Funding is available to support communities to tackle loneliness and isolation.
Contents
Background
Anyone of any age and any background can experience loneliness and social isolation. It can affect our physical and mental well-being.
We published our first strategy for tackling loneliness and social isolation in February 2020. We want everyone to have the chance to develop meaningful social relationships. To help create more opportunities for people to connect, we have established a 3 year Loneliness and isolation fund. We want to support front-line grass-roots voluntary and community organisations that:
- bring people of all ages together
- encourage social connections
How much funding is available
£500,000 is available in each of the three years (2021/22, 2022/23 and 2023/24).
This has been allocated equally to Local Authorities and County Voluntary Councils (CVCs). They will be working in partnership across the 22 local authority areas in Wales for the duration of the fund. It will be used to build the capability and sustainability of front-line grass roots voluntary and community organisations. We are looking for organisations that bring people of all ages together and help build social connections.
What can be funded
Examples of the types of activities that the fund can be used for include (but are not limited to):
- scaling up existing activities
- helping organisations to re-establish themselves after the pandemic
- helping organisations to promote themselves more widely
- the use of suitable venues
The funding can be used for revenue costs only, it cannot be used for capital costs and cannot duplicate any existing funding.
In 2021/22 funding has been used for a variety of community-based activities and organisations. Projects received funding through small grant schemes operated by the LA/CVC partnerships. Further information about how funding is being used can be obtained by contacting your local CVC - Contact - Third Sector Support Wales
Loneliness and social isolation team
You can also contact a member of the loneliness and isolation team for further information.
Telephone: 03000 256968 (Rydym yn croesawu galwadau’n Gymraeg / We welcome calls in Welsh)
The funding can be used for revenue costs only, it cannot be used for capital costs and cannot duplicate any existing funding.
How to apply
1. Establish a partnership and nominate a grant manager. Your partnership must include at least one local authority and one CVC. The grant manager must be from a local authority.
2. Complete the application form. Supporting information can also be submitted with your application form. This could include:
- project plans
- communication plans
- organisational and relationship diagrams
- anything else you consider useful in support of your application
3. Email your application and supporting information by 27 October 2021.
We will run this process electronically as far as possible. Please contact us if you:
- need the application pack in an alternative format
- need to submit your completed application in hard copy
Loneliness and social isolation team
Telephone: 03000 253095 (Rydym yn croesawu galwadau’n Gymraeg / We welcome calls in Welsh)
Rydym yn croesawu galwadau a gohebiaeth yn Gymraeg / We welcome calls and correspondence in Welsh.
Rydym yn croesawu galwadau’n Gymraeg / We welcome calls in Welsh. We are happy to work with public and third sector partners to enable national take up of this funding. If you need any further support please do not hesitate to contact a member of the loneliness and social isolation team.
Privacy notice
The ‘Privacy notice: Welsh Government grants’ sets out how we will handle any personal data you provide in relation to a grant application or request for grant funding.
The Welsh Government will not require applicants to collect or provide personal information as part of the grant application process or as part of the activities the grant will fund.
The grant manager will be the data controller for any personal information it collects or processes in the delivery of the grant funded activity and will need to undertake its own Data Protection Impact Assessment.