Monday 4 October 2010, Cheltenham.
Charities and community groups across Gloucestershire are invited to apply to the Zurich Community Trust for a new grant designed to encourage collaborative working in the local voluntary sector.
Applications are invited from two or more organisations who wish to collaborate to better support disadvantaged people living in the county. At least one of the organisations must be a registered charity and the collaboration can be a new or existing arrangement.
There is potential for the successful applicant to receive a grant of up to £20,000 in November 2010 followed by further grants of £5000 in both 2011 and 2012 to support ongoing collaboration.
Zurich Community Trust is the charity arm of leading financial services group Zurich Financial Services, and runs a dynamic employee involvement programme across the UK.
Tony Martin, Zurich Community Trust Programme Manager says: “This type of grant is a first for us. As we know, the current economic climate is rather unpredictable, with many charities experiencing budget cuts and facing an uncertain future. It does mean, though, that the potential for collaborative working can be greater with charities looking to join forces to deliver services in a way they hadn’t before. We would urge any local organisation that fits the criteria, and is interested in working collaboratively, to contact us in the first instance.”
“This is a great idea by Zurich Community Trust”, says Cordell Ray, Chief Executive Officer of County Community Projects (CCP) in Cheltenham. “We believe that in a rapidly changing financial environment, bringing together knowledgeable experts from several community groups in collaboration is an excellent way of offering innovative, best practice services to the most vulnerable in our society.”
The closing date for applications is Friday 29 October 2010. To meet the funding criteria, only those organisations located within 25 miles of Zurich’s offices based in Bishops Cleeve, Cheltenham can apply. For more details or to request an application form please email Tony Martin at tony.martin@zct.org.uk or phone 01793 505766.
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