Extra Support for the Voluntary Sector
Support for the voluntary sector, community groups and social enterprises in the borough has been beefed up by the Conservative Council, which has subscribed to a new web-based funding search engine for local organisations to use.
There are around 400 sources of funding in the UK, ranging from grants to interest free loans, which social enterprises and volunteer groups can apply for. The new search engine www.open4community.info/richmond/ makes it easy for local organisations to find what is available and guides people through the process of applying.
Cllr Pamela Fleming, Cabinet Member for Communities, Business and Culture said “As our All in One programme progresses we hope communities will come forward with ideas for improving their areas, and of course our voluntary sector bodies are always looking for additional sources of funding We have a strong and dedicated voluntary sector and this is a very good way for the dozens of groups out there to look for a wide range of funding streams.
“Equally, we know that access to and the affordability of finance is the main reason people are put off starting or expanding a social enterprise. By making it easier for aspiring social entrepreneurs to find out what money is available to help them get going in business, we hope more will think about setting up.
“There are a wealth of services out there which could be provided by a social enterprise, including council operations, so the more help we can give people to get going, the better.”
The website allows users to search for funding streams, contracts, National Lottery and Government funding, as well as looking specifically at what is available within this borough for local organisations.
The launch of the social enterprise and voluntary search engine comes a year after the Council signed up for the www.open4business.info/richmond tool, to help businesses find funding which would be available to them.
The Council has a number of pages available on its own website explaining what business support is available in the borough, what the authority is doing to help traders and firms and how new companies can set up in the borough.
