The following is a list of potential funding sources for supporting Community Recycling post the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme.

Community Recycling and Economic Development (CRED) Programme cred.rsnc.org/

The CRED Programme is a unique fund for the Community Recycling sector, created using £35.2 million of National Lottery money from the New Opportunities Fund Transforming Waste programme. Grants of between £50,000 and £300,000 are available to not-for-profit community based projects and organisations with the aim of achieving the programme’s three main objectives:

• To establish new waste recycling, re-use or composting schemes in areas where they do not currently exist
• To expand existing waste recycling, re-use or composting schemes through for example, collection of additional materials or expanding the geographical area covered

• To increase the weight of material recycled, re-used or composted through education or awareness raising activities relating to new or existing schemes

Awards for All www.awardsforall.org.uk    

A lottery grants programme aimed at local communities with a simple and straightforward application process. Can fund projects that promote the environment. Average awards are between £500 - £5000 per group.

Comic Relief www.comicrelief.com

The UK grants programme aims to tackle poverty and promote social justice by helping people make lasting, positive changes in their lives and their communities.  To be as effective as possible in meeting their aims, during 2003-2005 they will give funding to five specific areas. As a result, they can only consider applications under the following programmes: Supporting Young People; Fighting for Justice; Domestic Abuse; Refugees and Asylum Seekers; Local Communities Working For Change.  They give grants for running costs and capital costs.  Applications for up to £5000 are only available to organisations with an annual turnover of less than £100,000. Comic Relief will give priority to core costs and equipment costs.

Community Empowerment Fund www.neighbourhood.gov.uk/cef.asp?pageid=24

The Community Empowerment Fund (CEF) was set up to help local community and voluntary sector groups get involved in decision-making on a strategic level through Local Strategic Partnerships.The CEF provides £60 million over 2001-06 to set up Community Empowerment Networks (CENs)in the 88 Neighbourhood Renewal Fund districts. The CEF is not a grants programme like Community Chest. It is a strategic fund to develop infrastructure and improve the capacity of the sector to participate. Groups who want to get involved on the CENs should contact their local Government Office or their local Lead Organisation.

Community Fund www.c-f.org.uk/index.html

The Community Fund gives Lottery money to charities and voluntary groups to help those in greatest need.  The Fund is a fully decentralised organisation with offices throughout the UK.  They run a number of different grants programmes to suit different kinds of projects and groups, including Strategic Grants and Research Grants.

DTI small business service www.sbs.gov.uk/

A number of special initiatives and grants may be available for businesses according to their circumstances and geographical area.

EQUAL www.equal.ecotec.co.uk/

Funded through the European Social Fund, Equal is an initiative which tests and promotes new means of combating all forms of discrimination and inequalities in the labour market, both for those in work and for those seeking work, through transnational co-operation. Equal funds activities implemented by strategic partnerships called Development Partnerships (DPs) located throughout England. Each Development Partnership addresses a thematic field of its choice.

Esmee Fairburn Charitable Trust www.esmeefairbairn.org.uk/funding_priorities_env.html

The trust is one of the largest independent grant making foundations in the UK.  Their Environment Programme seeks to support projects that prevent environmental degradation whilst recognising legitimate aspirations for housing, goods, transport and leisure activities. Further details of potential funding opportunities can be found on their website.

EU LIFE Environment  www.defra.gov.uk/environment/life/index.htm

The EU LIFE Environment fund exists to contribute towards the development of innovative techniques and methods by co-financing demonstration projects. Waste management is one of the five areas eligible for funding. DEFRA are the UK National Authority for LIFE. Although projects are selected by the Commission on a Europe wide basis, all projects must initially be submitted to DEFRA for consideration.

European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) / European Social Fund (Objective 2) europa.eu.int/comm/regional_policy/objective2/areas_en.htm

The Objective 2 Programme European funding for the 2000-2006 Programme period, matched by sums of public and private resources.  A number of rules define area eligibility so that 24% of the UK population live in eligible areas.  

European Social Fund (ESF) Objective 3  europa.eu.int/comm/regional_policy/funds/prord/obj3_en.htm

Objective 3 is a national programme with funding administered regionally. For instance the London Objective 3 funding allocation is just under £420 million European Social Fund (ESF), matched by sums of public and private resources. The programme period runs from 2000-2006. The Objective 3 Programme aims primarily to tackle barriers to labour market participation experienced by the unemployed and the socially excluded through the adaptation and modernisation of policies and systems of education, training and employment. Support is also available for work to enhance adaptability and promote lifelong learning. There is also the opportunity to provide some support for young people within the schools system.

Futurebuilders www.homeoffice.gov.uk/comrace/active/funding/futurebuilders.html

Futurebuilders is a £125m fund that will deliver an increase in the scale and scope of the public services delivered by the voluntary and community sector (VCS). It will do so through taking an investment in exemplars in VCS service delivery operating in five priority service areas.
The emphasis will be on step change within front-line service providing organisations so that they can deliver improved, and sustainable, services for users.  Responsibility for the Futurebuilders fund within government lies with the Active Community Unit (ACU) in the Home Office.

Invest to Save budget www.isb.gov.uk/hmt.isb.application.2/index.asp

Encourage innovation and partnership throughout the public sector, in order to improve the quality and cost effectiveness of public services. The Invest to Save Budget (ISB) is a joint Treasury/Cabinet Office initiative with an aim to create sustainable improvements in the capacity to deliver public services in a more joined up manner. A key principle of the ISB programme is that investment is provided in return for reform.

Neighbourhood Renewal Community Chest Fund www.neighbourhood.gov.uk/commchest.asp?pageid=25

Neighbourhood Renewal Community Chests are aimed at increasing and enhancing community activity in deprived areas. Community Chests are administered by voluntary sector ‘lead organisations’ and offer small grants of up to £5,000 to community groups for projects to help them get involved in projects to improve their neighbourhoods. Community Chests focus on the most deprived neighbourhoods and marginalised groups (e.g. ethnic minorities, youth).

Neighbourhood Renewal Fund www.neighbourhood.gov.uk/nrfund.asp

The Neighbourhood Renewal Fund (NRF) aims to enable the 88 most deprived authorities, in collaboration with their Local Strategic Partnership (LSP), to improve services, narrowing the gap between deprived areas and the rest of England. The fund can be used to support services provided not only by the local authority, but also by other organisations. 

New Deal for Communities www.neighbourhood.gov.uk/ndcomms.asp

New Deal for Communities (NDC) is a key programme in the Government's strategy to tackle multiple deprivation in the most deprived neighbourhoods in the country, giving some of the poorest communities the resources to tackle their problems in an intensive and co-ordinated way. The keys to change are: improving local services, increasing community capacity (i.e., enabling people to do more for themselves); and adopting an evidence-based approach to delivering change (i.e., getting proof of what works in practice).

Sure Start www.surestart.gov.uk

Sure Start aims to achieve better outcomes for children, parents and communities by: increasing the availability of childcare for all children; improving health, education and emotional development for young children and supporting parents in their role and in developing their employment aspirations. This will be achieved by helping services develop in disadvantaged areas, while providing financial help to enable parents to afford quality childcare and rolling out the principles driving the Sure Start approach to all services for children and parents.