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Apply for funding

HOW THE FUND WORKS

The Southend Emergency Fund receives donations from members of the public, businesses, trusts, churches, community organisations and from other charities. It is hosted by Southend Association of Voluntary Services, registered charity 1063655.

The fund gives grants to help local agencies relieve individuals and families in hardship arising both directly from the coronavirus and the steps taken to contain it.  

The awards committee typically meets  weekly to receive a report on the balance of the fund and to consider applications for funding.   

 

HOW TO APPLY IF YOU ARE A LOCAL CHARITY

 

HOUSEHOLD SUPPORT FUND

We have funding available to support families and individuals under the Household Support Fund.

The purpose of the fund is to award grants to support small third sector organisations who provide assistance to vulnerable households.

The aim of the scheme is to give vulnerable households financial support and peace of mind. Households eligible to receive funding are those which have any of the following:

  • People with disabilities
  • People with caring responsibilities
  • Pensioners

 

The areas of support vulnerable households could receive is outlined below;

  • Grocery supermarket vouchers (restricted)
  • Support packages created by groups
  • Direct purchase of items by groups
  • Direct payments to utility companies
  • Utility top up cards

 

The funds cannot be used to

  • Assist with mortgage payments and arrears
  • The provision of advice services such as debt advice
  • Purchase of mobile phones / IT equipment
  • Pay administration / management costs
  • Purchase storage / cooking equipment
  • Contribute towards costs in relation to being a ‘Warm Space’
  • Provide cash payments or similar transfers direct to personal bank accounts

 

Top Tips

  • The fund is to support individual residents of Southend. When writing your application, ensure you are clear about who and how the funding will help.
  • Let us know how you have identified and assessed a need.
  • Provide details about how the funding will be used for specific support (e.g. purchasing emergency food or paying electricity bills), how much (e.g. £20 per week on food, £30 for energy bills) and how funds will be distributed (e.g. organisation to purchase food for parcels, top-up card for energy)
  • Be sure to include how many households your project will support.
  • This funding is available to all groups supporting the residents of Southend, with no restrictions based on income/turnover.

 

Applicants can apply for up to £2,000 to support vulnerable households in Southend. Each household can then be supported with up to £200.

Applicants can only apply once during this round of funding. Applications are reviewed on a bi-weekly basis.

You can apply to this fund using this online form.

 

VACCINE INEQUALITY FUND

As the coronavirus vaccination roll-out continues, not everyone is coming forward to receive their jab. There are various reasons related to vaccine confidence, complacency and accessibility but it is something which we want to help tackle of our community. The SEF have received funding from the Mid & South Essex Healthcare Partnership to be used specifically to increase vaccine uptake amongst groups and residents living in areas where it is lowest.

Applications must focus on achieving at least one of the following:

  • Enabling positive communications within communities to share reliable, trusted sources of information
  • Providing opportunities to work with communities to explore barriers to vaccine take up and to co-produce solutions
  • Supporting communities to co-produce plans for vaccination clinics
  • Any bid must focus on increasing vaccine uptake amongst at least one of the following target groups:
    Residents in wards where vaccine uptake is lowest. These are; Kursaal, Milton, Victoria, Westborough
  • Ethnic minority groups: Caribbean, African, Traveller, Pakistani or British Pakistani, Bangladeshi or British Bangladeshi, Chinese, White other, Black other, Mixed Other, Indian and British Indian
  • Those with ill mental health
  • Those with learning difficulties
  • Deprived communities (people accessing welfare)
  • Street communities

We expect funding applications to be within the region of £500-£2000.

Please refer to this guidance documentation before completing your application. 

NB. If you have received funds from Southend Emergency Fund before please complete the grant application form below. You will not be considered for further funding until any reporting has been completed and received. If you need to report on previous spend that was not from the vaccine inequalities fund please let us know when you send your new application.

 

HOW MUCH TO APPLY FOR

This is a fast moving context both in terms of the impact of COVID-19 and the funds being raised by Southend Emergency Fund. In light of this we are keeping the following guidance under regular review:

  • We usually ask un-constituted groups to apply for <£200.
  • We usually ask registered charities and legally constituted organisations to apply for up to £5,000 if applying for the Household Support Fund.
 
 

REAPPLYING AND REPORTING

If you have received funds, please fill out this short online report form by clicking here. Once you have used the money for your project. This helps us understand the impact of the Southend Emergency Fund. Please also send us photos, videos and stories to help us publicise and fundraise for the fund. Ideally, we would like a report in no more than two weeks after you have spent out the funds.

To reapply for further funding we usually ask a minimum of 4 weeks between a successful applicant being issued funds and that applicant being issued funds for a subsequent application. In addition, we need to receive a report from you of how you have used the funds from the first grant.


We respond to applications on a rolling basis and one of our team may contact you for further details. We are working as quickly as we can and ask you to bear with us.

Questions to: sef@savs-southend.co.uk

 

 

GETTING HELP AS AN INDIVIDUAL OR FAMILY

 If you are a person or household in need we cannot help you directly. You should seek help from a local agency – see further information below.  

The following information leads to organisations and groups beyond us and we do not take responsibility for their services. 

Food

  • Storehouse: 01702 617348 www.storehouse.org.uk
  • Foodbank Vouchers via Citizens Advice Bureau 0344 477 0808
  • Foodbank via Southend Association of Voluntary Services 01702 356000 info@savs-southend.co.uk


Consumables (nappies, soap, cleaning materials, etc)

  • Storehouse  01702 617348


Money

  • Citizens Advice Bureau 0344 477 0808


Self-isolation and in need of shopping doing or prescriptions collecting:

If you are a tenant of South Essex Homes, you can try the Hub Project 10.00am – 4pm on 07398 094462

If you have children of school age and claim free school meals, you can get food vouchers through Southend Council 01702 212497

If you are housebound and need help with food collection, prescriptions, dog walking etc, you can ring Southend Council 01702 212497.

Please contact sef@savs-southend.co.uk if you have suggestions of other places where individuals can find help. and