St George’s children’s charity and nursery based in Tunbridge Wells has been awarded £9,840. Thanks to the grant, the not-for-profit organisation has recently undergone a technology upgrade, which saw the ‘Outstanding’ rated nursery kitted out with new desktop computers and tablets.
The IT overhaul has seen tablets replace time-consuming paperwork to track children’s learning and development, which the nursery says makes it easier to share children’s progress with parents.
Morgane Glew, business manager at St George’s, said, ‘This grant gives us a fantastic opportunity to upgrade our IT and really bring us into the 21st century. We are so grateful for the generosity of the Big Lottery Fund. The grant will help to benefit all the children who attend St George’s.’
Another recent beneficiary is Ashfield Nursery School in Newcastle upon Tyne, which has been awarded £9,980 for its 'Families Booster Project’.
The nursery is using the funding to install new play and learning facilities, including a mud kitchen, water wheel, sand box and storytelling chair. The project’s aim is to provide creative and imaginative play activities for to aid the children’s development and family learning sessions to develop parental skills and engage them with their children’s learning.
Flatts Nursery School in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, has been awarded a grant of £9,600 and will use the funding to deliver a series of extracurricular healthy lifestyle sessions. This will encourage beneficiaries to make healthy choices in life, with the aim of reducing childhood obesity.
Applicants for Award for All grants are advised to send their application at least four months before the anticipated start of the project.
Nurseries in England can apply for the Big Lottery Fund’s Awards for All grants of between £300 and £10,000. Providers must be part of a community or not-for-profit group, parish or town council, health body, or school.
Awards for All funding is also available in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Award for All grants are paid out for grassroots and community activities that will improve lives of local people and neighbourhoods.
There is no deadline and people can apply at any time. Due to high demand on the programme, smaller organisations are prioritised over groups with a high income.
Projects need to fulfill certain criteria in order to receive funding. Projects and activities must demonstrate how they will benefit the community in their application.
Funding can be awarded for:
- the purchasing of new equipment and materials;
- the running of training courses;
- the setting up of a pilot project, special repairs or conservation work;
- the hosting of an event, activity, or performance;
- expenses for volunteers, pay for workers and professionals, and transport costs.
For more information on how to apply visit https://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/funding/awards-for-all