000 therefore we expect to provide between 4 - 6 grants across Tower Hamlets.

Fund priorities: Homelessness, food poverty, mental health and employability (access to work).

To support projects that:

• tackle the issues of homelessness (cause or effect)
• seek to alleviate food poverty, and/or contribute towards food security in a sustainable way
• 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.
• support access to work for those who have either found themselves unemployed or are aspiring to rejoin the workforce through other reasons

 

Examples of the sorts 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

 

Which areas are covered: London Borough of Tower Hamlets

Any special criteria: 

The programme is aimed at small grassroots groups with an income level of under £200,000.

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 Foundations for Lancashire and Merseyside supports the Real Living Wage, therefore, we would encourage applications which pay staff at the current London Real Living Wage of £13.15 per hour as a minimum - What is it? | Living Wage Foundation

The closing date is 5pm on Monday 11^th December 2023. Decisions will be communicated by mid-February 2024.

 

Documents which need to be included with your application:

1. A copy of the group’s constitution, governing document or rules

2. A copy of the group’s latest annual accounts or income/expenditure document

3. A list of your current Trustees/Directors/Management Committee

4. A copy of a recent bank statement for your group

5. A copy of the group’s current Safeguarding Policy. All applicants must ensure that they hold relevant policies and procedures in place to undertake activities, such as Disclosure and Barring Service (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 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

What happens next?

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.

You should expect to hear the outcome of your application by mid-February 2024.

For further information, please contact:

Community Foundation for Lancashire and Merseyside 

Third Floor,

Stanley Building,

43 Hanover Street,

Liverpool,

L1 3DN

T: 0330 440 4900

Email: applications@cflm.org.uk