Over £500,000 distributed in just 3 months

The Two Ridings team were so busy in the last three months of 2022 that we awarded more than half a million – £565,708 to be precise – in grants to support local communities over that time frame. In the first two weeks of December alone there were five grant panels who distributed £240,000 between them.

£17,625 of this was made through the Belfrey Small Grants programme. Grants were awarded to Barrel Organ CIO and All Saints and St Andrews Church to provide creative workshops for young people, aimed at empowering them and developing their leadership skills.

Living Word Church and The Hut were awarded grants to support some of their core costs. Both groups play a vital role in their community, and the panel recognised the need for those organisations to stay open and feel secure so that they could carry on providing such crucial support.

The Cost of Living Crisis Fund was launched to provide direct support to individuals affected by the cost of living crisis. A quick response from our donors enabled us to re-purpose current funding and gain new funding, which saw 54 grants totalling £112,210 awarded in November and December from it.

These grants ensured organisations throughout the region could provide warm clothing, hot basic food, warm spaces and fuel top ups to vulnerable people most affected by the crisis so that their basic needs were met.

Ryedale YMCA provided hot meals for local residents using their grant, whilst Cherry Tree Community Centre in Beverley made gas and electricity top ups and set up a social supermarket supporting over 150 locals. Whitby Hidden Impairment Support and Help chose to purchase a fridge, freezer, slow cookers and air fryers to run cooking sessions with the young people in the community so they could to take food home for the whole family and learn how to make their food budgets go further.

Seventeen microgrants were made through Harrogate Street Aid all for £500 or under with the aim of the money giving someone who is homeless an opportunity to turn their life around. One man bought a mobile phone because he was missing appointments and finding it hard to keep track of his finances.  He can now keep up with appointments, check his bank balance as well as being able to keep better in touch with friends and family improving his wellbeing. He also bought a passport so now has recognised ID enabling him to look for work and move towards independent living.

Eleven groups received Step Change funding totalling £91,689.  This fund enables community organisations to apply for funding of up to £10,000 to help them take a step to becoming more sustainable or resilient, so running and staff costs could be covered by these grants.

Men’s Support group Menfulness gained funding through Step Change for a new staff member who supports men with their mental health. Treasure Chest, a breast-feeding support group gained funding for a fundraiser to help them create a more stable income stream and for training to diversify their offer. York in Recovery’s grant helped them create the capacity to support more women into recovery.

It’s always busy at Two Ridings and we take pride in being able to support thousands of people each year, in all corners of Yorkshire, through our grant making.

If you are looking for funding, keep checking our Apply for Funding page on our website, and don’t forget to read our FAQs and How to Apply.

Any questions you have, don’t hesitate to call us on 01904 929500 or email [email protected]