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Last updated: 15 December 2009
15 December 2009
Today’s awards were the final grants to be allocated by phase two of the Government’s £16.5 million Modernisation Fund. The Fund has provided 521 charities and voluntary organisations grants worth over £4.8million in total since phase two was launched in September.
Over 400 hundred third sector organisations have today been awarded over £3.6million in grants between them to help provide vital services during the tough economic times.
The Modernisation Fund, which was launched as part of the Government’s Real Help for Communities Action Plan, was set up to help frontline voluntary organisations and charities be more resilient and efficient through the recession.
The Fund helps strengthen organisations that provide services to those worst hit by the economic downturn by supporting them to collaborate with others, merge, or develop in other ways to respond to difficult times.
Minister for the Third Sector, Angela Smith said:
“I am really pleased to be able to announce that over 400 charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises have received grants worth £10,000 to help them become more resilient and efficient in tough economic times.”
“This vital funding will not only strengthen these organisations by helping them with the cost of mergers and partnership working, but also helps them continue to provide services through difficult times.”
The Modernisation Fund Grants programme is delivered by Capacitybuilders. The first phase of the programme offered bursaries of £1000 to frontline organisations working in areas of importance to communities affected by the economic downturn. The bursaries were for organisations to access advice and support, focusing in particular on the benefits that organisations may gain from collaboration or merger.
Following this, organisations could from September apply for a second phase of grants of up to £10,000 to make further progress towards collaboration or merger.
The Fund also includes a loans programme delivered by the Social Investment Business to charities, social enterprises and voluntary organisations with existing plans for mergers and collaboration, or who wish to take forward other activity to help their business prepare for difficult times.
The Modernisation Fund is part of the £42.5 million package of measures announced in the Government’s Real Help for Communities Action Plan in February 2009.