Whats a funding portal?

We all know that obtaining or maintaining funding streams in the voluntary sector is a real challenge, particularly in an ever competitive and crowded market-place.

Some organisations always require in-depth support in their search for funding, whilst others are able to take advantage of Support Cambridgeshire 4 Communities.

So what is Support Cambridgeshire 4 Communities?

It’s a self -funding portal which organisations can use at no cost. Packed with over 2,500 local, regional and national funding streams which are updated on a weekly basis.

Organisations can browse or perform more detailed searches based upon their particular needs and circumstances.

It’s easy to register, and be used time and time again.

Over the past 12 months, 8,500 searches have been undertaken through this portal, with over 300 groups regularly accessing the system.

And does it work?

Like most issues, Funding is complex, ever changing and difficult to obtain.

The portal is only the first stage of an organisations journey, but as  a resource its invaluable, and sometimes it bears fruit.

Lets take the case of Holywell-cum-Needingworth village hall.

Village hall trustees extended their existing kitchen into a further adjacent room in order to double its size.

New equipment was also purchased, including a kitchen range cooker, extractor, stainless steel work surface and a tall larder fridge.

They further added a new commercial under counter 3 minute dishwasher , together with a new double bowl kitchen sink and a new Tri-flow tap and filter assembly.

The trustees received a grant from WREN to the value of £8,652 (approximately 50% of the entire project cost).

Andy Killoran (one of the trustees) states:

I had already heard of WREN as we had already had a grant from them over two years previously.

However, I took the opportunity of going carefully through the self-funding portal to check out other grant funding opportunities before making a decision and in the end decided to use the link in the self-funding portal to access the WREN site.

I found the portal to be explanatory, easy to use and very helpful.

Little victories:

A number of organisations have also been successful in obtaining funding as a direct result of using the portal.

So try it and see if it works for you: simply click here.