News article

In this time, at least £10 million of funding to voluntary and community groups has been secured in the district as a result of help from bfunded advisors, including over £1.25 million in the last 2 years.

The bfunded advice service evaluation for 2010/11 found that the service was highly valued and the satisfaction rate was 98% with 84% of respondents saying that they were very satisfied with the service. Successful outcomes for the service included jobs created, jobs safeguarded, income generated and training/ other support accessed.

Bfunded has been supported in its 7-year history by Enterprising Bradford, ERDF, WNF, Safer & Stronger Communities and Neighbourhood Renewal. The bfunded team would like to thank all funders and the groups that it has worked with and wish them well in future.

The bfunded partners will continue to meet. If opportunities become available, the partnership will take steps to try and reinstate the free one-to-one funding and marketing advice service for voluntary and community groups in Bradford district.

Bradford CVS, KIVCA, & SBVS continue to recognise that specialist funding and marketing advice is still needed and are working together to maintain support services that will help groups find funding.

Funding information - what's available from your local CVS?

Groups can still search for funding free of charge at www.bfunded.org.uk – groups can do as many searches as they like and free workshops on how to search for funding/ how to use the website will be provided over the next year. Please email sarahmoss@sbvs.org.uk to find out more.

To get the latest funding news alerts, sign up at www.bfunded.org.uk or follow us on Twitter www.twitter.com/bfunded

For information and networking opportunities specific to the community you serve, consider joining a relevant voluntary-sector network such as Young Lives Bradford, BOPA and the Health & Wellbeing Forum

Groups can also access fundraising training from CVS training. Details are available from www.bsupported.org.uk. Most training courses start from only £30 for a half day course (rate for community groups).

Questions about a specific fund? Don’t forget, many funders have support staff that can answer your questions about their funding by email or by phone.

The CVSs will continue to provide free training and events where possible in partnership with funders. For example, if your group is applying to Reaching Communities – please take advantage of the free training programme being provided in Bradford district by the Big Lottery Fund – this will take you through the process and help you sell your project and write a good application.

CVS staff who can help you Clive Whittaker will continue to support community centres across the district. CVS training will be running relevant training courses to help groups with issues such as good governance and project planning.

The Voluntary Organisation Support Officers will also be helping small groups with funding advice for small grants (typically up to £10,000). This help will include assessing funding options and looking at draft bids but may be time-limited depending on the amount of enquiries received.

If your organisation is running health and well-being services, the Health Partnership Project is continuing to support groups to improve monitoring systems, develop new evaluation and impact measurement systems and effectively deliver health & wellbeing services – all essential for running services that are attractive to funders.

New group? New to fundraising? Groups that need to get ready for funding i.e. need a constitution, policies and help with project planning or running a successful project can get free help from the development team at KIVCA and Voluntary Organisation Support Officers based at Bradford CVS, KIVCA and SBVS.

What next?

Your feedback could help us to develop future services and respond to the needs of local community groups – please let us know what you need in the annual CVS survey that goes out to all groups or email or phone your local Voluntary Organisation Support Officer at KIVCA, SBVS or Bradford CVS to give us your views.

Any future changes to the service will communicated via the bfunded website, CNet email network and Twitter.