Funding has been made available by Leeds City Council to support cultural projects to promote community cohesion across the city. This funding is from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund – you can read more about this here.

The funding has a focus on local arts, cultural, heritage and creative activities, volunteering and social action projects, capacity building and infrastructure and support, all of which will support community engagement and local regeneration.

The funding and subsequent projects will support the delivery of three priority areas relating to community cohesion:

Create Safe Spaces for Dialogue

So that people of all ages can talk about what they see, hear and experience in their communities, the media and online. These spaces will give opportunities to increase understanding and develop the skills to analyse and think critically.

Build and promote good relations in our neighbourhoods  

To strengthen relationships between people of all backgrounds, building resilience to hate and intolerance and promoting democratic participation – with a place-based approach to delivery.

Develop our sense of belonging

By raising awareness and understanding of diverse communities across Leeds and enhancing access to education, skills, and employment opportunities for everyone.

The funding and subsequent projects can also have community led social action element to them:

To improve community engagement and empowerment, with a greater focus on resident’s views and aspirations for their community; projects should use an asset-based community development approach to support socially led action.

 

Eligible activities

There are a number of eligible activities that will increase your chances of being successful in receiving funding. These are:

• Empower local communities and partners in the delivery of events and activities to bring different communities together, removing barriers and providing infrastructure and support where it is needed.
• Support the development of organisations working with under-represented groups to increase their engagement and involvement.
• Support and promote events and initiatives that highlight the positive contribution made by different communities and ensure they have wide cross-community appeal.
• Help facilitate and support events that bring different communities together creating opportunities to promote new and different exchanges that bridge understanding and give opportunities to bond.
• Create and promote volunteering opportunities that bring different people together with a focus on younger and older people, including opportunities to bring those groups together.
• Deliver education and training programmes for voluntary, community and statutory partners to increase their capacity to hold difficult conversations on issues relating to intolerance, hate and extremism with a focus on schools and those working in community settings.

 

Conditions of grant funding

Amount of funding available:

• Between £5,000 and £15,000 is available for cultural projects that achieve one or more of the outputs and outcomes relating to community cohesion (see project deliverables document).
• *Additional wrap around funding may be available for projects that also have a community led social action element to them.

*To improve community engagement and empowerment, with a greater focus on resident’s views and aspirations for their community; projects should use an asset-based community development approach to support socially led action.

Please send your completed application form and project deliverables to migrationteam@leeds.gov.uk by 5pm on Monday 22^nd July.

 

How to apply:

Please complete – application form

Please complete – project deliverables

Please read – guidance

 

Voluntary Action Leeds