Indeed, those fantastic people resulted in 237 projects entering our fund this year and it’s been incredibly exciting seeing the volume, quality and diversity of entries that have come through. Every year we see an increase in remarkable projects that are underfunded but backed by passionate and closely-knit communities, and we are always thrilled to be able to support them in reaching their goals and helping their community.
We’re now in our fifth year of supporting and providing funding to rural off-grid initiatives, and over this time have been able to help fund 214 inspiring rural community projects, as well as generating £460,000 through public donations and Calor contributions. This year is no different, many inspirational community initiatives from all around the country entered, and with 22 grants up for grabs, we’re delighted to be able to announce that this year’s Community Fund finalists have been chosen by you, the public, and can be viewed here!
We had a wide variety of projects make up the 237 entries that applied for funding. They came from all over the UK, ranging from Rescue Equipment in Tyne and Wear to restoring parks in Lincolnshire, through to Therapeutic Gardens in Kent and new Guide Huts in Cornwall, the variety of projects has been fantastic.
Collectively, we saw more than 4,000 supporters who generated 10,000 engagements throughout the public supporting stage, as well as generating over £100,000 towards their favourite project initiatives. We were so impressed with the efforts each and every one of the projects put into their application, as well as the support the public showed.
When communities applied to the Community Fund, they were encouraged to actively raise money for their project through crowdfunding. For every donation they received during the supporting stage, their project was granted 10 Rural Community Fund points and for every like or share the project received on social media, they received one point. These points helped set them up for the next stage, as the projects with the most points in each funding category (£1,000, £2,500 and £5,000) are the ones that made it through to the finals.
On Wednesday the 4th August the finalists will have their entries reviewed by a panel of impartial judges who will assess the projects based on four key factors: Impact (40%) Sustainability (35%), Submission (15%) and Originality (10%).
Those who are successful and selected by our judges will receive one of the main grants that are up for grabs. There are five £1,000 grants, six £2,500 grants and eleven £5,000 grants available. What’s even better, all finalists who don’t receive one of the main grants will still receive a £500 boost from Calor to put towards their project initiative, in addition to anything raised from the public support stage.
To find out more about this year’s finalists, visit communityfund.calor.co.uk where we’ll be sharing news and updates from the projects as they happen. And don’t forget to keep your eyes peeled to see who the winners are! They will be announced on Wednesday 11th August on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Read about how other winning Community Fund projects have benefited by visiting communityfund.calor.co.uk/success-stories
To stay up to date with all the latest news from the Calor Rural Community Fund, register here for email updates https://communityfund.calor.co.uk/user/sign_up/
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