Gardening with Children

When you have some gardening project ideas, it’s important to find out how much everything is going to cost. The next step is to explore funding options. 

There are many places to find the funding and support that you need for gardening project. This might come locally through community fundraising or sponsorship. Or it might involve applying to a national organisation for a grant.

Bear in mind grant applications can take a little time to complete. So before you start check you have all the information together that you need. Find out what sort of projects the funding organisation is particularly interested in supporting. Sometimes there will be a help line to phone for more information. But make sure that your ideas meet the project criteria before starting to apply. Also check the deadline for applications.

Competitions

There are many competitions run for schools, so it’s always worth keeping a look out. www.gardeningwithchildren.co.uk run competitions throughout the year, with lots of useful equipment to be won, along with money off vouchers, so keep a look those 

Local Fundraising

• Community Fundraising Events such as school fairs, plant sales and auctions of promises
• The PTFA sometimes have funds available that can be used towards the school garden
• Local Sponsorship from companies in your area can also be a good place to start. Local branches of some of the big chains have a budget for community projects so it’s always worth checking
• Local Authorities and County Councils sometimes have resources available locally.

National Grants and Award Schemes

• Fundraising for Schools
  http://www.practicalfunding.co.uk
  Monthly magazine with all the latest information on the sources of extra funding that are available to schools 
• The Co-operative Foundation Community Support Programme
  http://www.co-operative.coop/ethicsinaction/localcommunities/modernco-operation/fundsandfoundations/communityfund/
  Supports community and voluntary activity through grants to local groups. Scheme is currently under review.  More information is promised in Spring 2009
• Awards For All
  http://www.awardsforall.org.uk
  A lottery grants scheme for local communities.
• Continyou
  http://www.continyou.org.uk
  Runs awards scheme for schools and community groups. Check their website for the latest information. 
• Friends of the Earth
  http://www.foe.co.uk/learning/educators/shout_about/index.html
  An annual activity project for 11-13 year olds.
• Ernest Cook Trust
  http://www.ernestcooktrust.org.uk
  Provides grants of between £100 and £4000 (in small grants category) for the education of young people about the environment and countryside.
• Trusthouse Charitable Foundation
  http://www.trusthousecharitablefoundation.org.uk
  Foundation provides grants of up to £10,000 for a range of projects around healthcare and disability, community support & education and the arts. 
• The Conservation Foundation
  http://www.conservationfoundation.co.uk
  Creates and manages a variety of environmental award schemes. Check out their website to see those awards currently available.
• Community Spaces
  http://community-spaces.org.uk
  £50 million open grants programme supported by the Big Lottery Fund. It helps communities create and improve green open spaces, to make a difference to the local quality of life. 
• Eco Schools
  http://www.eco-schools.org.uk/grants
  Switched on Communities grant scheme provides funding for Eco Schools. Grants of up to £5,000 are available. 
• Local Food Grants
  http://www.localfoodgrants.org
  £50 million programme supported by the Big Lottery Funds Changing Spaces Programme. It distributes lottery grants to a variety of food related projects to help make locally grown food accessible and affordable for local people. 
• It’s Your Community Initiative
  http://www.itsyourcommunityinitiative.co.uk
  Awards of up to £1000 available to local groups and individuals for activities that will benefit your community. 
• The Links Foundation
  http://www.linksfoundation.org
  Charitable trust distributing funds to communities in need of help.
• The Royal Society
  http://www.royalsociety.org
  The Royal Society Partnerships Grants Scheme offers up to £3000 for projects where teachers and scientists work together to inspire young people. 
• Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE)
  http://www.cabe.org.uk
  Education grants for imaginative teaching about design of buildings and public green space. One category of awards in 2008 was for use of the school grounds as a learning resource. 
• Hilton in the Community Foundation
  http://www.hilton-foundation.org.uk
  Grants of up to £50,000 for activities in education & health to relieve suffering and equip young people. 
• Paul Hamlyn Foundation
  http://www.phf.org.uk
  Runs an education & learning open grant scheme. 
• Awards for All Wales
  http://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/wales
  Grants of between £500 and £5000 for projects involving people in their local community. Includes an environmental and educational focus. Supported by the Big Lottery Fund and Heritage Lottery Fund.