Winter Hardship Fund 2024/25

Completed Applications must be submitted by Tuesday 24th September  2024 at 12 noon.

Late applications will not be considered. 

Download the application form here:  Winter Hardship Fund Application - 24.25 (Word doc) [625KB](opens new window)

Please email your completed application in pdf format to communitygrants@ardsandnorthdown.gov.uk 

Winter Hardship Funding Guidance Notes for 2024-25 

Programme Information:

Ards and North Down Borough Council is launching a fund to support those most vulnerable to address hardship caused by the current cost of living crisis, particularly the increase in energy and food costs.  Funding has been provided to the Council from the Department for Communities. 

The competitive fund will be available to statutory community partners, community & voluntary organisations and registered charities to implement short projects (to be delivered by 31 March 2025) that target individuals and communities most vulnerable to the spiraling cost of living.  

Under the Winter Hardship Fund applicants can apply for up to a maximum of £3,000.  

Confirmation of receipt of an application will be sent within 2 working days.   

 NOTICE TO ALL APPLICANTS:   

We will only accept one application per group/organisation. 

 THE RESPONSIBILITY TO PROVIDE SUFFICIENT DETAIL IN ANY APPLICATION FOR COUNCIL'S CONSIDERATION RESTS WITH THE APPLICANT. The scoring panel can only score what the applicant has provided. Please note that the maximum word count per question will be adhered to, should you go over the word count, an independent officer, who is not part of the scoring panel will redact any words/sentences over the word count prior to the scoring panel seeing the application form. This is to make the process fair to all that apply.  

 The Fund is open for applications from 9am on Monday 9th September 2024 and closes at 12 noon on Tuesday 24th September 2024. 

The Hardship fund is open to the following eligible organisations/groups based and operating within Ards and North Down -  

• Strategic Community Planning Partners (if not delivering statutory functions) 
• Community & Voluntary Sector Organisations (application must show additionality) 

• Registered charities (application should bring additionality to a charitable purpose) 

The Hardship Funding Programme  

The aim of the fund is to support people who are experiencing food, fuel, and financial hardship. Hardship funding is non-recurrent funding. 

Types of initiatives the fund can consider include: 

• Initiatives that identify and work with individuals and their families at times of crisis
• Projects that provide spaces with a food offering alongside activities and heat (but food should be the primary purpose). 
• Programmes that increase the capacity and integration with existing hardship support services (e.g. Social Supermarkets and food banks) 
• Community based, School/education-based food projects e.g. breakfast clubs and holiday hunger initiatives. 

What we can fund 

Types of areas we can fund include (but are not restricted to) 

• Projects that identify communities and individuals who are financially vulnerable and have an innovative solution based on food, fuel, and financial hardship 
• Energy/Food voucher schemes (food, fuel, oil stamp scheme, electricity) 
• Costs associated with the provision of food to provide those facing hardship with sustenance e.g., including Social Supermarkets, Food Banks, Fareshare, Community Fridges, holiday hunger initiatives, meal projects, school-based food projects, such as breakfast clubs and other meal-based projects 
• Running costs that directly support the winter hardship project only and can be evidenced, up to a maximum of 10% of the awarded amount and are not already being funded by ANDBC Running costs or any other grant funding. 

What we cannot fund 

• Individual people 
• Salaries 
• Administration costs 
• Private and/or commercial businesses 
• General building or maintenance costs 
• Capital expenditure items 
• Projects/services based and operating outside of Ards and North Down area. 
• Funding cannot be used for subsidy schemes (summer schemes and leisure activities), appliances, advice services (including debt), community training (including health and wellbeing, resilience, financial inclusion), uniform schemes, and community transport initiatives.  
• Funding cannot be used for Projects already being funded by the Department unless it is being used to enhance or expand provision on a food related project. 

Applications will be assessed by a scoring panel, prior to being approved by Council.  

Scoring of applications 

Your responses for each of the 5 questions will be given a score out of 5. 

If you require further information, contact the Community Development Team at communitygrants@ardsandnorthdown.gov.uk