The money will be used to boost their current Large Strategic Grants programme.
MK Community Foundation’s Large Strategic Grants programme supports multi-year strategic projects (running for a maximum of 3 years). It is often the case that, large strategic projects due to their wider aims, do not fall within the restraints of 12 months. This multi year programme allows the Foundation to support local groups or charities across a number of years helping them to focus on capacity building, sustainability and addressing emergent strategic needs.
The Big Lottery funding will be matched with money from the Margaret Powell Foundation Fund, which supports projects for the benefit of:
• Frail elderly people;
• People with disabilities of all ages, and/or;
• Those of all ages suffering mental health illnesses.
This year, as part of MK Community Foundation’s Large Strategic Grant programme, Milton Keynes Youth Information Service (YiS) were awarded a large strategic grant of £120,000. The grant, awarded over 2 years, is funding vital resources for their free youth counselling service including, costs for moving, marketing, equipment and more counsellors.
Elly De Decker, Senior Regional Head of Funding at Big Lottery Funding said: “Milton Keynes Community Foundation is in an excellent position to identify the needs of the local community, and supports truly worthy charity organisations and projects. It’s great to see money raised by National Lottery players helping communities to thrive.”
The call for applications for this round of strategic grants has been extremely popular: the first round of awards will be made by the end of the financial year.
MK Community Foundation look forward to sharing the stories of the successful applications and their projects soon!
