Applications are now open for the Hertfordshire Covid-19 Winter Grants Scheme to address food and fuel poverty.

This funding has been made available by Hertfordshire County Council as a part of the Government’s £170m National Covid-19 Winter Grants Scheme to support vulnerable people over the winter. Grants are available to groups working in areas of deprivation in Hertfordshire that support vulnerable adults by providing access to food and/or support with bills such as fuel and water.

Funding Information

Grants Available: Up to £5,000

Funding criteria

Applications from charities, groups and non-profit organizations supporting vulnerable adults that fall into any of the following categories are eligible to apply for funding:

• Individuals in crisis (eg people facing poverty, experiencing or at risk of homelessness, poor mental health, domestic violence, drug and alcohol addiction etc) and their families, with our without children
• Those facing food poverty
• Those facing fuel poverty
• Minority and marginalized groups who have been particularly impacted by Covid-19 Applications from groups who employ benefit advisors wishing to distribute food and fuel vouchers to vulnerable adults will also be welcome.

Who can apply?

In order to apply to the Winter Grant Scheme, your organization must fulfil the following criteria:

• The group must be a not for profit, charity, community or voluntary group with a written constitution or governing document
• The governing document must include the groups aims or purpose, objectives and a dissolution clause or asset lock which states what would happen to any funds should the group have to close.
• The group must be governed by a voluntary trustee or management committee with a minimum of three members, at least two of whom must be unrelated.
• The group must have a bank account in its own name, with at least two unrelated signatories
• The group must have all the relevant policies in place for its work, including Equality and Diversity and Safeguarding.
• The group must be working to meet the needs of the local community in Hertfordshire
• The group must be based in Hertfordshire or be able to show specifically how the funding they are applying for will benefit people in the county.
• Faith groups will be considered as long as their project does not include proselytizing

Applications are welcome from charities, community and voluntary groups and not for profits of all sizes. However priority will be given to local groups with an in depth knowledge of the issues they are dealing with and the communities they serve.

For more information, visit Hertfordshire Community Foundation.