This is the second round of the Local Connections Fund, a £4 million investment designed to help small charities and community groups working to reduce loneliness by building community connections across England.

The second round of funding is provided by The National Lottery Community Fund.

If you received funding in Round 1, you will not be eligible for funding in Round 2.

The funding is aimed at bringing people together in safe and secure ways, making people aware of what services are available to reduce loneliness and to build lasting connections.

People understand what’s needed in their communities better than anyone. We know that groups within various communities will have different needs and will need different levels of support. We want to hear directly from organisations about who in their community needs additional assistance.

Who can apply?

Organisations can still apply, even if they already have existing grants with The National Lottery Community Fund. You cannot apply for costs which have been funded by other means, including Government or National Lottery funding. If duplicate funding does occur, we’ll take action to recover these funds.

Suitable for:

Small (with an income below £50,000), constituted, local charities and community groups working to tackle loneliness by helping people feel more connected within their communities.

Funding size:

£300 to £2,500

Total available:

£2 million in Round 2 – successful applicants must have completed their project and spent their grant by 30 November 2021

Application deadline:

Deadline for applications is 6 August 2021

FIND OUT MORE HERE – Local Connections Fund – Round 2 | The National Lottery Community Fund (tnlcommunityfund.org.uk)

Voluntary Action Leeds